TMJ Disorder
Managing Stress to Help Your Jaw Rest
You may spend most of your life
unaware of the important little triangular-shaped joints located in front
of each of your ears. Lined with cartilage, these joints
move with a smooth, gliding motion. Under normal conditions, they join your lower
jaw and temporal bone, allowing your mouth to open and close. However, stress-related
reactions can wear down that cartilage, exposing nerve endings and creating jaw
pain. In fact, the temporomandibular joint is highly sensitive to overall physical,
emotional and psychological stress. Further, it's affected by the mechanics of
your bite and the condition of your jaw muscles. So, a little extra stress, a
little extra fatigue, a little change in your bite, and you may temporarily knock
the whole system out of balance. The resulting TMJ disorder or TMD can cause
a wide variety of mild to severe symptoms, from jaw clicking and minor discomfort
to sharp pain in your temple, ear, jaw and teeth; it can also “lock” your
jaw open or shut, or dislocate the jaw altogether.
TMJ is so common in our culture,
that we automatically evaluate our patients for it: with the goals of arresting
the problem, protecting your teeth from further
damage, and correcting any underlying bite malfunction. This may involve fitting
you with a hard acrylic physiologic bite appliance, suggesting ways to alleviate
stress, and recommending symptom relief measures. Typically, TMJ patients need
to avoid chewing gum or hard, chewy food, take small bites, and alternate chewing
between both sides of the mouth. Good nutrition will help the joint heal more
quickly; good posture will also help relieve discomfort. A straight back, relaxed
neck, and side-sleeping position are also most helpful. To relieve soreness,
light temple and jaw massage will stimulate circulation and relax the muscles,
For actual bouts of pain, alternating moist heat and cold for 20 minutes will
further increase circulation. Finally, over the counter anti-inflammatories
or analgesics can be very helpful as well.
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