Migraine headaches can really throw you for a loop. Unlike regular headaches, migraines are a neurological phenomenon and can often be difficult to treat with over-the-counter or traditional prescription painkillers. As a result, many migraine-specific prescription medications have debuted on the market, some more effective than others, depending on the patient. Effective treatments for migraine headaches depend on the individual migraine sufferer, but so too do migraine triggers. For some it's alcohol, for others it can be anything from bright lights to stress or even other medications. But there is one trigger that you may not have known about, and it’s making headlines around the world. Do you get migraine headaches? Do you have temporomandibular joint dysfunction? Well, according to a new study, the two may be closely related. The study was conducted at the University of Sao Paolo in Brazil and found that though temporomandibular joint dysfunction (or TMJ dysfunction for short) itself cannot trigger a migraine, having a migraine with TMJ dysfunction could make your migraine symptoms much worse. So, what’s the cause behind this new revelation? Well, researchers aren’t 100 percent sure, but there are some theories. First, the pain of having a migraine could be a trigger for TMJ dysfunction. If you are experiencing pain anywhere in the body, but especially in the head, you could be more likely to grind your teeth or clench your jaw, which would exacerbate migraine pain. Another theory? Cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone that the body releases during times of high stress. Stress is also a well-known trigger of both migraine headaches and temporomandibular joint dysfunction, again due to jaw clenching and teeth grinding. When cortisol is released in the body, it acts as an inflammatory, causing the joints to swell. This includes the temporomandibular joint, which, if it's already affected by temporomandibular joint dysfunction, could feel a whole lot worse. The good news is you don’t have to live with temporomandibular joint dysfunction pain. Treatment options such as neuromuscular orthodontics can work to alleviate that pain and align your jaw for optimal relief. If you suffer from TMJ dysfunction, please contact Dr. George’s office for an evaluation by calling 724-220-2347.

If you’re one of the 28 million Americans who suffer from debilitating headaches known as migraines, you are most likely familiar with how agonizing they can be. But as if the pain, nausea, light sensitivity and dizziness that frequently accompany migraine headaches wasn’t enough, some migraine sufferers may be in for more bad news. That’s because, according to a recent study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), people who get migraine headaches are three times more likely to suffer from another painful disorder known as temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMD for short.

An estimated 29.5 million Americans suffer from migraine headaches each year. A migraine is categorized as a headache that produces an intense, throbbing pain in one or both sides of the head. This pain is often focused behind the eye socket, in the temples or behind the ear. Migraine pain is usually accompanied by other side effects like nausea, vomiting, light sensitivity and dizziness. It can also produce something called an "aura," which is a visual side effect that moves in a wavelike pattern across the visual cortex.