Living With TMJ? Tips On What You Can Do To Find Relief

If you are someone who suffers from temporomandibular joint dysfunction, you're familiar with the hardships that come along with it. The pain which radiates down from your ear, jaw, and neck can cause so much discomfort that you often find yourself trying to do whatever you can to avoid the pain. If the changes that you've been making don't seem to be giving you the relief that you seek, keep reading to learn a few tips that you can start using immediately that just might do the trick.

Awareness Is The Key

Much of the pain and discomfort that comes along with TMJ is a result of some of the behaviors that you perform each day. It's so easy to become caught up in a routine and make so many automatic actions that you don't realize how your basic behaviors are making your TMJ much worse than it has to be.

For example, it's hard to tell when you're grinding your teeth in your sleep. Because you are largely unconscious while you're asleep, you may be completely in the dark concerning what you are doing while you're in the sleeping state. You're going to have to be a bit covert if you want to uncover the real reasons why your TMJ keeps flaring up.

Pay attention to how you feel when you wake up in the morning. Do you experience most of your TMJ symptoms each morning? If so, there's a good chance that you are grinding your teeth during the night. Once you have this information, you can then be proactive about your treatment options. Purchase a mouth guard and put it in each night before you go to sleep. The difference in how you feel could be quite substantial.

Use Moist Heat Or Cold Packs To Ease The Pain

Changes in temperature can also affect your TMJ. Sometimes you might need to apply a hot, moist pack to the side of your face after a meal or when you experience the pain. On other occasions, an ice pack might be more appropriate. Experiment with the two alternatives, mixing and matching them until you find the level of pain relief that works for you.

Don't let your TMJ woes get you down. Be diligent about making the changes you need to make and watch how much better you begin to feel in no time at all. For treatment help, contact a clinic like The Alpher Center.


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