How to Remedy Jaw Pain TMJ

Temporomandibular joint syndrome or TMJ is a disorder in the jaw joint.  Just like any kind of disorder or syndrome in the body, TMJ is signaled with pain.  With there being a dislocation in the jaw, inflammation or swelling, TMJ pain can be experienced for just a short period of time to a length of time.

There can be pain experienced while chewing as the TMJ clicks or pops.  The ears can become painful too as there is increased pressure on the ears that can make a person dizzy later in the day.  Teeth become sensitive and the facial muscles tender due to bad habits in chewing.

TMJ can be signaled by headaches usually radiating at the temples and this pain can migrate to the neck, the back and the shoulders.  In worse cases, the jaw can lock and this locking can also be very painful.

To ease the pain in the jaw due to TMJ, anti-inflammatory pain medications like aspirin or ibuprofen or acetaminophen can be taken.  To relax the tense muscles in the jaw, muscle relaxants like diazepam can also be taken.  The jaw has to be rested by keeping the teeth apart.

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The lips are still closed but the teeth do not touch each other and are not clenched.  Start eating a soft diet and avoid chewing on hard candy or gum and refrain from raw vegetables, nuts and meat.  There are no restrictions on how the food is prepared and to how much seasoning is put into the food.

It’s the toughness and how much chewing that goes into the food that make it help or increase jaw pain.  Cut food into small pieces so that the mouth does not have to be opened widely to take a bite.

If jaw pain persists, heat and ice therapy can also be applied to the jaw area.  At the onset of pain, for example right after an injury to the TMJ, cold packs can help relieve the pain. This will then be followed by warm compresses to reduce the tension and spasm of the muscles at the TMJ.

The warm compress can be applied for up to 20 minutes.  When the pain has eased up a bit, passive opening and closing of the jaw can help the pain subside more.  Massage of the joint area increases range of motion of the jaw as well.  It also helps the temporomandibular joint become stronger.  This jaw physical therapy consisting of opening, closing, and side to side movements of the jaw should be done three to five times a day for the duration of five minutes.

It has also been found that temporomandibular joint disorders spring from stress.  When an individual becomes stressed, the teeth are clenched.  Stressed people also grind their teeth during sleep.

Stress management support groups and psychological counseling educate people about stress relieving exercises that facilitate stress released in ways like regulated breathing thus aiding in lessening muscle tension in the jaw or any other part of the body for that matter.