Ways To Find Relief For TMJ Pain At Home

A lot of people suffer from a condition known as temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, and this condition causes great pain, popping of the jaw, and difficulties chewing food. If you have this and do not want to undergo a procedure to fix it, you might be able to find relief from the pain at home by trying the following at-home remedies for treating TMJ.

Understand what TMJ is

Before you begin looking for ways to treat it, you should understand what TMJ is and why you are experiencing pain from it. The joint that is affected by TMJ is the TMJ joint, which is the joint that connects your skull and lower jaw together. This joint is responsible for opening and closing your mouth. TMJ disorder occurs when this joint is damaged, and it leads to pain and a variety of other problems. If you are not sure if you even have TMJ, you can diagnose it by placing your fingers just in front of your ears. Next, open and close your mouth. If you feel pain in this area when doing this, you most likely have TMJ disorder.

Apply ice each day

If you want relief from this pain, you could try icing these spots on your face each day. You can hold ice packs in place for about 15 minutes on each side and then remove them. Placing ice on these joints can reduce inflammation in these areas, and this often helps relieve the pain. Taking ibuprofen is another way to reduce inflammation as a way of relieving TMJ pain.

Wear a mouth guard

Another option is to wear a mouth guard, as this creates a space between your upper and lower jaw while you sleep. The goal of this is to take the pressure off this joint every night, as this will often yield great results. You can purchase a mouth guard at a sport's store, but it is often better to get a custom-made one through your dentist.

Perform TMJ exercises

There are exercises you can perform at home that can help strengthen the muscles in this joint and performing these daily may help you find relief in the long run. If you find that this helps, you should continue using the exercises as needed.

Your dentist may also have some options for you to try for finding relief from TMJ. To learn more from your dentist, schedule an appointment at your earliest convenience. 

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