Examples of facial expressions you make daily include laughing, smiling, and chewing. These movements are performed efficiently when your temporomandibular joint has no problems. However, if you have temporomandibular joint disorders, these activities are hard to perform, making you experience a lot of pain. Even though most temporomandibular joint disorder symptoms usually resolve after weeks or months you should seek treatment. Suppose your symptoms have not resolved and seek Santa Monica TMJ treatment. Begin by learning some of the effective ways of managing these disorders as discussed below:
Correct your posture
Normally, sitting in unideal positions for long periods can make you experience a lot of pain in your jaws. Therefore, when you are sitting, you are advised to select a chair that has a long back to offer support to your back. It would be best if you also took breaks which helps improve your posture. Similarly, when you are driving, you should set your seat upright, and during leisure activities like reading or watching, choose a space that allows you to sit upright. You can also place a pillow behind the seat to help support your back. You can also pull back your shoulders, raise your chest bone, and slightly squeeze the blades of your shoulder to help straighten the muscles of your back.
Exercise your jaws
Most care providers usually recommend jaw exercises to help increase the mobility of your joints. Generally, various joint exercises can help alleviate pain, including strengthening exercises, stretch exercises, or relaxation exercises.
Take note of bad habits
You are always advised to practice healthy habits that do not cause TMD pain. Examples of these bad habits include resting your jaw in your hand, nail-biting, clenching jaw muscles, pushing the tongue against your teeth, chewing cheeks and lips, or grinding your teeth.
Avoiding certain foods and activities
Certain foods and activities can make you open your mouth forcefully or move your jaws extremely. Therefore, you are advised to avoid some activities, including chewing gum, crunchy or hard foods, and foods that require long periods of chewing or taking large bites. Doing so prevents overstretching your jaws, thus reducing TMJ pain.
Get enough sleep
Generally, sleep is an essential aspect of good health. Therefore, to reduce temporal mandibular joint pain, you should sleep on your back and ensure you support your neck with a pillow. You should also avoid sleeping on your stomach and not place your hands on your jaws while lying on the side.
Reduce stress
When experiencing joint stiffness and stress, you are encouraged to practice meditation to help relax and loosen your jaw. In most cases, yoga practices help reduce the amount of stress put on your jaw muscles. Usually, gardening is one of the activities that help relax your face and calm your mind.
Other temporomandibular joint conditions may require surgery to provide symptomatic relief and allow it to function normally. The surgery is performed by qualified, experienced specialists who provide comprehensive interventions and examinations for the best outcomes. Therefore, if you are interested in learning effective ways of reducing TMJ pain, you can book your appointment at Bay Dental today. You can also visit their website to learn more about the various surgical options available.
