5 Tips to Help with TMJ

Commonly known as TMJ, temporomandibular joint pain, affects over 10 million Americans and can involve difficulty chewing, jaw muscle stiffness and painful popping or clicking, according to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.

Although for some people the pain of TMJ goes away on its own, others develop long-term problems and need treatment to help their pain.

Here are five tips to help your TMJ symptoms:

Jaw Exercises

• • Try opening your mouth as wide as you can without feeling pain, move your jaw to the right and hold for 10 seconds, do the same to the left and repeat five times.

• • Massage the muscles around your jaw hinge in a downward motion.

Relaxation

Stress and anxiety are very common inducers of TMJ. Some people tend to clench their jaw when feeling stressed or anxious, which results in TMJ symptoms.

• Practice deep breathing. The best way to do this is to lie on your back, place your left hand on your stomach and right hand on your chest. Count to five to inhale, hold your inhale for two seconds, and exhale for five seconds.

• Stretch your spine. Interlock your hands behind your head and bend forward with straight legs so that your head is reaching for the floor. Stay in this position for at least ten seconds accompanied with awareness to breathing. This practice can deeply stretch and relax your spinal chord and reduce TMJ pain. 

Vitamins and Minerals

Deficiencies in calcium and magnesium are found to be common in people suffering from TMJ. The International Dental Association conducted a study on 50 TMJ sufferers who added calcium and magnesium supplements to their routine and found pain relief in 70 percent of the participants.

Food as Medicine

With treating any type of pain, reducing inflammation is key! This is where diet comes into play as you can add-in foods that are anti-inflammatory and that provide anti-oxidant properties to help your body stay healthy and function optimally! Foods such as grass-fed meats, good fats like olives, nuts, seeds, and dark leafy greens are a must. Also adding in, magnesium rich food like cashews, avocados, almonds, sesame butter, spinach, squash, sunflower seeds, rice, flaxseed. For more information about the top anti-inflammatory foods to eat, check out Dr. Ellie’s previous post here.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture has proven to be effective in treating TMJ in a number of ways. Research shows that acupuncture can help to reduce local pain as well as alleviate tension associated with pain. One way that acupuncture works so well for treating pain like in TMJ is how it affects the vagus nerve. Acupuncture has been shown to stimulate the vagus nerve which helps in not only pain management but decreases the stress response in the body. A win-win for those suffering from pain!

If you suffer from TMJ. Give our office a call today at (425) 686-4498 to learn how we can help you become pain-free!

Sources:

Acupuncture and vagus nerve: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0151882

https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/786839

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdent.2006.09.004

https://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/condition/temporomandibular-joint-dysfunction