Temporomandibular joint disorder, more commonly referred to as TMJ or TMD, affects millions of people in the country and a look at medical message boards and discussion groups shows that is one of the most constantly talked-about health issues. Given the number of TMJ disorder sufferers, this is completely understandable, and the symptoms of TMJ disorder are alarming enough to prompt people to post frantic questions about the condition.

TMJ disorder causes some pretty troubling symptoms, not least of all the pain a TMJ sufferer constantly feels in his or her jaw area. But this pain isn’t restricted to the jaw alone. TMJ disorder also creates pain that reaches other areas of the body, from the neck to the shoulders and even the head, the latter of which can make one think that he or she is suffering from a migraine. It may be a bit confusing to experience pain in other parts of the body when the origin is in the jaw, but the pain receptors in the jaw area do tend to distribute the ache elsewhere in the body.

TMJ disorder takes place for a number of reasons, but first you have to know what the TMJ is. The temporomandibular joint is made up of two main parts: the bottom part is the mandible and the upper part is the temporal bone, which is also a part of the cranium or the skull. In between these two bones is the articular disc, which is composed mainly of fibrocartilagenous tissue. The TMJ lets you move your mouth in a smooth and more fluid manner, and the jaw can move in certain ways, sliding from side to side, front to back, and in a rotational manner. When the joints are thrown out of alignment, this causes the top and bottom bones of the joint to grind against one another, wearing down the bone’s surface and causing pain.

What are the causes of TMJ? One of the most obvious causes is a direct blow to the jaw area, which would usually have to be especially strong to throw the joint out of alignment. But other less noticeable factors also cause TMJ. One cause of TMJ is using ill-fitting dentures, which affect the way your mouth works and makes it more accustomed to an uneven setting. Other causes of TMJ pain include teeth grinding, which usually takes place at night, overuse of the jaw muscles, nailbiting, and clenching one’s teeth.

Identifying the causes of TMJ will be able to help you figure out how to treat your condition more effectively. See your physician when you first notice the symptoms of TMJ and let him or her know about any possible habits or occurrences that could have caused your TMJ disorder.

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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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