Jamming The Jaw JointsIf you've been researching TMJ for some time and how to treat it, you've probably found one overall statement from every reliable source:
Nobody knows how to cure TMJ.
Your doctor is probably doing all he can. He's most likely given you strong pain relief pills and maybe some muscle relaxation medicines. But there is not much more he can do.
Little by little, you get immune to the strong pain killers and other short term medications and they'll stop working for you (if they ever did relief your pain in the first place).
Some dentist specialize in TMJ. They put a dental implant in your mouth. It may well be worth getting these implants. They may save you from grinding your teeth at night. But most likely, they won't relief your pain.
So why do TMJ experts fail you?
It's not really their fault. This is a very complicated this condition. There is probably no one cause for all TMJ. Most likely, it's more like a combination of many factors. What makes this even more complicated is, the factors are most likely both emotional and physical.
Intense stress, grief, or anger often trigger TMJ. So can injuries (from a car accident for example). You may not even have noticed it when you accidentally bumped into something. Few days later, you began to feel this pain in your jaw. There is often no way of knowing what originally triggered your TMJ.
Lets look at the bright site: what do we know?
We do know that the Jaw joints are always misplaced in some way. It's sometimes sever, other times it's minor misplacement. The effects can be extremely painful and irritating at the same time...
... are just few obvious symptoms of TMJ.
Another thing we know for a fact is, the jaw muscles are always very tense. It varies how painful they're or if they're torn but they're always too tense. These weak, tense jaw muscles will push your jaw further out of position and make the problem worse.
This is similar to what happens with back problems. The back muscles are stiff and weak to begin with. Then something happens, which puts strain on the back. Maybe working in a wrong position or small injury. It didn't really feel very bad in the beginning.
But then, the back muscles get going. They get even more tense to deal with the small problem. Then you won't have to feel the back pain for a while. This tension in the back muscles pushes the spine out of place. Just a little bit but that's enough. What could have been only minor problem if the person had exercised the back muscles a little, has now become a chronic problem.
The same thing happens with TMJ. What might have started out as minor problem (maybe you got hit in the jaw or had short period of intense stress) is now becoming chronic problem, because the jaw muscles now push your jaw out of place.
This is the beginning of series of other problems.
The two jaw joints don't work as a team any more. You may even be rubbing bone to bone. No wonder everything is stuck. And the pain is horrible. Constant torture.
It's inevitable that some nerves get squeezed when the joints are misplaced. The nerves that control your balance system, for example, are directly connected to nerves around the jaw. This is partly what causes your headaches and also dizziness and lack of balance.
No muscle is an island. They're all connected, either directly or through the nerve system. If your jaw muscles get stiff, all the other muscles around it will tense up too. You've probably experienced your shoulders and neck become more tense, as your TMJ has grown worse. This is only one example.
But there are other muscles not as obvious. You may not have noticed all the small muscles in your head. Your throat and eye muscles. Your tongue. Your forehead. There are muscles all over the place and these muscles all get stiff too.
You don't have to imagine all the secondary symptoms this indirect tension from the jaw is creating. You're experiencing some or all of them yourself...
...and hundreds of other secondary symptoms, you may or may not have experienced your self.
The only way to permanently cure TMJ, is to loosen up and strengthen the jaw muscles and also all the other muscles around the it.
This can be accomplished using easy, yet extremely effective exercises:
1)The jaw exercises strengthen and loosen up the jaw muscles directly. As you practice these exercises, the jaw muscles stops pushing the jaw into wrong position. Instead, it guides the jaw joints into right place and that way heals your TMJ.
2)The tongue is a strong muscle. Many people have lot of tension in this muscle for some reason. It's very important to relies the tension in the tongue, using simple tongue exercises. Remember all muscles are connected. Tension in tongue means tension in jaw and vs.
3)The throat exercises strengthen the throat. The throat muscles are some of these 'hidden' muscles we seldom pay attention to. They're however extremely important and if they're stiff, you'll suffer several symptoms in your throat.
4)The neck and shoulder muscles are directly connected to the Jaw muscles. These muscles are usually the first one to freeze when the jaw muscles get stiff. They can, however, easily be put back into regular function using powerful neck and shoulder exercises.
5)Don't underestimate the importance of breathing. Lack of oxygen flow to muscles weakens them and makes them stiff. One more contributing factor to TMJ. The breathing exercises inflate your muscles with oxygen, giving them extra boost to heal.
Most people who practice these exercises claim to get really good relief from them. Many totally heal their TMJ permanently. This is amazing, considering how complicated this condition is.
But before you get your hope to high, I'm going to be brutally honest...
You won't be totally pain free over night (although it's amazing how quickly these exercises sometimes work). It will take some time to reverse the tension that has been building up in your muscles for long time (even before you noticed any symptoms.
It will also take some time for your jaw to gain the strain to guide your jaw joints into their healthy, natural position. The fact remains, this is the only method proven effective to heal TMJ. Nothing else helps! Do you want to learn more about these exercises and try some of them for free? If so, follow this link to cure TMJ permanently...
Christian Goodman is the founder of The TMJ No More Program (www.tmj-no-more.com). The program has helped thousands of people to cure their TMJ without having to undertake dangerous surgery, dental implant or having to buy and use drugs every day. Here Are More Similar Articles, You're Welcome To Publish As Long As You Include Author Information And A Link (or affiliate link):Inability To Open Or Close The Mouth Freely TMJ And Difficulty In Chewing And Swallowing |