Do you have pain while chewing, speaking, smiling, laughing, or yawning?
Many times pain is not the main problem. It is only an indicator of the underlying disease or disorder. Let’s dig out what your pain is trying to tell you.
All the symptoms mentioned above are associated with TMJ Disorder, a condition marked by functional limitations of the Temporomandibular Joint that connects the jawbone to the skull. This joint is one of the complex joints in the body responsible for the movements of the lower jaw. Apart from pain, TMJ can also lead to difficulty in opening or closing the mouth.
But there is no need to worry as TMJ disorder can be managed effectively with non-surgical as well as advanced surgical treatment safely performed by maxillofacial surgeons. Early diagnosis of TMJ and managing it correctly are crucial to avoid further complications.
This article will educate you about the best solutions to get relief from TMJ Disorders.
Understanding the Management of TMJ Disorders
Before we explore how to manage TMJ disroder, let us learn the causes behind the disorder to understand the solutions better:
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Face injury or Injury to the jaw bone
- Stress and anxiety
- Autoimmune diseases
- Improper joint formation or growth
- Clenching of teeth
- Prognathic Mandible
- Malocclusion
Now, let us look at the recommended ways to manage your TMJ and get relief from its symptoms:
1. Exercise and physical therapy
Exercises provide flexibility and relaxation to the muscles and relieve pain. Here are some simple jaw exercises for TMJ Disorder that your trained physical therapist will teach you to do at home:
Free Joint Mobilization:
Closing and opening of Mouth – Descensus and Elevation
Forward and backward Projection of mouth – Protrusion or Retrusion
Right and left movements of the mouth – Laterality (Right, Left)
10 Repetitions of each movement to be done without causing much trouble to the joint.
Stretching
Follow these steps for the effective stretching of the mouth:
- Step 1 – Open your Mouth
- Step 2 – Grasp the cheek, left or right, From inside with the index finger or two fingers ( index and middle)
- Step 3 – Stretch the grasped cheek outward. Maintain this outward deviation for 10 seconds.
- Step 4 – Relax for 5 seconds and perform this stretching on each side of your cheeks at least three times.
Strengthening Exercises –
- Step 1 – Make a fist of your hand, Place your hand on the lower part of the chin, Try to open your mouth while your hand offers resistance. Maintain pressure for 10 seconds and relax for 5 seconds.
- Step 2 – Place your hand in front of the chin, Try to push your chin forward while your hand offers resistance. Maintain pressure for around 10 seconds and relax for 5 seconds.
- Step 3 – Place your hand on the left side of the chin, Try to move your chin towards the left while your hand offers resistance. Maintain pressure for 10 seconds and let it relax for 5 seconds.
- Step 4 – Place your hand on the right side of the chin, Try to move your chin towards the right while your hand offers resistance. Maintain the pressure for 10 seconds and relax for 5 seconds.
2. Stress and anxiety management
Stress and anxiety may lead to unconscious clenching throughout the day and grinding of teeth during sleep. These actions can put pressure and strain on the jaw and can lead to issues like lockjaw. Chronic stress associated with clenching and grinding of teeth may aggravate TMJ Disorder symptoms.
Hence, stress and anxiety management is necessary to overcome the challenges of TMJ disorder. Seek medical advice to deal with chronic stress and anxiety.
Here are some stress relaxation techniques to follow
- Breathing exercises
- Yoga
- Meditation
- Mindfulness
3. Dietary Adjustment
Prefer a balanced, soft diet to avoid over-straining your jaw muscles and to reduce overexertion of the jaw muscle, ensuring calorie requirements.
Choose some of these TMJ-friendly foods
- Boiled or steamed vegetables
- Soft fruits like oranges, bananas, and watermelons
- Soft-cooked grains, for example – rice and porridge
- Vegetable soups
4. Hot and Cold Compresses
Applying hot compression to the painful areas around the jaws facilitates blood flow and helps in relaxing jaw muscles Cold compressions are effective in reducing inflammations of joints and providing relief from pain.
Cold Compressions should be applied for short periods as they cause more damage if used for more than 15 to 20 minutes. It is better to follow 5-minute periods several times a day.
5. Posture Correction
Maintaining correct jaw posture is an important aspect of TMJ therapy. Relaxed jaw with tongue on the roof of the mouth and teeth not touching. This is the common representation of the correct jaw posture. Along with the correct jaw posture, it is important to maintain correct body posture while sleeping, sitting, and standing to avoid postural pain.
Incorrect posture can cause an imbalance between the head and spine, leading to jaw, neck, and shoulder pain. Remember these tips:
- While standing or sitting, keep your shoulders relaxed and head erect.
- Sit on a proper chair to support your arms and shoulders to prevent straining your neck and shoulders.
6. Physiotherapy for TMJ Disorder
Here are the common physiotherapy techniques for treating TMJ:
- TENS: It is a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation therapy that helps relieve pain associated with TMJ Disorder.
- Shortwave Diathermy: This physiotherapy method uses electromagnetic waves to treat soft tissue and joints.
7. Clinical Management of TMJ Disorder
If you have symptoms that match those of TMJ, your maxillofacial surgeon will first conduct a thorough examination that will include observing your jaw’s range of motion. He will press the areas around the jaw to check for pain or discomfort. If he suspects TMJ, he may recommend tests like:
- X-ray to examine the jaw and teeth
- CT scan to get detailed images of the joint bones
- MRI to identify issues in the surrounding soft tissues
- TMJ Arthroscopy
Prescription Medications: Prescription medications like muscle relaxants or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may be prescribed to manage severe pain.
The maxillofacial surgeon may advise you to opt for these surgical treatments if medicines don’t work:
- TMJ Arthroscopy: This medical procedure allows maxillofacial surgeons to visualize and diagnose the disease condition properly. It helps to effectively diagnose and treat TMJ conditions reducing the risk of complications. A 1.8 mm camera is passed into the joint space to visualize the joint and help to identify the problem accurately.
- Open Joint Surgery: It is an invasive procedure to treat and diagnose more severe jaw issues where there is a lot of tissue and bone growth that prevents movement of the joint.
Alternative Therapies
Though alternative therapies have no scientific backing and can provide temporary relief to TMJ symptoms, the disorder requires the specialized expertise of a maxillofacial surgeon. Let us examine them briefly:
- Acupuncture: A trained acupuncturist inserts hair-thin needles into specific locations on the body to relieve pain associated with TMJ.
- Biofeedback: Therapists use electronic devices that monitor the tightness of specific muscles to help you relax your muscles.
- Chiropractic care: The trained chiropractor guides you through a set of exercises. Then, they perform some adjustments on the jaw and neck joints to align them back to the right position.
Why TMJ has no relation with Dental intervention
As TMJ disorders are related more to the joints and muscles controlling jaw movement, the treatment is more in the nature of medication, physical therapy, srugery, or lifestyle changes rather than dental internvention. The disorder is more related to joint and muscle dysfunction and not dental health. So, it needs the expert skills of a trained maxillofacial surgeon.
Conclusion
Disease awareness is the greatest tool for empowering ourselves and others to take charge of better health. TMJ disorder is a challenge, but by consulting an experienced maxillofacial surgeon, you are assured of a safe recovery with early diagnosis and reliable treatment options.
Gnathos Facial is a prominent maxillofacial surgery hospital in Hyderabad that provides efficient surgical and non-surgical treatment for TMJ Disorder. Our well-equipped hospital has the latest equipment to perform all types of procedures, like TMJ arthroscopy or open joint surgery, with precision. Leave your worries behind and rely on the safe, effective, and advanced treatment solutions we offer at Gnathos Facial!