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Exercise for Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Treatment, Many people suffer from craniomandibular disorders and often present with the symptoms without having a clue what is causing the pain. If you are concerned that you have any of these problems, you can do jaw exercises that help you maintain range of motion and live better.
Part 1: Perform Stretches for the Mandible
- Straighten your jaw. This Exercise for Temporomandibular Joint is recommended by Oxford University Hospitals and should be performed for five minutes twice a day when you are most relaxed.
- Put your upper and lower arches in contact. Close your lips and make sure your teeth aren’t clenched. The tongue should touch the gums and the palate just behind the incisors.
- Bring your tongue back towards your throat. Try to bring it as far back as possible, as far as you can comfortably stretch it. Make sure that the dental arches never lose contact with each other.
- Slowly open your mouth. The tongue should continue to press on the posterior palate. Stop as soon as you feel that the tongue is about to lose contact.
- Repeat the entire sequence for five minutes. This Exercise for Temporomandibular Joint should be performed twice a day.
- Rest your jaw. This is an essential part of dealing with this ailment, especially after stretching. Keep your lips closed, with your jaws apart, putting your tongue on the roof of your mouth rather than between your teeth.
- Try to avoid strenuous activities like opening your mouth fully, clenching or knurling your teeth, holding things by biting them with your teeth, or holding the phone between your shoulder and jaw.
Part 2: Try other Exercise for Temporomandibular Joint
- Try jaw pulls. This Simple Exercise for Temporomandibular Joint can be done at any time of the day, although some study participants found greater benefit from doing one set of pull-ups (three cycles per set) after each meal and one while showering, for a total of four daily sets.
- Place your fingertips on the edge of your lower incisors.
- Gently pull your jaw down until you feel pain on the side affected by the craniomandibular disorder.
- Hold this stretched position for 30 seconds.
- Do three rounds to complete a series of pull-ups. Try to do four sets every day.
- Give it a try with a forced mouth opening. Again, the movement is quite simple and can be done at any time of the day.
- Place your thumb under your chin.
- Slowly open your mouth while pushing your thumb up to create some resistance.
- Hold the position for 3-6 seconds before slowly closing your mouth again.
- Repeat this Exercise for Temporomandibular Joint every day to prevent temporomandibular pain from returning.
- Try forcibly closing your mouth. This is an exercise for Temporomandibular Joint similar to the previous one but works on opposite muscles.
- Place both thumbs under the chin and index fingers under the lips, just above the chin itself. You should assume a position as if you want to grab the chin with both hands.
- Gently push your jaw down as you try to close it.
- Repeat the Exercise for Temporomandibular Joint every day.
- Move your jaw from side to side. This is a simple routine that you can modify to build resistance as your jaw muscles get stronger.
- Place two tongue depressors or two Popsicle sticks between the incisors.
- Slowly move your lower jaw to the right and left.
- When the Exercise for Temporomandibular Joint becomes simple, gradually increase the thickness by adding more tongue depressors.
- Make forward movements. Again, the Exercise for Temporomandibular Joint is similar to the one just described and can be modified to increase resistance as the jaw gets stronger.
- Place two tongue depressors or two Popsicle sticks between the incisors.
- Move the jaw forward, so that the lower arch is positioned in front of the upper one.
- Gradually increase the thickness by adding more tongue depressors when the Exercise for Temporomandibular Joint becomes easy.
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Part 3: Understanding Craniomandibular Disorders
- Recognize the symptoms. These disorders typically cause pain in the temporomandibular joint which is located between the mandible and the maxilla. The other symptoms are:
- Pain that radiates to the face through the jawline and neck.
- Stiffness of the mandibular muscles;
- Reduced or limited mobility of the lower jaw.
- Clicking or feeling of friction in the jaw joint often accompanied by pain.
- Misalignment between the upper and lower dental arch
- Get a diagnosis. Only an experienced doctor can determine if you have craniomandibular disorders. Although there is no one-size-fits-all test to rule out other diseases and come to a formal diagnosis, the doctor is able to evaluate your symptoms and undergo an x-ray to better examine the TMJ.
- Although it takes some time to make an accurate diagnosis, you must first rule out any other possible causes of facial and jaw pain, including sinus infections, ear infections, and neuralgia that generates pain due to nerve inflammation.
- Treat the symptoms. Once your doctor has determined the nature of your problem, they will likely recommend treatment. There are several solutions and the one suggested by the doctor will take into account your symptomatic and clinical picture.
- You can take over-the-counter and prescription pain relievers to control pain and reduce inflammation.
- Your doctor may recommend muscle relaxants for a short time (a few days or several weeks) to reduce pain and muscle contracture in the jaw.
- In some cases, sedatives are prescribed to help you sleep at night, especially if the pain worsens during sleep.
- Corticosteroid injections are recommended to manage pain and reduce inflammation.
- Wear a bite. This type of mouthguard reduces pain and makes living with craniomandibular pain more acceptable.
