TMJ Dysfunction

If you’re suffering with TMJ pain, you’re not alone. This condition, which affects the temporomandibular joints (the joints that connect your jaw to your skull), can cause a range of uncomfortable symptoms, including jaw pain, headaches, difficulty chewing, and even ear ringing. But don’t despair – there are plenty of treatments available that can help manage these symptoms and improve your quality of life.

What is TMJ Pain?

TMJ pain is a common condition that can affect anyone at any age, but it is more common in women and people between the ages of 20 and 40. The pain is usually caused by a combination of factors, including genetics, arthritis, jaw injury, or grinding your teeth. It can be a temporary or long-lasting issue depending on the cause and severity.

Symptoms of TMJ Pain

The most common symptom of TMJ pain is a pain in your jaw joint and in the muscles that control jaw movement. Other symptoms include aching pain in and around your ear, difficulty chewing or pain while chewing, aching facial pain, and locking of the joint, making it difficult to open or close your mouth. These symptoms can affect one or both sides of your face. It’s important to seek medical attention if you have persistent pain or tenderness in your jaw, or if you can’t open or close your jaw completely.

How to Manage TMJ Pain

Managing TMJ pain involves a combination of self-care practices, physical therapy, medications, and in some cases, surgical procedures. Self-care practices include eating soft foods, applying heat or cold to the side of your face, and avoiding extreme jaw movements. Over-the-counter pain relievers and anti-inflammatories can help manage the pain. Physical therapy exercises can strengthen jaw muscles and improve flexibility. In some cases, corticosteroid injections or even surgery might be necessary.

Tips to ease TMJ pain

Think of your jaw joint as any other joint in your body, when it gets sore it needs to rest. But understandably this sounds difficult as you are constantly needing your jaw to talk and eat. 

Things you can do to help the pain and rest your jaw:

• Regular pain relief- Paracetamol or ibuprofen*. Please follow the manufacturer’s instructions. 
• Anti-inflammatory gels to rub onto the joint*
• Alternate hot and cold compresses on the joint
• Limiting mouth opening  

Limit mouth opening by-

• Not eating any chewy food – steak, chewing gum, baguettes, chewy sweets ect
• Cut up fruit and veg into smaller bite sizes
• Don’t bite into an apple, try cutting up instead.  Same applies to other fruit and vegetables. 
• Stifle any yawns by placing your hand underneath your chin.

Temporal Mandibular Dysfunction Exercise

• Perform the exercise with the aid of a mirror
• Open mouth slightly and curl the tongue upwards and backwards so that it touches the palate
• Keeping the tongue in the curled up position but still touching the palate, open your mouth. 
• Close your back teeth without sticking your chin forwards
• Continue with these exercises until you experience an aching along the cheekbones and behind the jaw.  
• Rest
• Repeat exercises four or 5 times a day but only until an ache in the face appears. This face ache is due to muscle fatigue and continuation of the exercise during muscle fatigue will lead to acute muscle spasm.

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