It is the Temporo-Mandibular Joint, the joint where the mandible (the lower jaw) joins the temporal bone of the skull, immediately in front of the ear on each side of the head.

Each time you chew you move it, but you also move it every time you talk, and every time you swallow (every minutes or so). It is, therefore, one of the most frequently used of all the joints of the body.

The TMJ joint is a joint much like the ankle, and responds to injuries with inflammation causing the joint to swell, stretching pain sensitive nerves within the joint capsule ( envelope around the joint).

You can locate the TMJ and feel it working by pressing your fingertips immediately in front of your ears on each side of the head. Then fully opening and closing your mouth, you can feel the joint on each side of your head. Because these joints are flexible, the jaw can move smoothly up and down and side to side, enabling us to talk, chew and yawn. Muscles attached to and surrounding the TMJ controls its position and movement.

You can also feel the TMJ in motion if you put the tips of your little fingers into your car canal (with the fingernail backwards) then pressing forward as you open and close your jaw.

If you have TMJ Disorder this exercise may be painful. Most symptoms, however, are located away from the TMJ.

Obviously TMJ dysfunction causes problems with talking and chewing, and pain and discomfort in the jaw area; however it is also a source of a great many other problems, such as headache pain, neck pain, and back pain. In some instances, it can cause difficulties remote from the jaw joint, for example, nervousness, emotional problems, even shoulder pain, dizziness, lost of balance, anxiety, depression, nausea, visual disturbances, hearing loss, ringing in the, ears, or a partial lisp.

TMJ Dysfunction or TMJ Disorder (also called simply TMJ) is a condition that occurs when the TM joint is misaligned or malfunctioning in some way that subjects it to excess pressure. The condition was first identified in 1934 by an otolaryngologist Dr. J.B. Costen.

Costen was the pioneer in alerting the medical and dental professionals to the fact that ear, head and neck pain could be eliminated by correcting an improper bite and removing excess pressure on the TMJ.

According to the American Dental Association, approximately 75 million people in the United States are affected by TMJ dysfunction. Most studies showing at least 35% of the population as having TMJ disorders.