How to Manage Pain from TMJ Disorders



Living with a TMJ disorder can be difficult, as the pain can range from mild to severe. If you are struggling to manage the pain associated with your TMJ disorder, there are some steps you can take to help ease your discomfort.

1. Visit a Dentist or Orthodontist: The first step in managing pain from TMJ disorders is to visit a dentist or orthodontist for an evaluation and diagnosis. Your doctor may recommend medications, physical therapy, lifestyle changes, or other treatments that can help reduce symptoms and improve your condition.

2. Practice Relaxation Techniques: Stress and tension can worsen the symptoms of TMJ disorders, so it’s important to practice relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or meditation to help keep your body relaxed and reduce muscle tension around the jaw joint.

3. Apply Heat and Cold Therapy: Applying heat or cold packs (or alternating between them) can help reduce inflammation and relieve pain in the jaw area. Make sure not to apply either for more than 20 minutes at a time, as this could cause further irritation of the area around the joint.

4. Avoid Chewing Hard Foods: Eating hard foods such as nuts, popcorn kernels, hard candy, etc., can aggravate the muscles surrounding your jaw joint and increase discomfort levels associated with TMJ disorders. Try sticking to soft foods such as yogurt or mashed potatoes instead when possible; if you do need to eat something harder than that make sure it is cut into smaller pieces before consuming it so that it doesn’t put too much strain on your jaw muscles when chewing it up!

5. Practice Good Posture: Poor posture not only causes back problems but also puts extra strain on your neck muscles which in turn affects how well they support your jaw joint; this could lead to increased discomfort levels due to TMJ disorders so try practicing good posture whenever possible!

6 . Use Over-the-Counter Pain Medications: Over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen (Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) may provide temporary relief from pain caused by TMJ disorders; however these should only be used occasionally for short periods of time since prolonged use of these medications could lead to other health complications down the line!

By following these tips you should be able find some relief from pain associated with TMJ disorders; however if symptoms persist then make sure you speak with a medical professional about other treatment options available for managing this condition more effectively!

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TMJ disorder, pain, dentist, orthodontist, relaxation techniques, heat/cold therapy, hard foods, good posture, over-the-counter pain medications,

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