Pain in the Cheek

Pain in the cheek and cheek pain can be painful and also cause side effects such as headaches. Pain in the cheek can be due to jaw joint locking, muscle tension (including masticatory muscle myalgia), dental problems and injury.

Some of the most common causes are dysfunction of the jaw muscles and jaw joint, often called TMJ (temporomandibular) syndrome, it can also be due to trauma - which in turn can lead to jaw injury or meniscus irritation. In the case of major trauma, jawbone fractures or fractures of the face may also occur. Gum problems, poor dental hygiene, nerve problems, sinusitis, and infection are also conditions that can cause pain in the cheek. More rare causes can be acoustic neuroma, Fibromyalgia or polymyalgia rheumatism. Another very rare cause of pain in the cheek and oral cavity is cancer. Jaw tension can also be caused or worsened by malfunction of the neck og shoulder.

Where and what is the cheek?

The chin is the part of the face that makes up the area below the eyes, inside the nose and between the left and right ear.

Also read:

- Complete overview of muscle knots and their reference pain pattern

- Pain in the muscles? This is why!

Kinnets anatomy

Masseter myalgia - Photo Travell and Simons

Masseter (the large masticatory muscle) and pterygoid myalgia - Photo Travell and Simons

Image: In the picture we see some of the most important muscular causes of pain in the cheek. Overexertion in the large masticatory muscle and the inner jaw muscles are called, respectively masseter myalgia and pterygoid myalgia. Myalgia simply indicates muscular dysfunction or muscular tension. Tight jaw muscles can also help or aggravate headache.

What is pain?

Pain is the body's way of saying that you have injured yourself or are about to hurt you. This is an indication that you are doing something wrong. Not listening to the body's pain signals is really asking for trouble, as this is its only way to communicate that something is wrong. This applies to pain and aches all over the body, not just back pain as so many people think. If you do not take the pain signals seriously, it can lead to long-term problems, and you risk the pain becoming chronic. Naturally, there is a difference between tenderness and pain - most of us can tell the difference between the two.

When the pain is attenuated, it is necessary to weed out the cause of the problem.

Some common causes / diagnoses of cheek pain are:

Poor dental health - cavities or gum disease

Mild infection

Mouth ulcers (can be caused by slight injury, irritation, Herpes zoster, reduced immune system and a host of other conditions)

Referred pain from the jaw and jaw muscles (i.a. masseter (gum) myalgia may cause referred pain or 'pressure' against mouth / cheek)

sinusitis

TMJ syndrome (temporomandibular syndrome - often composed of muscle and joint dysfunction)

Trauma (biting, irritation, burns and the like)

Pain in the teeth

Rare causes of pain in the cheek:

Fibromyalgia

Herpes labialis (Herpes outbreaks on or in the lips)

Infection (often with high CRP and fever)

Cancer

Lupus

Nervous pain (including trigeminal neuralgia)

Polymyalgia rheumatism

Trigeminal neuralgia

Make sure you do not go with a sore cheek for a long time, rather consult a clinician and diagnose the cause of the pain - this way you will make the necessary changes as early as possible before it has a chance to develop further.

Reported symptoms and pain presentations of pain in the cheek:

- Electrical pain in the cheek (may indicate nerve irritation)

- Itching in the cheek

Numbness in the cheek

- Stinging in the cheek

- Pain in the cheek (a pain or burning sensation in parts or the whole cheek)

- Sores on the cheek (wounds in parts or the whole cheek)

- Sore cheek

- Sore jaw (do you have muscle or joint pain in the cheek or jaw joint?)

- Pain in the gums

- Pain in the teeth

Clinical signs of sore cheek and cheek pain

Swelling can occur around a trauma or through an infection.

- Pressure tenderness over the jaw joint can indicate defects in muscular or joint function.

How to prevent pain in the cheek

- Live healthy and exercise regularly
- Seek well-being and avoid stress in everyday life - try to have a good sleep rhythm
- Make sure you have good oral hygiene
- chiropractor og manual therapists can both help you with joint and muscle pain in the jaw

Did you know: Jaw complaints and jaw tensions can also, like malfunction of the muscles and joints of the neck, contribute to headaches.

Conservative treatment of sore cheek

home Practice is often printed and used to address improper use of musculature, with the intention of providing a long-term, long-lasting effect. Ultrasound can be used both diagnostically and as ultrasound therapy, the latter works by providing a deep-warming effect aimed at musculoskeletal problems. Joint Mobilization or corrective chiropractic joint treatment increases the movement of the joints, which in turn allows the muscles that attach to and near the joints to move more freely. Chiropractic joint therapy is often combined with muscle work in the treatment of TMJ syndrome and jaw tension.

Massage It is used to increase blood circulation in the area and thus reduce muscular tension, which in turn can cause less pain. heat treatment used to give a deep-warming effect on the area in question, which in turn can give a pain-reducing effect - but it is generally said that heat treatment should not be applied to acute injuries, as is ice treatment to prefer. The latter is used for acute injuries and pains to help ease the pain in the area. laser treatment (also known as anti-inflammatory laser) can be used at different frequencies and thus achieve different treatment effects. It is often used to stimulate regeneration and soft tissue healing, plus it can also be used anti-inflammatory.

List of treatments (both much alternative and more conservative):

acupressure
Acupuncture
aromatherapy
behavioral therapy
Atlas Correction
Ayurvedic medicine
Bioelectromagnetic therapy
blockade Treatment
Soft tissue work
Bowen Treatment
Coxtherapy
Electrotherapy
Ergonomics
Dietology
Reflexology
Physiotherapy
gonstead
Healing
home Practice
Homeopathy
Hydrotherapy
hypnotherapy
Infrared light therapy
insoles
Intramuscular needle therapy
Ice therapy
remedy
kinesiology
Kinesiotape
chiropractic
Cognitive processing
crystal Therapy
contrast Treatment
Cupping
Cold Treatment
Laser
Joint Correction
Joint Mobilization
Medical treatment
Lymphatic drainage
Light Therapy
magnet Treatment
manual Therapy
Meditation
Muscle Relaxing Medications
muscle Knute treatment
Myofascial technique
Naprapathy
Naturopathy
Neurological rehabilitation training
qigong
Osteopathy
breathing
reflexology
Shockwave Therapy
Pain medication
Spinology
Sports support
Stretch bench
Power Management
sole Customization
Thought Field Therapy
TENS
Thai Massage
Traction
Exercise
Trigger point therapy
Shockwave Therapy
Dry needle
stretching
Vacuum Treatment
heat treatment
Hot water therapy
Yoga
Exercises

Chiropractic treatment of jaw pain

The main goal of all chiropractic care is to reduce pain, promote overall health and improve quality of life by restoring normal functioning of the musculoskeletal system and nervous system. In case of jaw pain, the chiropractor will treat the jaw locally to reduce pain, reduce irritation and increase blood supply, as well as restore normal movement in nearby structures such as the neck, thoracic spine and shoulder. When choosing a treatment strategy for the individual patient, the chiropractor places emphasis on seeing the patient in a holistic context. If there is a suspicion that the jaw pain is due to another disease, you will be referred for further examination.

The chiropractor treatment consists of a number of treatment methods where the chiropractor mainly uses his hands to restore normal function of the joints, muscles, connective tissue and nervous system:

- Specific joint treatment
- Stretches
- Muscular techniques (many use both trigger point therapy and dry needling)
- Neurological techniques
- Stabilizing exercise
- Exercises, advice and guidance

What does a chiropractor do?

Muscle, joint and nerve pain: These are things that a chiropractor can help prevent and treat. Chiropractic treatment is mainly about restoring movement and joint function that can be impaired by mechanical pain.

This is done by so-called joint correction or manipulation techniques, as well as joint mobilization, stretching techniques, and muscular work (such as trigger point therapy and deep soft tissue work) on the involved muscles. With increased function and less pain, it may be easier for individuals to engage in physical activity, which in turn will have a positive effect on both energy and health.

Old woman's advice against pain in the jaw

We choose to bring some advice against the pain in the jaw. We have also tried to understand the meaning behind them and thus put a little explanation in brackets.

- Drink ginger tea (Ginger reduces muscle pain)
- Rest in the sun (The sun provides the basis for vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to increased muscle pain)
- red bell pepper powder (Red bell pepper has among the very highest content of vitamin C - needed for soft tissue repair)
- Eat blueberries (Blueberries have a pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effect)