How to Manage Jaw Pain or TMD (Temporomandibular Disorder)

Jaw joint pains, commonly known as TMD, can cause discomfort and pain when chewing or opening the jaw. The tension in the surrounding muscles causes a "clicking" or "popping" sound and there may be associated symptoms including: headaches, muscle aches or tooth pain. Sometimes the problem comes and goes without any apparent reason and sometimes it can be due to tight muscles, joint inflammation, teeth grinding or damage around the joint area.

This article will show you some ways to manage TMD and avoid the pain associated with this condition.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Consult a medical doctor if you feel that you have TMD. The doctor can give you advice and prescription medication to help alleviate the discomfort, as well as a management plan to deal with the condition.
2. Depending on the type of TMD, treatment can vary accordingly. Changing the diet and eating healthy can help the problem.
3. Find ways and techniques to better manage the stress in your life and focus on maintaining the health of your jaw since stress is sometimes the underlying cause of TMD.
4. If the cause of TMD is due to increased pressure placed on the jaw joints or damage to the surrounding structures of the jawline, then constructive surgery or therapy might be useful to reduce the pressure and to restore function of the jaw.
5. TMD can be associated with teeth or bite problems. For example: bruxism (grinding of the teeth) or clenching down and biting on the teeth can increase pressure on the jaw joints and muscles. In this case see a doctor or orthdontist for their evaluation and advice about restorative therapy. The orthodontist will prescribe a splint or night guard to cover your upper and lower teeth at night to prevent bruxism. If the problem is due to a bad bite, then the dentist will recommend restorative treatment such as a crown, bridge or dental implant to correct the bite.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid hard, chewy foods.
• Do regular facial exercises.
• Manage your stress.
• Stay active and do self-checks. Ask yourself these questions: Are my muscles tense? Am I grinding my teeth? Do I feel stress?
• Listen to your body and don't ignore TMD symptoms.
• This article is not a substitute or replacement for seeking medical advice from your own medical doctor or healthcare professional