Natural Treatment Options for TMJ Pain Relief

TMJ (or sometimes called TMD) is when the joint that connects your lower and upper jaw is out of alignment or damaged. Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ) can have many causes, such as a malocclusion (bite problem), stress that causes teeth grinding, trauma to the head due to an accident and more.

This dysfunction can cause numerous symptoms that makes life miserable, like clicking and popping noises when chewing, headaches, dizziness, toothaches, pain in the jaw that radiates from the face down to the neck and shoulders, ringing in the ears (tinnitus) and even the difficulty of opening and closing the jaw itself.

Do I Really Have TMJ?

There is a simple self-test you can do to see if you have this disorder. Place your little (pinkie) fingers into your ears so you cannot hear. Then slowly open and close your jaw. Do you hear a clicking, popping or grinding sound? If so, your jaw joints may be out of alignment and an examination by your dentist and x-rays would be advisable. From there, your dentist may make you a simple customized acrylic mouthpiece that will help release the stress in the jaws, stabilizing the bite and preventing tooth-grinding.

Home Remedies for Comfort

There are some simple remedies to try at home to relax the jaw joints and hopefully provide relief. The foods you eat make a difference between pain and comfort. Try eating a diet of soft foods, like steamed vegetables, homemade soups, rice, mashed potatoes and tender poultry, just to name a few. Also eat more sulfur-rich foods, like garlic, onions, eggs, and asparagus; sulfur is needed to repair and rebuild cartilage and connective tissues. It also aids in the absorption of calcium, which you need to rebuild and keep the bones and joints strong. Add fresh pineapple to your diet, as bromelain, an enzyme found in this fruit, helps reduce inflammation. Avoid chewy foods like bagels, caramels and gum.

Try using a combination of ice and hot packs as therapy for pain and inflammation. TMJ affects the entire body, so use this palliative therapy not only on your jaw but down the neck and shoulders too. Massage is also a useful therapy for pain relief.

Sleeping on your back helps relax the back, shoulders, and neck muscles. Avoid sleeping on your side, especially the side of your jaw pain. Stomach sleeping is not advisable as well.

Be aware of your posture, checking yourself in the mirror throughout the day. Walk straight, with your ears not too far in front of the shoulders while keeping your head aligned so your cheekbones are over the collarbone area. If you sit at a desk, keep your back comfortably straight and try not to lean forward.

The Bottom Line

If you have TMJ dysfunction, you may need to use a combination of therapies. Doctors and therapists who use the whole body, or musculoskeletal, approach can offer natural TMJ relief with craniosacral release techniques that place the head and body into alignment using soft touch maneuvers. I was pleased how this technique helped me without worrying about a painful procedure. Other effective treatments can include acupuncture, biofeedback for stress management, hypnosis, yoga and other exercises of the head and neck.

References:

"TMJ Syndrome"

"TMJ Disorders - Lifestyle and Home Remedies"

"The Complete Encyclopedia of Natural Healing" by Gary Null, Ph.D. [Kensington Publishing Corp.,1998]