What Are Some TMJ Home Remedies
Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders are a result of the misalignment of the “jaw joint” or TMJ. It can lead to headaches, facial pain, shoulder, neck and jaw pain, etc. TMJ disorders symptoms will vary from being quite mild to the extreme. A mild instance might not produce any pain and could be barely noticed, it may even go undetected. However an extreme instance can be excruciating painful and will require immediate medical attention. If you are looking for temporary relief, a variety of TMJ do-it-yourself solutions including ice packs, hot compresses, for example may be used, again these remedies work best for temporary relief of minor symptoms
Change Your Habits and Behaviors
It only takes a modest yet, concentrated effort on your part to change a habit or pattern of behavior and could make a significant difference while managing your TMJ disorder pain. A few of the easiest TMJ home remedies are listed below:
Rest: Perhaps the simplest way to handle the pain is to handle it as you would handle an injured knee, get lots of rest. Refrain from excessive talking and eat only semi-solid food. Also yawns need to be halted by putting your closed fist underneath the chin. This will reduce pain from the TMJ until you can contact a TMJ dentist for medical attention.
Unclench your Teeth: A lot of people with TMJ disorders have a habit of clenching their teeth. This results in sore jaw muscles and facial pain,(sometimes extremely painful) because of the tenderness of those muscles. It is suggested to keep the tongue behind the top teeth, lightly touching the roof of the mouth which relaxes the jaw muscles. While stress and tension on their own cannot cause TMJ, it certainly worsens the existing TMJ jaw pain.
For Temporary Relief
If you cannot reach a TMJ dentist and the pain is severe, rather than using pain killers, try using any or all of the TMJ home remedies listed below, they are far safer.
Bundle up: By keeping your chin, neck and head warm maintains good blood circulation towards the TMJ location and good blood flow decreases inflammation and muscle pain. Whenever you are in a cold environment you will need to wear a scarf and a hat to keep the TMJ area covered. Using heating pads while in a lot of pain should alleviate some of the muscle pain and soreness.
Ice packs: When you have muscle spasms, an ice pack or even using a bag of frozen food, will certainly help. The ice pack should be covered inside a towel prior to using it. It can be held on the jaw for about 10 minutes and removed for 10 minutes. Repeat this cycle for an hour.
Massage: Massaging the jaw area helps relax the TMJ muscles and help the blood circulation, which all helps reduce inflammation and pain.
Control Sleeping Positions
Sleeping on your side or on your stomach will apply added stress on the jaws and worsen the TMJ pain. It is highly recommended to sleep on your back. This can be easily accomplished by using a cervical pillow of the right thickness. Always keeping your knee on a pillow or a using a secured rolled towel under your knees will help keep you on your back, as well. Although it may take a few nights to adjust to sleeping on your back, it is worth the effort. You can get cervical pillows from a TMJ Dentist or online.
Postures and Stress
Those that have TMJ disorder ought to refrain from resting their chin on their hands. Another habit to change is to avoid the habit of holding a phone between the ear and shoulder, this adds more strain to the already taxed TMJ muscles. Relaxing strategies can often minimize tension as well as relax the muscles. Using good posture and setting your work table or desk at the proper height to prevent stress is essential.
Please keep in mind the TMJ home remedies provided above will only provide temporary relief and will not heal the condition. It is advisable to call a TMJ dentist if your symptoms continue or worsen.