TMJ: temporomandibular joint disorder
Do you or someone you know have TMJ? TMJ is actually the name of a group of conditions that affect the jaw joint, the temporomandibular joint. When researching TMJ, you may come across the term temporomandibular disorders instead, or TMD.
If you have been diagnosed with TMJ, you may be wondering about your treatment options. Of course, treatment does depend on the cause of your TMJ, but here are some options that you may have:
Self-care:
- eating soft foods
- avoiding heavy chewing, as with chewing gum
- alternating heat and cold packs
- avoiding yawning, shouting, activities that stretch your mouth wide
- learning relaxation techniques to avoid clenching your jaw or grinding your teeth
- stretching exercises
With your dentist’s help:
- anti-inflammatories to relieve inflammation in the joint
- use of a bit plate or splint
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Tags: chronic pain blog, pain blog, TMJ, temporomandibular joint disorder
2 opinions for TMJ: temporomandibular joint disorder
stacy
Sep 11, 2008 at 7:30 pm
You may also want to check out The TMJ Association, a non-profit dedicated to research, support, and advocacy for TMJ disorder patients and their loved ones. Let me know if I can help answer questions or in any other way!
Marijke Durning, RN
Sep 11, 2008 at 7:36 pm
Just added you to the blog roll. Any chance you would like to provide a guest post or information that we can share here?
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