Rebecca B, a 31-year-old woman, was diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the left TMJ. There was loss of TMJ ROM; loss of proper TMJ biomechanics; and extreme crepitus. She did not experience much pain, but her jaw would unpredictably "lock," and she did not have enough ROM to open her mouth to eat a sandwich.

When she chewed her food, her face and jaw muscles would get so tight they would cramp. She was scheduled for surgery on the TMJ.

KST priorities included sphenoid, temporal, and parietal plates; left maxilla; squamosal suture; hard and soft palates; a Blair pattern; supraclavicular fossa; and TMJ joint adjustment as she opened and closed her mouth.

The mouth ROM improved very quickly; it took some time for the crepitus to disappear and for the "locking" to calm down; she canceled her surgery after visit six. A habit pattern also came up around jaw clenching under stress, with other priorities including an emotion of anger/frustration.

Rebecca travels a great distance to see us; however, after correcting the underlying issues of her jaw, Rebecca chose to continue for elective care and attends approximately once a month.