Home TMJ Treatment - Effectively Treating TMJ Yourself

TMJ is a disorder that can usually be treated by exercises that realign the jaw joint, stress relieving measures, and teaching the jaw muscles to work properly again. It is widely believed that doctors have misused and overused unnecessary treatment techniques such as surgery, medications, and other overly aggressive measures to treat this disease, often with varying results.

Hence, it is believed that home TMJ treatment, or effectively treating TMJ yourself, is may be safer, more effective, more curative, and less damaging overall. A home TMJ treatment plan also has a higher long term success rate as well; treating TMJ yourself consists of relieving the symptoms of this disorder through exercises.

Many times, a TMJ disorder is a direct result of high levels of stress, so a home treatment of TMJ almost always includes the reduction of stress. Here are some stress reducing habits to effectively aid in home TMJ treatment:

1. Change your diet habits - this includes not eating hard foods, and eating foods high in magnesium (or taking a magnesium supplement).

2. Avoid excessive or repetitive chewing, or chewing hard - this includes not chewing gum or chewing food to the point where the teeth meet and grind excessively.

3. Do yoga or other exercise daily to reduce stress.

4. Reduce mental stress by practicing anger and stress management techniques - a common cause of tooth grinding and clenching is poor anger management, and controlling anger can greatly reduce the severity and habitualness of teeth grinding. Learn to take note of when you are stressed, and check to see if you are clenching your teeth at this time; if so, concentrate on how relaxing and unwinding with visualization techniques, and apply jaw exercises at this time.

5. Avoid wide opening of the mouth - this includes wide yawning, excessive stretching of the mouth when brushing the teeth and flossing, and taking especially large bites.

6. Use a mouthguard specifically designed for TMJ at night to prevent tooth grinding or other movement, and to ensure that your jaw rests in a position that doesn't stress the joint.

7. In a number of cases, the tmj is caused by the excessive pulling on the shoulder muscle, which in turn will pull, and strain and weaken the jaw muscle; avoiding the use of heavy purses and backpacks worn on one shoulder. In other cases, tmj is caused by poor posture for long periods of time or neck strain in unnatural positons for long periods of time, whch throw both the neck, spine, and subsequently, jaw bones out of alignment. Sitting straight when working at the for keyboard for long periods of time, avoiding cradling the phone when talking, and generally practice good posture at all times can also make a crucial difference as well.

8. Apply heat to this area to ease symptoms and improve circulation.

The above techniques will contribute greatly to your effectively treating TMJ yourself at home, with a significant reduction in both the number and severity of your symptoms. One must also remember that continued practice of these habits even after all TMJ symptoms have disappeared will greatly lessen the likelihood of a recurrence of this disorder.