TMJ Pain Management - 4 Mistakes to Avoid in Managing the Pain of TMJ!

As someone suffering from TMJ disorder, you would know better than anyone else about the intensity of the pain caused by TMJ. The current medical set up in most world countries isn't cut out to give good TMJ pain management to those who seek. But that does not imply a lack of treatment methods or medications. What is lacking is understanding and care about a serious disorder which is highly prevalent.

TMJ poses multi-dimensional challenges to both the patient and the doctor. On one hand, there is pain relief, which by itself is a strenuous task and on the other hand, recovery from the disorder which both aids and abates TMJ pain management. Just how should one tackle this situation? What are the do-s and don't-s to follow?

1. Waiting to seek treatment till the condition becomes highly painful - The first and foremost mistake a person suffering from TMJ can make. There might be valid reasons to not seek treatment as early as possible - financial circumstances, failing to identify TMJ and so on. But remember that once TMJ becomes chronic, it becomes hard to deal with and almost always ends up requiring Surgery.


2. Taking over the counter pain killing medication - Self help treatments are not suggested for a condition like TMJ. You could soon end up requiring much stronger drugs and not make any progress in curing the problem. TMJ pain management requires proper therapies crafted from exhaustive research and experience.


3. Assuming that if one therapeutic system didn't work for you, neither would others - A big NO! TMJ has a variety of treatment methods and each person might have a sweet-spot for a particular type of treatment. If your current treatment doesn't seem to be working its magic, its time to change your treatment or your doctor.


4. Resorting to psychoactive substances as a last resort for TMJ pain management - Out of depression and unmanageable pain, some people resort to Marijuana or other addictive drugs to kill pain. These substances don't kill pain, they just knock out the sensation of pain from the body while letting TMJ get worse. Soon, you will have two problems to take care of, TMJ and addiction.