TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint syndrome or temporal mandibular joint dysfunction. The condition has not yet been fully understood as to what the direct cause or causes are. But it usually occurs when the joints have become worn down by constant grinding of the teeth during sleep(bruxism), become abnormally shaped due to a trauma, have a misaligned bite, have worn braces for an extended period of time, or have osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. With other patients, the causes have not yet been established accordingly. Migraine sets in when the constant clenching of the jaw causes abnormal muscle spasms in the temples.

Symptoms of TMJ are: pain in and around the ear and jaw area, stiffness and/or swelling of the jaw and face, a clicking sound when the jaw is opened and closed, discomfort when chewing, spasms making the jaw lock when opened, and finally headaches.

Tests by a doctor involves studying sleeping habits, as well as grinding habits in general, a thorough examination of the jaw by way of X-rays, CT scan or an MRI , and blood tests for rheumatoid arthritis. If teeth problems are the cause, a visit to an orthodontist who specializes in TMJ treatment should be made.

Headaches may be lessened when TMJ is treated accordingly. Below are some treatments to consider which may done one at a time or in combination to have the best results to help reduce pain.
Overuse of jaw muscles. Avoid eating chewing gum, chewy candy and food that are hard to to chew, as this gives undue stress to the joints.

Dental Repairs. Have dental work done to correct an overbite, filing down and repairing of misaligned teeth.

Appliances. The dentist may make a special bite plate or splint to be worn at night to help in teeth alignment, and a night guard appliance to help stop grinding.

Medications. Treatment by heat application, anti-inflammatory medicines, and muscle relaxants may be prescribed. If the case is somewhat severe, steroids may be used for a short period.  The drug Elavil may be taken when spasms of the jaw muscles contribute to the problem.

Surgery. When all else fails, surgery is the last option to help alleviate  pain, and to repair the badly damaged joints.

In retrospect, prevention, though minimal, still plays an important part in cases of migraine headaches and TMJ. As the saying goes “an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure”  rings true.

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• Pain in the facial muscles and joints: TMJ can cause pain and soreness especially if it is creating lock jaw, locking shut or making it difficult to open the mouth. Pain is usually in front of the joint itself, just below the ear, but it can move elsewhere on the face.

• Pain in the ears: Patients often mistake TMJ for earaches. When the joint grinds back and forth patients typically feel that they are experiencing ear pain because the joint is too close for them to differentiate where it is occurring. This could cause ringing in the ears and hearing problems.

• Clicking or popping noises: The TMJ treatment might not be needed if there is no discomfort in the clicking or popping noises. The clicking or popping noises happen when the joints move or are out of place. It can become loud enough for others to hear as well. This is one of the most common symptoms of TMJ.

• Swelling on the affected side of the head: The patient’s face and mouth may swell from the irritation of their joints.
• Headaches: Headaches are common but not all patients with TMJ experience this kind of TMJ pain. These headaches can lead to dizziness or nausea.

• Difficulty biting down properly: If one side or one joint becomes sorer than the other patients may find themselves favoring a side of their mouth that produces less TMJ pain. When this happens they create a habit of opening and closing their mouth improperly.

This is not a conclusive list of TJM symptoms. TMJ can be caused by trauma, disease, aging, or bad habits such as excessive gum chewing or grinding. To have TMJ you could have one or all of the above TMJ symptoms. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms and you think they could be TMJ pain, you should to have them looked at.

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To understand the ways to avoid TMJ, we must first know what causes TMJ. Most people do not know the cause of their TMJ. Some of them have TMJ symptoms which are quite mild and do not interfere with their lives. But generally the symptoms are quite severe, and are caused by following conditions:

1. Bruxism or grinding of teeth
2. Mandibular opening deviation
3. Jaw muscle spasm
4. Wearing worn out dentures
5. Unusual movements of the neck

So far even the doctors do not know how to permanently cure TMJ. Most of the TMJ treatment revolves around controlling symptoms and pain alleviation. Greater the pain, stronger the pain killer! Generally your body gets immune to these pain killers and after a while even the so-called strong pain killers stop working. So, what is the prevention for TMJ?

1. Change your diet habits. Include fresh fruits and vegetables to get more magnesium.
2. Consult a physical therapist who will correct your posture.
3. Do yoga every day.
4. Avoid stress.
5. Do TMJ exercises.

If you already suffer from TMJ, try these steps to ease the symptoms, without any medication:

1. Eat soft foods.
2. Apply ice packs.
3. Avoid wide yawning, loud singing, and gum chewing.
4. Learn stress reducing and relaxing techniques.
5. Practice gentle jaw stretches.

The TMJ disorders pose many challenges to the medical community. Since pain is the main TMJ symptom, a lot of research is being done to understand this process, such as:

1. What is common between TMJ and other muscular pains?
2. How do men and women differ in their response to TMJ pain?
3. What are the factors that lead to chronic TMJ pain?
4. How do stressors like noise, cold, and physical stress affect TMJ pain?
5. Is there any link between osteoarthritis and TMJ pain?

These questions have baffled the medical scientists for quite a while now, so the answers to these questions will help bring in effective TMJ treatment.

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Causes Of TMJ

There are many causes of TMJ, but generally the condition is caused by malfunctioning of the muscles that chew the food, the teeth, and the temporo – mandibular joint. TMJ generally follows trauma, whiplash, stress, teeth grinding, teeth clenching, misaligned teeth, missing teeth, sore teeth, muscle over-use, infection, and some diseases of the joints. The pain occurs when the face and jaw muscles go into spasm. The level of this pain varies from time to time and from individual to individual.

Diagnosing TMJ

It is not very easy to diagnose TMJ. The therapist needs to understand the two inch area just in front of the ear, like the palm of his hand. This area houses the TM joint, sinuses, glands, the middle and inner ears, throat tissues, brain tissues, muscles, ligaments, nerves, arteries, veins, lymphatic tissues, bones and teeth. Most of the times TMJ is encountered in the form of ‘referred pain’! Referred pain occurs when the pain felt in one area of the body has its origin in another area. Like you may visit your doctor for an earache and find out that a decayed tooth is the actual cause of the pain.

Treating TMJ

The TMJ treatment may be done by a family dentist, physician, orthodontist, chiropractor, psychologist or oral surgeon. As TMJ develops when the joints move out of alignment, it causes a bad bite. The teeth do not mesh properly and grinding of food becomes a chore. This poor alignment is bad for the joint, so TMJ patients face difficulty in eating. Chewing becomes a painful task.

There are quite a few dentists who rely upon antioxidants to treat TMJ symptoms. Antioxidants have proven to be very effective for TMJ. Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Vitamin B, Omega-3 essential fatty acids, Gamma linolenic acid, and calcium are all helpful supplements in TMJ treatment.

For TMJ to work and be effective a combination of various treatments should be employed. Some TMJ exercises should be incorporated in daily routine. These exercises are easy to do and can be done at home. The TMJ treatment must be holistic and inclusive.

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• Do you find it difficult to open your mouth wide?
• Do you experience any grinding or popping sound in your jaw, while eating or talking?
• Does your jaw hurt when you chew food?
• Do you find it difficult to move your jaw up and down?
• Do you often suffer from headache, stiff neck, and unexplained pain in the eye socket?
• Do you find it difficult to turn your head to look straight over your shoulder?
• Do you grind your teeth at night?
• Do you experience unexplained pain in your upper or lower front teeth?
• Do you experience unexplained pain in your ears?

If you have answered ‘yes’ to even any one of these questions, you may be suffering from Temporo- Mandibular Joint pain or TMJ.

TMJ affects muscles in and around the jaw, mouth, neck, temples, and back of the head. Why do these areas hurt if the pain is in TMJ joint? Well, such pain is commonly known as referred pain. This pain gets referred from the muscles that control the action of the jaw. So the pain is not where the problem area is. TMJ treatment is effective once you know that the referral pain is not the real problem area. The therapist knows how to work on these referral areas to de-activate trigger points and release the pain in the muscles.

Stress plays a major role in TMJ. The lower jaw is one place where a lot of energy gets stored in the adjoining muscles. When we are under stress, we grit and grind our teeth. This action contributes to tightening of muscles and creating a cycle of pain. Sometimes this pain grows into a tension headache, which further increases the tension in the muscles and results in increased tendency to grit the teeth. Thus a vicious cycle is formed. Sometimes the pain just refuses to abate. TMJ exercises play a great role in alleviating this pain. These exercises optimize the healing process.

Sometimes the TMJ pain is caused due to extensive dental work. Soft tissue manipulation given by a neuro-muscular therapist often helps to relieve the pain. He uses low pressure massage techniques to work on the cause of the pain. Some therapists use antioxidants to treat this problem. Whatever be the TMJ treatment employed by your therapist, TMJ is a curable problem.

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Factors Leading To TMJ Disorders

• Habitual clenching and grinding of the teeth places an extra stress on the cartilage of this joint
• Chewing gum for a long time, on a regular basis has the same effect
• Any repetitive motion of this joint that does not let the joint rest
• An improper bite that makes the joint work hard
• Chewing from only one side of the mouth
• Poor posture
• Stress, fatigue, and unhealthy diet habits
• Arthritis
• Structural joint problems
• Fractures

TMJ Treatment Options

TMJ treatment is based on finding ways to eliminate those factors that put pressure or stress on this joint. The treatment options typically include medication, dental treatment, and surgery. An over-the-counter pain reliever usually takes care of the pain. If the pain is severe a prescription of anti-inflammatory medicine may be the right option. People who are accustomed to grinding teeth or clenching jaws get benefited by a dental appliance such as a biteplate. Sometimes surgery is the only option. However, it is always the last resort.

Most of the available TMJ treatment is complex and invasive. The very thought unnerves people. But there are a number of simple treatments that are equally effective. The type of treatment always depends upon particular characteristics of each individual’s symptoms. Since the ability to talk, eat, and hear get affected due to this disorder, people become desperate for a cure.

There are some TMJ exercises that help strengthen the jaw and tongue muscles. These exercises re-align the jaw naturally. This form of treatment costs nothing and the success rate is very high. The convenience of doing these exercises at home cannot be over-looked.

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• Anti-inflammatory pain medications such as Aspirin, Tylenol, or Ibuprofen may help ease the TMJ pain for those that do not have severe TMJ symptoms. This works best if it is needed for a short period of time. If it is seen as a long-term solution, a different TMJ treatment is probably right for you.

• A diet of soft foods can help ease the pain of TMJ by decreasing the strain put on the jaw. For those that don’t experience a lot of pain outside of chewing, a simple change in diet may help alleviate some pain.

• Warm compresses applied to the area of TMJ pain are affective in lowering the symptoms. A good way to ease the pain is by first applying this warm compress for twenty minutes, then moving the lower jaw from side to side. This should be repeated for 3—5 times a day, for 5 days a week, for at least 2—4 weeks. This is for people who need a little more than an anti-inflammatory medication.

• Nightguards can be worn for TMJ treatment. However, avoid using over-the-counter ones. If the nightguard is not fitted to your jaw it could cause more pain than you are already experiencing or permanently shift your bite. People should consult a doctor at this point to determine if this is right for them.

• Prescription medications can help alleviate the pain when over-the-counter anti-inflammatory ones are insufficient for your TMJ treatment. Check with your doctor to see if this is right for you.

Though many people have TMJ, the full TMJ disorder occurs in only a few. This is because the joint has had time to rest when you are unable to chew. If your condition worsens seek professional medical TMJ treatment. Because TMJ is comprised of muscles, blood supplies, nerves, and bones, it can cross boundaries over several health-care disciplines. Ask your doctor to refer you to the specialist that is right for your condition.

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1. Do you have frequent headaches (particularly in the morning)?
2. Do you have trouble opening and closing your jaw either occasionally or frequently
3. Do you have ear aches that occur again and again but the doctor can’t determine why?
4. Do sounds make you hurt or do you consider yourself to have sensitive ears?
5. Are your neck and shoulders tense and painful?
6. Do you fight dizziness?
7. Does your jaw/mouth make a clicking, or popping noise when you open it?
8. Do you clench or grind your teeth?
9. Do you have a ringing or buzzing in your ears?
10. Do you feel chronic fatigue or depression?

If you answered yes to anyone of these questions then it would be wise to seek the opinion of a specialist. TMJ pain can be difficult to diagnose, and so these questions are simply a starting point to getting a diagnosis.

There are 4 basic things that cause TMJ pain and so when trying to decide if you have TMJ these factors are important to consider. A problem with growth and development block the nasal passage. Trauma or an accident can cause it, a common example is whiplash. Another unfortunate example of trauma would be that of an especially rough dental experience or dental work that didn’t fit your mouth properly.

Other causes are habits: nail biting, pencil or pen chewing, tooth grinding or clenching the jaw can all lead to TMJ. These habits may seem minimal but they are using the jaw improperly and therefore lead to stain on the jaw joint. Finally a common cause is stress. Mental and emotional stresses are particularly hard on the jaw. Thoughts and feelings seemed to be buried in the jaw. Negative or depressed thoughts seem to lead us to clench and tense up our jaws, which is really hard on the joint.

There are TMJ treatments and exercises your doctor can discuss with you, and there are some guides that can prove very useful. The key is to take action on your pain; if you don’t do anything then your condition will worsen. TMJ in some cases can be avoided and in some cases it cannot, but in all cases it can be treated.

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