6 Quick Home Remedies For TMJ Syndrome
Temporomandibular joint syndrome, or TMJ for short, is a type of disorder that causes pain in the jaw and mouth. This happens when the joints and muscles in your jaw don’t act like they should when they work together.
This sometimes causes your jaw to get ‘stuck’, jaw aches, and even head and earaches.
TMJ can also be caused by arthritis or a jaw injury. If you want to learn how to ease your jaw pain and prevent your TMJ from acting up, then follow these simple home remedies.
#1. Massage
Giving your face a nice massage is a good natural remedy that can help to fix your jaw when it gets stuck because of TMJ. Massaging your jaw helps to relax your muscles, which will allow you to open your mouth more easily. Unlike other types of massages, it is probably for the best that you do this one on your own.
Massages on other parts of the body are usually more effective when someone else is giving them, but when it comes to aches in your face, you’re the one who is best qualified to fix it. This way, you can make sure that you are fixing your jaw exactly where it hurts.
#2. Heat and Cold
If your jaw stiffness comes with pain, then treating it with hot and cold compresses are good natural remedies to fix it. When you use a cold compress, it helps to numb the pain that your muscles may be suffering from. Applying heat will loosen the muscles and make it easier for you to open your mouth. Alternating between heat and cold is a great way to make sure that your jaw stays loose and pain-free.
#3. Soft Food
One natural home remedy to help prevent your jaw from locking up is to eat a majority of soft foods. Avoid tough meats and breads, and instead, eat more cooked vegetables and soups. If your TMJ is acting up, then it’s a safe bet that eating tough foods will only make things work. Try to make some of your favorite recipes in a softer way. The softer the food is, the kinder it will be on your jaw.
#4. Reduce Stress
Large amounts of stress can make TMJ act up. Find natural home remedies to manage your stress so that you don’t get too much of it at once. Know what calms you down when you do get stressed out. Many people find yoga, tea, and soothing scents to be relaxing. One important thing is to make sure that you do not let the little things get to you. Most little problems can be resolved quickly, and are not worth the extra stress that they may cause.
#5. Break Habits
Some people have bad habits that might make their TMJ act up. If you constantly find yourself with your hands or other objects pressing on your jaw, and then later you feel pain in that area, it’s no coincidence. Bad habits like leaning your head on your hand, putting your phone between your shoulder and ear when you talk, and other things that put unnecessary pressure on your jaw can make TMJ all the worse. If you catch yourself doing activities like this, try to stop. Make new, better habits instead.
#6. Painkillers
There is not much that you can do for TMJ at home, other than trying to avoid things that put unnecessary pressure on your jaw. One easy thing you can do is just take painkillers to lessen the pain when your TMJ acts up. Remember to only take as much as the bottle or box says to. Even if it doesn’t seem like enough at first, eventually it should kick in. This can also help with the ear and headaches that sometimes come with TMJ.
