Relief of Problem TMJ – What to Do

TMJ or temporomandibular joint disorder affects as much as 35% to 50% of the population.  If you have headaches, jaw clicking, ear pain, facial pain, neck pain, shoulder stiffness, you might have TMJ.  The main causes of TMJ are emotional stressors like grief or anger and physical factors like accidents, bad habits of chewing or normal wear and tear that misaligns the temporomandibular joints.

Ways to relieve pain in TMJ are divided in two phases, phase I and phase II. The first phase seeks to stop muscle spasms, TMJ swelling, teeth grinding and any kind of jaw dislocation that can generally lessen pain in the TMJ and its other symptoms.  This phase makes use of medications like pain relievers and muscle relaxants.  There are exercises included in TMJ pain relief too.

These exercises consist of moving the jaw from side to side and opening and closing of the mouth.  If done for about five minutes everyday for two to four weeks, this exercise can strengthen the jaw making it less prone to TMJ pain.  Bite guards and splints that fit over the upper and lower teeth can help lessen clenching and teeth grinding and these splints can be used at night.   A natural way to reduce stress on the TMJ is to practice therapy that consists of resting the jaw and using warm compresses.

Discover How To Get Rid of TMJ Forever

Resting the jaw can help the temporomandibular joints heal faster.   The jaw is mainly relaxed if you put your lips together but your teeth are still apart.   Phase I therapy seeks to correct any dislocations in the upper and lower jaw which is seen to be the leading cause of TMJ.

If the pain is already too much to bear and the TMJ so far gone, surgery and a combination of other treatments that consist of phase II may be recommended by the dentist or doctor.  These include reconstruction of the teeth, dental occlusion or orthodontic treatment which are more invasive and so techniques and processes in phase I are usually exhausted first before going to phase II.

Phase I in more detail requires a person to teach himself to breathe while chewing.  All muscles need oxygen in order to work well.  In chewing, most people hold their breath which deprives the muscles of oxygen needed to work longer.  Eat foods with calcium to aid in the repair of bone damage caused by TMJ.

The vitamins B and C also facilitate in the healing process.  Cut food into small pieces and avoid foods that are hard to chew like meat, hard bread, and candies.   Practice proper posture as slouching puts strain on all muscles and it directly has detrimental effects to the temporomandibular joint.  In line with this, refrain from carrying heavy shoulder bags.  When you sleep, sleep on your back to prevent the misalignment of the jaw.

Pressure is also put on the neck muscles and the jaw when people sleep on their stomach.  It is usually with simple things that we do that either make or break our bodies.  TMJ is easily avoidable if being relaxed and comfortable on the healthy side is on the agenda.