How to Treat TMJ

Temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome can cause severe pain and "clicking" sounds in the jaw. It can also cause headaches. Although TMJ is difficult to cure, there are many things you can do to help alleviate the symptoms.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Ibuprofen
• Relaxation Tapes
• Mouth Guards
• Mouth guards

1. Don't overuse your jaw. Avoid hard foods.

2. Try over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications. Some TMJ sufferers find ibuprofen especially effective.

3. Take a stress management course or listen to relaxation tapes. TMJ is sometimes caused by and always aggravated by stress.

4. Practice stretching exercises designed especially for the shoulders and neck. This will help reduce some of the tension in your upper body.

5. Stand tall. Good posture helps your jaw to sit properly.

6. Avoid spending hours over the computer. Holding your neck stiff aggravates TMJ.

7. Take muscle relaxants if jaw pain persists. Your doctor can write you a prescription for pain relievers.

8. Wear a mouth guard. Many sufferers of TMJ grind their teeth at night. Grinding puts stress on the jaw joints and muscles. A mouth guard prevents night grinding.

9. Ask your dentist about an intra-oral orthotic. This is a temporary mouth splint that helps reposition the jaw, thus alleviating joint stress and pressure.

10. Consider jaw surgery if all other treatments fail.

Tips & Warnings

• TMJ will never cure itself. It is a progressive disease, so some kind of treatment is always advisable. Consider this: every time you swallow, your teeth clamp down and exert 25 pounds of pressure. Some of that pressure is transferred to your jaw joints with every swallow.

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[canudig]

on 3/21/2009 Corgi: That's what chiropractors do! Just get you to keep coming back again and again! I went to one once and they said they could fix my problem in 7 visits....after the 23rd visit I got pissed off and quit going! I have had TMJ problems about 3 times. It just came on suddenly without warning. It was this intense sharp pain in my ear when I would bite down on food. I went to the doctor and he gave me an anti-inflammatory prescription. That just made the TMJ pain go away in about 2 days...but it wasn't going to prevent it from ever coming back. So I downloaded this program and followed these methods and have not had any pain flare ups or worried about TMJ since. The website to check out is http://tmjjawpaincure.com.Hope that helps...because I know how bad TMJ can be!! No mouth guards, no drugs, just simple jaw muscle strengthening exercises that worked fast for me.

[Corgi]

on 8/26/2008 I WISH doctors could learn how to snap the jaw back into place so the pain goes away. The jaw snapped back into place will once again align and all shall be well. Why treat everything else waiting for the jaw to go back into place. Just DO IT. ONE GOOD SNAP AND IT'S DONE......I did it myself once....Surely someone else could do it for me. My Doctor doesn't want to get sued if he breaks the jaw bone or hurts me. But trust me. It CAN be done.

[Corgi]

on 8/26/2008 I WISH doctors could learn how to snap the jaw back into place so the pain goes away. The jaw snapped back into place will once again align and all shall be well. Why treat everything else waiting for the jaw to go back into place. Just DO IT. ONE GOOD SNAP AND IT'S DONE......I did it myself once....Surely someone else could do it for me. My Doctor doesn't want to get sued if he breaks the jaw bone or hurts me. But trust me. It CAN be done.

[Corgi]

on 8/26/2008 I WISH doctors could learn how to snap the jaw back into place so the pain goes away. The jaw snapped back into place will once again align and all shall be well. Why treat everything else waiting for the jaw to go back into place. Just DO IT. ONE GOOD SNAP AND IT'S DONE......I did it myself once....Surely someone else could do it for me. My Doctor doesn't want to get sued if he breaks the jaw bone or hurts me. But trust me. It CAN be done.

[Corgi]

on 8/26/2008 This is the second time I've had TMJ. The first time my dentist and no one and nothing seemed to help until one morning just before getting out of bed I almost fell asleep again
and with my hand to my face on the opposite side of the pain, I suddenly had a startled jolt that made my hand push very hard on my jaw. My jaw snapped so loud I was startled. I lay still wondering how much harm had just been done. Then.....I realize for the first time in MONTHS my jaw had NO PAIN. Five years later, my jaw went out of place AGAIN. This time I went to a chiropractor hoping he would snap my jaw into place for me.....But NO. He is making LOTS of money taking it nice and slow. For the past 3 weeks he has worked on my neck and shoulder muscles. I go three times a week at $32 dollars a time. The pain is STILL extremely sharp and it's hard to eat. My teeth can not align to chew. WHY DON'T they learn h