TMJ, EFT, and Stress

TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint . It is a joint that connects your skull and jaw, allowing movement of the jaw. There is one such joint on each side, right and left.

Tightness in the muscles that control the TMJ is almost always something that I have connected to stress, frustration, and/or anger. These emotions may be a total surprise to the sufferer, however, once the cause of causes are found, usually events in life, then using EFT to release the memory of these events from the jaw muscles can have a releasing effect. Slowly but surely, the muscles can start to relax, releasing the TMJ tension and its associated problems. Sometimes this happens in one magical session, but this is the exception to the rule.

Although the medical view is that the cause of TMJ disorder may be due to genetics, an injury, arthritis (wear-and-tear, caused in my opinion by too-tight jaw muscles, due to emotional factors causing teeth grinding), or simply an unknown mystery, time and time again, EFT practitioners find that when the associated emotional trauma is released, the condition is relieved or may even disappear altogether.

One such example reached my inbox recently. I have changed the wording, even though I have permission to publish, in order to protect my source. This is what the reader of my EFT-zine said, more or less: “I have had TMJ disorder for several years. It started with teeth grinding at night, when I had a very stressful job and could not turn my mind off at night. I also have adrenal exhaustion, fibromyalgia, and tummy problems. I am so dizzy with this ear congestion as a result of the TMJ problem. Please can you give me a free script to help?”

Clearly, with the adrenal exhaustion and other symptoms, there is a large element of stress that is somehow stuck in the body. With EFT, we call this stuck energy, and we release it with a mixture of releasing wording and special acupressure. If you are new to EFT, you can download a how-to manual from many a practitioner’s website, along with provisos as to safety and best practices, so you can follow the suggestions in this article.

This is a case for working with an experienced EFT practitioner who can safely, gradually, and surely, release the stuck energy left in the body by all that job stress so many years ago. If this is not available to you, here is a script that I feel will be safe to use.

Setup: “Even though I have this stress from that job stored in my jaw muscles, I have held onto it for all those years, I want to let it go.”

Reminder: “This job stress in my jaw muscles, and everything it represents”.

Repeat the above for 15 minutes a day for 6 weeks, without the use of numbers. As you tap, if you feel tears, fear, anger, or sadness, then simply carry on tapping on all the points you like to use, over and over again, without words, until you feel calmer and more in control. Tap in this way for as long as you need to. Then congratulate yourself for having the courage to release this issue.

I assume you have already tapped for tension in the jaw, with no result. If you have not as yet, then also add the following daily procedure. First, assess the tension in your jaw on a scale of 10-0, where 10 is the highest and 0 is not there. Keep tapping the following until the tension reduces to the lowest number it can for that day. Repeat this daily procedure for 6 weeks. You can actually repeat it as many times a day as you want, and I only suggest the once a day in case you do not have the time to tap more.

Setup: “Even though I have this tension in my jaw, I just want to feel better”.

Reminder: “This tension in my jaw”.

TMJ disorder can be relieved, like many other conditions, by releasing the associated emotional stuckness. Try this protocol, give it 6 weeks, and see how you feel.