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Ways To Deal With TMJ Pain On Your Own

19 October 2018 by Julia Gregory

TMJ occurs when you have issues with your temporomandibular joints which connects your jaw to your skull. This can cause a wide range of symptoms, depending on the individual and their particular circumstances, such as pain while chewing, clicking, grating sounds when you open and close your mouth, and even headaches. There are lots of different ways you can treat TMJ and relieve the pain. Here are a few ways to relieve the pain with TMJ treatment.

Use Mouth Guard at Night 

Your TMJ can worsen at night when you grind your teeth or clench your jaw without being aware of what you are doing. A mouth guard can be used to protect your mouth from additional pain while you sleep.

If you are not sure about wearing a mouth guard, you can purchase an inexpensive one from your local dollar store or pharmacy to try out. If you find sleeping with a mouth guard helpful, you can have your dentist make you a custom mouth guard.

Heat Up or Ice Your Jaw

Heat and ice work well on your jaw like they do other sore parts of your body. You can wrap up ice in a towel and hold it to your jaw for about fifteen minutes total during an hour. You can do the same thing with a warm towel for heat to relax your jaw.

Use heat and ice at different times. Both of them, however, can help relax your jaw and relieve any pain you are feeling.

Try Out Acupuncture

Some people find that acupuncture is one way to manage their TMJ pain. Over multiple sessions, you may be able to reduce the pressure on your jaw and reduce the frequencies of your TMJ pain. Just keep in mind that acupuncture is not meant to be a quick-fix. It is a long-term process that allows you to slowly relieve your pain. Just like any type of therapy, it takes time to work.

Eat Soft Foods

You can also make some lifestyle modifications to avoid your TMJ flaring up. Try to stick to softer foods that are easy to chew. Avoid really hard foods and hard candies. Biting down and chewing these things can put stress and strain on your mouth. Also, be careful with eating really large food, like a hamburger that is a few inches tall. Keep your food at a height that your mouth can accommodate easily without straining your jaw.

Avoid Nervous Habits with Your Mouth

There are various nervous habits that you may do that may put more strain on your jaw than you realize. Biting your lower lit all the time and biting your nails are two things that you can do that put pressure on your jaw. Chewing gum all the time, out of habit or boredom, can also work your jaw out more than you need when you have a condition like TMJ.

The suggestions above are just a few ways that you can manage your TMJ pain. Make sure to work with your doctor on specific exercises and therapies that will strengthen your jaw, relieve pain, and reduce complications from your TMJ.

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