Facial asymmetry

By Lee Sung-hun

On occasions I provide consultations for patients with neck, shoulder and jaw pain issues. There are times we need to take pictures of the conditions they are suffering from. Among such patients, I've come across some who dislike having their pictures taken due to what they see as severe asymmetry in their face and body. One particular patient admitted to favoring only one side of her face when her pictures are taken. To be fair, the left and right sides of our faces are never a perfect mirror image of each other. However, to those with a severe degree of asymmetry, it becomes a stressful issue that can lead to such people developing a complex about their appearance.

Often facial asymmetry is a result of asymmetry in the temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ) caused by some type of TMJ dysfunction. TMJ is a focal point of all jaw related movements such as talking and chewing foods. The muscles, tendons and bones in the TMJ can suffer functional issues for various reasons. The resulting symptoms include pain, lockjaw, clicking noises when moving the lower jaw, or even asymmetry.

For example, if you habitually chew food with one side of your teeth, the favored side wears down due to overuse. This results in uneven teeth that twist to one side, resulting in facial asymmetry. Also the habit of favoring one side for chewing can develop the muscles in one side more than the other, resulting in different volumes of muscles in the left and right sides. If you touch your cheeks while keeping the jaws clamped, and notice that there is a definite difference between left and right, you can be pretty sure that you have an imbalance of the masseter muscles. Favoring hard-to-chew foods such as dried squid, or chewing on your nails or pens, or propping up your chin with one hand can also cause TMJ disorder resulting in facial asymmetry.

Asymmetry can also be caused by a poor posture and seemingly harmless habits that can cause imbalance in our bodies. Sitting with our legs crossed, leaning on one leg while standing or twisting the body to play musical instruments such as a violin, or even writing with and brushing paints can cause imbalance in the vertebrae. TMJ is often referred to as the C0 vertebra due to its connection to the cervical vertebrae. In a certain sense, the 24 vertebrae can be compared to bricks that are laid on top of another. Just as a wrongly laid foundation can cause a crooked tower, imbalance in the spine can also affect TMJ that can cause facial asymmetry.

In Oriental clinics, we treat facial asymmetry in the following manner.

First step is TMJ adjustment. Patients with clear TMJ disorder symptoms such as TMJ pain, lockjaw or clicking noises are prescribed with splint to wear while they sleep in order to balance the TMJ. At the same time, Chuna chiropractic and acupuncture are administered in the clinic. Patients are recommended to wear a splint for a minimum of seven hours per day which helps bring the TMJ back into the right position. The tension in the muscles and tendons of the TMJ can be relieved with Chuna chiropractic and acupuncture. Such treatment aims to adjust the twisted TMJ into its right position and at the same time achieves aesthetic improvements by alleviating facial asymmetry.

Patients with asymmetry arising from overdeveloped masseter muscles on one side due to favoring one side of the mouth when chewing can be treated with cosmetic acupuncture. Cosmetic acupuncture stimulates the six meridian systems and the muscles in the face without anesthetics or surgery. It promotes the rejuvenation of the skin while relaxing the muscles, with the end-result being lessened asymmetry and smoother jaw line.

If your everyday posture is not correct, it is recommended that your posture is adjusted. If your shoulder lines are uneven, if you look at your waistline in the mirror and there is a noticeable difference between the left and the right, if the skirt constantly turns to one side, if one of the pant legs are always dragged on the floor, or if your shoes wear down on one side more than the other, you might suspect that you have a posture issue. For such patients who also have facial asymmetry problems, it is better to adjust the spine with Chuna chiropractic care.

In today's Korea, increasing numbers of people are opting for surgical methods such as bimaxillary operations or face contouring to address facial asymmetry, but the dangers of such methods are well documented. As a non-surgical alternative, Oriental treatments are definitely worth considering.

The writer practices Korean Oriental medicine at the UN Oriental Medical Clinic in Hannam-dong, Seoul. He can be reached at sung_hun@naver.com.

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