For most people with TMJ disorder living with the condition is a constant pain, both literally and figuratively. Even patients with mild cases of TMJ are forced to deal with symptoms that can have a progressively negative impact on the quality of life. Unless TMJ surgery is an option, which it isn’t for many people with mild forms of the disorder, there is really no complete solution to TMJ; the symptoms can be dealt with but the underlying problem almost always remains. It is akin to living with an incurable disease that while incurable, can still be managed to a degree where it is not a significant source of constant concern. Living with TMJ is not an ideal situation by any means but there are steps that people can take in order to prevent the disorder from controlling their life.
One of the most useful management techniques for those living with TMJ is a series of jaw exercises that are designed specifically to reduce the pain and tightness in the jaw muscle. Most people with TMJ find that jaw clenching and teeth grinding are effective ways to reduce the pain and tension in the jaw though in reality while they may offer short term relief they actually make the disorder much worse in the long term. Jaw exercises can be a helpful pain managing alternative to jaw clenching and teeth grinding while also helping to lessen the symptoms of the disorder over time. In order to determine which movements and exercises will be most beneficial to a patient with TMJ a physician or dentist will need to confirm the cause of the disorder as well as the cause for the discomfort, after which they can more accurately design a series of exercise specifically for each patient.
Relaxation techniques, while not effective for everyone, have been known to work in some cases for those living with TMJ. These techniques, such as yoga or meditation, theoretically help to relax the muscles in the body, including those in the jaw that have become tight and are causing pain and discomfort. A dentist or physician may also recommend that a bite guard be used while sleeping so as to prevent unnecessary clenching and grinding. While a bite guard is typically recommended for those with misaligned bite, which is a risk factor of TMJ, it also prevents those living with TMJ from unintentionally making the condition worse. After months or years of living with TMJ clenching and grinding can become second nature and it is one of the main lifestyle changes that needs to be made in order to effectively manage the disorder.
While muscle management and preventative techniques are quite useful, those living with TMJ generally consider pain management to be the most pressing concern. All of the above TMJ management techniques in the world won’t do much good unless the pain that accompanies the disorder can be effectively controlled. While many of the TMJ management techniques will help to reduce pain over time, most do very little to help with pain on a day to day basis. Because of this, it is often necessary to find ways alternative ways to manage pain other than the natural jaw clenching and teeth grinding that will exacerbate the disorder over time. Many of those that live with TMJ have found that the use of over the counter pain medications such as Tylenol, or an anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen, can help to lessen the symptoms of TMJ, making it much easier to live with on a daily basis. Other methods of reducing inflammation, such as a hot or cold pack, have proven to be successful as well since much of the pain caused by TMJ can be attributed to irritated or inflamed muscles and joints. If the pain of TMJ can be effectively dealt with without jaw clenching and teeth grinding the progression of the disorder can be slowly reversed over time. Unfortunately, in some cases the pain of TMJ has reached a point where it can no longer be managed by pain medications and natural practices, at which point the option of TMJ surgery must be strongly considered.
Living with TMJ is all about making the necessary lifestyle changes that are required in order to keep the disorder under control. Without these changes TMJ disorder will continue to worsen until it becomes unbearable and a more drastic method of treatment is needed, such as TMJ surgery. While managing TMJ can be a chore, it is much better than the alternative. With the variety of TMJ management techniques that have proved to be effective there is no reason for someone to resort to a life of constant pain and discomfort.
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