Pain Relief Exercises For TMJ Sufferers

The fact that you are reading this article right now shows that you are looking for some TMJ pain relief. Well you stopped on the right page, because below you will learn some excellent free exercises for TMJ pain relief. Before we go into the exercises, though, let's discuss what TMJ is and what causes it.

So what is TMJ anyway?

TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint disorder. Why is it so painful? Well, the cartilage where the skull meets the lower jaw basically dislodges or dislocates causing the sensory nerves to become stretched, hence the horrible pain. Anxiety, stress, and tension contribute even further to the pain, as people with these conditions tend to clench their jaws or grind their teeth a lot.

Many people suffer from TMJ and do not even know it, as their symptoms are not as severe as others'. However, for most TMJ sufferers, the symptoms can be extremely painful and these people do not even know what is causing their TMJ or that TMJ pain relief exists. Some symptoms include:

o Bruxism (teeth grinding)
o Mandibular Opening Deviation (the lower jaw diverges to one side upon opening)
o Limited opening (mouth cannot open fully)
o Steep Mandibular Plane Angle - rather than one's lower jaw being parallel to the ground, it is on a sharp downward angle
o Angular Chelitis - the inflammation and swelling of the corners of the mouth; also suffered by denture wearers when they need new dentures.
o Facial Edema - swelling of the face
o Cervical Torticollis - unusual neck movements
o Mandibular Torticollis - unusual lower jaw movements
o Pain in the joints where the lower jaw meets the skull
o Clicking and popping noises of the jaw joints, also known as TMJ noises.

If you suffer from any of the above symptoms, you will certainly benefit from the TMJ pain relief exercises in this article.

Traditional TMJ Pain Relief

In recent times, doctors would just prescribe certain pain medications to TMJ sufferers. However, this provides only short-term relief. Yes, these pain medications do work (because they numb the sensory nerves in and around your jaw), but by using them, TMJ sufferers are not addressing their problem at the source; they are just masking it. Also, one's body would eventually get used to and become immune to pain medications anyway. Therefore, pain medication is NOT the best TMJ pain relief in the long run.

TMJ is a physical condition and, therefore, should be treated in a physical manner with exercises. These TMJ pain relief exercises are designed with several purposes in mind:

o To strengthen the jaw muscles
o To relax the jaw muscles
o To eliminate the clicking and popping of your jaw
o To eliminate the strain off of the joints surrounding the jaw
o To eliminate any other pain or symptoms involved with TMJ

The TMJ pain relief exercises should be performed twice a day for about 5 minutes each time. Ideal times would be when one wakes up in the morning and before one goes to bed at night. However, you can perform them whenever you feel necessary.

Tens of thousands of TMJ sufferers have performed these and other exercises to get rid of their TMJ completely. It is highly unlikely that you would injure yourself by performing these exercises. However, I must give this disclaimer - Disclaimer: Though unlikely, I am not responsible for any injuries brought about because of these exercises, and I am in no way responsible for any of the outcomes of the practicing of these exercises.

The TMJ Pain Relief Exercises

Sit down in an upright position in a comfortable chair and perform the following TMJ pain relief exercises:

Session I:

1) Allow your top & bottom back teeth to touch.
2) Slide the tip of your tongue slowly from the front of your mouth to as far back is it will go, while keeping the teeth touching.
3) Now slowly open up your mouth until your tongue stops touching the roof of your mouth. Remain in this position for 5 seconds and do not open your mouth any further. Then close your mouth and rest for 5 seconds
4) Perform this exercise again multiple times over the next 5 minutes. Remember to stay relaxed and do the exercise slowly.

Session II:

1) Slowly open your mouth as far and wide as you can without straining too much, and then slowly close your mouth. Do this 10 times in a row and then rest. Do 3 sets of these.
2) Slowly open your mouth as wide as you can and hold for 5 seconds. Then slowly close. Do this 10 times and then rest. Do 3 sets of these as well.
3) Slowly shift your lower jaw to the left, then to the right ten times. Rest. Do 2 more sets.
4) Now use your hand to help you open your mouth a bit further than you can open it naturally. Do this slowly, then hold for 5 seconds. Close your mouth and repeat for a total of 10 times.
5) Increase blood flow by massaging your jaw area with the tips of your fingers.

After performing these TMJ pain relief exercises, you should be noticing less and less TMJ pain.