Over the years, Botox has become increasingly popular as an adjunct treatment for San Diego patients who suffer from symptoms of TMJ.
One of the stronger muscles involved in TMJ disorder is the masseter muscle – a rectangular-shaped muscle that sits over the side of the jaw as is shown diagrammatically in the adjacent photo. It is the masseter muscle that commonly contributes to problems related to TMJ disorder – which includes chronic, recurrent pain and discomfort. So in patients who have exhausted many of the other TMJ treatment options, such as a soft diet, compresses, anti-inflammatory medication and even dental appliances – medical spa treatments that can help reduce a hyperactive masseter muscle have shown great success.
Botox treatment for TMJ symptoms works by injecting the body of the masseter muscle in a manner that is very similar to the use of Botox for facial wrinkles. In most cases, the doctor will ask you to clench your jaw to identify the true outline of the masseter muscle. Once this is established, the Botox can be injected through the skin directly into the muscle. On average, it can take 15-25 units of Botox on each side to reduce the masseter muscle activity enough that will have a favorable impact on the pain it was causing. But the good news is that – in our experience – TMJ Botox has a longer lasting effect than many cosmetic Botox treatments. This means that rather than having Botox injections every 3 months, it can be done less frequently for TMJ issues.
If you suffer from TMJ symptoms and are frustrated with the lack of improvement with other conservative therapies, you might want to call one of San Diego’s leading medical spa staffs to get your TMJ Botox done today!