Temporomandibular Joint Disorder|Joint Pain Relief

Joints no doubt play a vital role in ones life as they help one to walk, to move, to bend, and to be fit, healthy and active forever. All of our activities depend upon how fast and smooth our joints they work that consecutively depend on how healthy they are?

The answer of this is your optimum joint health.

A joint is actually the connection between two of your bones. This is supported by other structures include ligament, synovium with fluid and are cushioned by cartilage.

All of these structures work together and allow you to move your body, to bend your elbow, bend your back, wiggle your hips, and even to wave you finger to say bye-bye. Nature has bestowed lots of covering to support joint health but certain injuries, increasing age, carrying too much weight, improper body posture or even sitting the wrong way as well as several nutritional deficiency can wear and tear your cartilage and joint and can make problem to your joint.

Problems Associated with Joint Health

Arthritis is the most common bone and joint problem and it is a group of conditions involving damage to the bones and joints of the body and can be classify according to causes of them. There are over 100 different forms of these joint complains. The most common form among them is osteoarthritis that is degenerative problem of joint health which is a result of any trauma to the joint, infection of the joint, or aging. Other forms that deteriorate joint in individuals include rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and autoimmune diseases.

Easy Tips to Promote Joint Health

Below are some easy tips are mentioned to overcome joint problems and maintain joint health and thus longevity of individual. Its a hot topic in all seasons among all of us because it's bad affects influence thousands of people every where. Even only in the United States, one in three adults suffers from some form of joint pain. Moreover most of these joint problems can easily be reduced or even may be avoided completely with some basic changes in our everyday lifestyles or routine.
For sake of your benefit they are mention below. Try them to improve it.

• Try to lose weight because carrying around extra pounds gives severe strains on your joints and especially on your knees, hips, back and feet and weight loss will immediately improve it.
• Exercise regularly but don't stress a lot on your bones and joint. Regular exercise protects joints by strengthening the muscles around them. It lessens pain, increases range of movement in case of bone and joint discomfort.
• Early and specific diagnosis of any kind of joint problem assists you to get rid of them and aids to improves overall joint health.
• Smoking is another major causative agent and reduces bone mass that may lead to bone fractures in individuals. So to improve joint health one should quit smoking as early as possible.
• Try to find out the stressed activities in your routine even they are minor and also try to relief from them. Like sitting or standing all the day in same posture can cause joint problems.

Nutritional Backups to Improve Joint Health

Be sure that you're getting sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals to improve you joint health. Nutritional supplements are another best way to reduce, eradicate, and to certain extent avoid joints discomfort. You should also try to support and nourish your joint as they are the most mobile part of your body and need enormous nutrition to serve you successfully. So, be careful about your joint.

• Calcium is an important element to keep ones bones strong and joints healthy.
• Vitamin C also supports joint health in individual.
• Use of nutritional supplement like fish oil and flax oil or a source of omega-3 fatty acids also work wonders to optimize its health.
• Glucosamine another useful compound improve joint heath as well as also helping to rebuild joint cartilage

When it comes to pain, there are always 2 ways to help relief the pain, ice bag or warm tower. Somehow, the cold treatment is a more commonly used solution to numb the nerves so that the signals of the pain cannot reach the brain, temporarily.

In the case of gout pain, because the infected area (usually big toe) is like burning on fire, most patients will soak the whole foot into a bucket full of freezing cold ices. That will immediately numb all the nerves in the foot, he cannot even feel the existence of the feet, not to mention the grueling pain at the swollen toe.

This may sound like a good fix for the intense pain, but the fact is that cold treatment will only make the condition worse in the long run. This is a method that kills the symptoms but worsen the root cause of gout.

Gout is a direct result of accumulation of too much uric acid in the body and the population of gout patients is growing worldwide at alarming rate. This is because of our modern stressful lifestyle that is full of acidic diet and habits. Smoking, soft drinks, instant food, synthetic food additives, fast food, are all acidifying agents that actively pump acids into the bloodstream.

Bear in mind that our blood pH must always maintain at mild alkalinity which is at the pH value between 7.3 and 7.4. All those acidic food is turning our blood into an acid dumping site. In order to counter the acidity and return the alkalinity of the blood, those acids will be forced out from the bloodstream and enter the interstitial fluids and a portion of it will seep into the synovial fluids in the joints.

When the concentration of uric acid in the synovial goes beyond the saturation level, they will crystallize and forms urate crystals that triggers the immune reaction which result in inflammation, burning sensation and pain, intense pain! Gout attack!

Still remember salt crystal formation experiment during high school science? One of the variables that we need to find out is the rate of crystallization at different temperatures. The answer is that crystallization happens faster and larger crystal stones are formed at lower temperature. On the contrary, the formed salt crystals will slowly dilute away as the temperature goes up.

If you want more urate crystals form in your joints or interstitial fluid of muscles, then continue on with your favorite cold ice soaking. But if you want to speed up the excretion of urate crystals, then soak your feet in the warm water as often as you can, even at times when you are not suffering from gout attack. Warm water will increase the blood circulation and excretion of toxins through the moving blood.

Role of Physiotherapy in Arthritis

The word 'Arthritis' literally means joint inflammation. The warning signs of arthritis are pain, swelling, joint stiffness, difficulty in moving one or more joints. Arthritis can be a life changing event which can affect your personal, social and work life unless it is well understood and treated in time.

There are 127 different kind of arthritis. The most common types are Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis is degenerative joint disease. It may be due to chronic wear and tear or due to injury.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which ones own immune system attacks cells in the joint capsule and associated chronic inflammation destroys cartilage, bone and ligaments, leading to deformity and disability. Physiotherapy plays a major role in treating both Osteo & Rheumatoid arthritis along with medicine or by itself.

Even though many other factors contribute the development of Osteo arthritis, the root cause may be deviation of normal body mechanics. By correcting the body mechanics the percentage of wear and tear can considerably reduced. Obesity, muscle wasting, poor muscle strength, prolonged standing and internal derangement of knee like ligament injury can also contribute to Osteo arthritis. Physiotherapist can assess these basic causes and helps to correct the pre disposing factors. If it is found and corrected early, Osteo arthritis can be controlled to a great extend. Some patients may need medicine along with Physiotherapy.

Major symptoms seen with Osteo arthritis are pain, restricted range of motion, swelling etc. Pain and swelling can be relieved with the use of hot packs or cold packs, Ultrasound therapy, laser therapy, use of TENS or interferential therapy, taping techniques etc. Range of motion and strengthening exercises can be given to achieve maximum functional independence at home and at work place.

Type of Exercise useful for Arthritic patients

1. Range of motion exercises: It helps to maintain normal joint movements and relieve stiffness. These are gentle stretching exercises which move each joint as far as possible in all directions. Normal daily house work or office work may not help to improve joint range of motion and are not a substitute for ROM exercise.

2. Strengthening Exercises: It helps to keep or increase the muscle strength, provide stability, support and protection to the joint, helps the joint to move more easily with less pain and helps to prevent deformity. Isometric, isotonic or isokinetic exercises can be used according to the condition of the patient. Isometric exercises involves tightening of muscle without joint movement which maintains muscle tone, prevents muscle wasting when joint range is impaired.

3. Endurance exercises: This helps to maintain cardiac fitness, ROM, to increase physical strength, to control body weight and to improve arthritic symptoms. Aerobic exercises like graded walking, use of bicycle or treadmill initially with the supervision of the physiotherapist may help to prevent complication.

How often people with arthritis should do Exercises?

ROM exercises can be done daily many times and should be done at least every other day. Strengthening exercises should be done every day unless you have severe pain or swelling in your joint and repeated daily.

Endurance exercises should be done 20 to 30 minutes at least 3 times a week unless you have severe pain or swelling in your joint. Before starting endurance exercises it is better to have a medical consultation to assess your medical fitness.

In case of rheumatoid arthritis prolonged medical treatment is required. Here Physiotherapy helps to maintain ROM, muscle strength and to prevent joint deformity. Once joint deformity is established the patient may develop severe ambulation problem. This can be prevented with medication and timely physiotherapy.

'Think positive about arthritis, Physiotherapist can guide you to lead a pain-free independent life'.

When you have guidelines and pointers as to how to make something happen, virtually any task becomes easier. And when you have help like this, you are much more likely to succeed with that task.

Many people consider the number 7 to be a lucky number -- a number that brings good fortune. Now with the lucky number 7 foremost in mind, I give you my top 7 tips for immediate gout pain relief...

1. Drink Plenty of Water - At Least 3 Litres per Day.

This is very important because water can help your kidneys flush excess uric acid out of your system. Plus, water helps to prevent the formation of urate crystals which cause your gout pain.

Not doing this could mean that you are continually dehydrated, and a dehydrated body is more prone to gout. So drink lots of water for fast pain relief.

2. Eat Lots of Cherries.

This too is important because cherries have natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. They are known to be able to reduce inflammation, and, lower uric acid levels in your body.

Eat between 30 and 40 every 4 hours or so during a gout attack.

3. Change to a Low-Purine Diet.

This is a critical element because purines are chemical compounds in your body and food that, when they break down, produce uric acid which produces the urate crystals that cause your gout.

So you need to avoid high-purine food like meats, seafood, poultry, legumes and some vegetables like cauliflower, mushrooms and asparagus. And avoid alcohol, especially beer.

4. Use Herbal Remedies.

Another significant point is to utilise the natural healing powers of herbs like, alfalfa, bilberry, black cohosh, burdoch, buchu, etc. These can reduce inflammation, lower uric acid and help to dissolve urate crystals.

Talk to your local herbalist for information more appropriate to your case.

5. Drink Baking Soda in Water.

Pay particular attention to this step: because it can be a very fast way to relieve gout pain and symptoms. Baking soda can dissolve crystals, and, help your body excrete uric acid better.

Mix a 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in a large glass of water (8 oz) and drink 1 glass before bed, 1 in the morning, then 1 every 2 to 4 hours during the day. Repeat until your symptoms have abated.

Note: Baking soda is very high in sodium, so if you suffer from high blood pressure talk to your doctor before using this tip. In any case, all users need to change to a salt-free diet while taking it.

6. Take Supplements.

Another important element is this one of not having enough of the important vitamins, minerals and nutrients that are missing from many present day diets, especially when on a low-purine diet.

Think about vitamin B complex, bromelain, fish oil, vitamin C, vitamin E, etc. Check with your doctor of course.

7. Drink Celery Seed Tea / Infusion.

The reason why this is important is that celery seeds contain many different types of anti-inflammatory properties.

To make the tea just boil 1 tablespoon of the seeds in 2 cups of water until soft. Strain, then drink a 1/2 cup, 4 times a day until your symptoms have gone.

Note: Because celery seeds are a diuretic, don't use this remedy if you're pregnant or have any kidney dysfunction.

Follow these tips for immediate gout pain relief and you can expect success, with all its benefits. In the event you omit or ignore any one of these, you risk getting poorer results than you may otherwise expect. Others have succeeded with these 7 tips for immediate gout pain relief and so can you!

Now whilst these are 7 great tips for fast pain relief, you also have to consider what happens between attacks; what you need to do to prevent future attacks...

And this is very important because frequently recurring gout attacks can leave you with permanently damaged joints and kidney problems such as excruciating kidney stones, down the line. Plus, once having had a gout attack, you're now far more likely to have more.

Part 1: A BASIC UNDERSTANDING of TMJ SYNDROME

The Origins of TMD/TMJ Syndrome

TMD/TMJ Syndrome is a collection of seemingly unrelated symptoms caused by reflexive actions of the muscles of biting and chewing. It comes from brain-muscle conditioning acquired by trauma or stress. As with all conditioning problems, it can be changed with proper training, usually with no need for other interventions -- but such training is outside the scope of dentistry (though within the scope of clinical somatic education).

The jaw muscles, like all the the muscles of the body, are subject to control by conditioned postural reflexes, which affect chewing and biting movements. The reason people don't go around slack-jawed and drooling, for example, is that a conditioned postural reflex causes the muscles of biting and chewing always to remain slightly tensed, keeping their jaws closed.

People's jaw muscles are always more or less tense, even when they are asleep -- but the norm is very mildly tense -- just enough to keep the mouth closed and lips together.

The degree of tension people hold is a matter of conditioning.

Conditioning Influences

For brevity, I'll discuss only conditions that lead to dental stress and not the normal development of muscle tone in the muscles of biting and chewing.

These influences fall into two categories:

• Emotional Stress


• Physical Trauma

I can't say from empirical studies which of these two influences is the more prevalent, but from my clinical experience, I would say that physical trauma is by far the more common cause of TMJ Syndrome.

Emotional Stress

Ever heard the expressions, "Bite your tongue"? "Grit Your Teeth"? "Bite the Bullet"? "Hold your tongue"? "Bite the Big One"? They all have something in common, don't they? What is that?

To someone who regularly represses emotion or the urge to say something, these expressions have literal meaning.

Such repression, over time, manifests as tension held in the muscles of speech -- in the jaws, mouth, neck, face, and back -- the same as the muscles of biting and chewing.

Physical Trauma

Although people experience trauma to the jaws through falls, broken teeth, intense toothache, blows, and motor vehicle accidents, the most common form of physical trauma is dentistry. Dental surgery is traumatic. The relevant term is "iatrogenic" -- which means "caused as a side-effect of treatment". Dental surgery is a major cause of TMJ Syndrome. No doubt, this assertion will cause much distress among dentists, and I regret that, but how can we escape that conclusion?

Consider the experience of dentistry, both during and after dental surgery (fillings, root canal work, implants, cosmetic dentistry, crown installation, injections of anaesthetic, even routine cleanings and examinations). Consider the response we have to that pain or even the expectation of pain: we cringe.

We may think such cringing to be momentary, but consider the intensity of the memory of dental surgery; it leaves its impressions on the nervous system as patterns of tension. (Who's relaxed going to the dentist? -- or coming out of the dentist's office?) The physical after-effects show up as tension in the jaws and neck, and often in the spinal musculature, as well -- and as a host of other symptoms.

Let's go back to our fond memories of dentistry.

If you've observed your physical reactions in the dentist's chair, you may have noticed that during probing of a tooth for decay (with that sharp, hooked probe they use), you tighten not just your jaw and neck muscles, but also the muscles of breathing, your hands, and even your legs. It's an effort to stay in the chair while feeling the urge to escape.

With procedures such as fillings, root canal surgery, implants and crown installations, the muscular responses are more specific and more intense. For teeth near the back of the jaws, we tense the muscles nearer the back of our neck; for teeth near the front of the jaws, we tense the muscles closer the front of the throat.

This reflexive response has a name: Trauma Reflex.

Trauma Reflex is the universal, involuntary response to pain and to expectation of pain.

It gets triggered in relation to the location of the pain and to our position at the time of pain. Muscular tensions form as an action of withdrawing, avoiding, or escaping the source of pain.

In dentistry, with the head commonly turned to one side, in addition to the simple trauma reflex associated with pain, we have the involvement of our sense of position, and not just the muscles of the jaws are involved, but also those of the neck, shoulders, spine.

All of these conditions combine into an experience that goes into memory with such intensity that it modifies or entirely displaces our sense of normal movement and position. We forget free movement and instead become habituated or adapted to the memory of the trauma (whether of dental work or of some other trauma involving teeth or jaws). Our neuro-muscular system acts as if the trauma is still happening, even though, to our conscious minds, it is long past.

Since accidents and surgeries address teeth at one side of the jaws or the other, the tensions occur on one side of the jaws or the other. Thus, the symptoms of such tension -- jaw pain, bite deviations, and earaches -- tend to be one-sided or to exist on one side more than on the other.

The proof of the role of trauma reflex? -- the permanent changes of bite and tension of the muscles of biting that have behind them a history of dental trauma -- and the changes people experience as they undergo somatic education, which dispels trauma reflex (evident in its results).

Every dental procedure (and every surgical procedure) should be followed by a process for dispelling the reflexive guarding triggered by the procedure.

Part 2: SELF-RELIEF/SELF-CURE of TMJ SYNDROME

In this section, I'll provide instructions for a somatic exercise to retrain your control of the muscles of biting and chewing.

You do this somatic exercise lying on a firm surface (carpet or blanket on the floor) on your belly.

1. Nestle your chin in your hands with your thumb behind and fingers in front. Your elbows are spread wide.


2. Gently open your mouth and grasp your chin with both hands.


3. Gently bite, preventing your teeth from meeting with resistance from your fingers against the force of your biting action.


4. Slowly relax the biting action, keeping firm hold of your chin with your fingers, and very slowly tilt your head back by a few degrees. You are separating your teeth by tilting your head back, rather than by dropping your lower jaw. (Special tip: as your mouth opens, feel your nasal cavity open.)


5. Keeping your head in position, gently bite, again, resisting with your finger grip.


6. Slowly tip your head back further as you relax the biting action.


7. Alternate biting-against-resistance and relaxing, opening wider until your mouth is as open as you can let it go.


8. Let go with your fingers and, with mouth open, lift your head and legs.


9. Slowly relax to complete rest.

Repeat a number of times in each practice session. You'll find that your jaws get looser and that you can open your mouth wider, each time.

Whether mild or severe, joint pain can hold you back from doing the things that are important to you. Daily necessities like cooking, writing or even getting dressed can be like torture if your joints are bothering you. Many people put off seeing a doctor because they assume that their joint pains are not significant enough to bother with or because they accept joint pain as 'the way it is.' However, seeing a physician can be a valuable experience for you if you have moderate to severe joint pain. A doctor may be able to diagnose you if you have an underlying cause of joint pain, and can suggest what you can do for joint pain treatment.

Since many things can cause joint pain, such as injury, repetitive use, arthritis, tendonitis, gout or even viral infections, it's important to rule out anything more serious. At the doctor's office, expect her to ask you several questions about your joint pain to determine whether or not your pain is the result of arthritis. Expect to explain about the location, severity and duration of your joint pain. Also expect her to ask about what aggravates your joint pains and what you use to treat it. Your doctor will want to know if it hurts more when you move or when you hold it still, so before going to the doctor try to take mental notes of your symptoms. If it helps, write down what times of day or what activities you were doing when your joint pain occurred. Be sure also to mention to the doctor any other symptoms that may be bothering you, as they may be related.

The doctors will sometimes have tests that document your joint pains. X-rays, for example, are useful but the doctor may also want a blood sample to test. Both of these procedures allow doctors to get a closer look at your symptoms, enabling them to make a more precise diagnosis.

If it's determined that your joint pains are not caused by arthritis, some things you can do for treatment is to rest your joints as much as possible. Heat can help alleviate pain, as well as an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory to reduce soreness. If your symptoms persist or get worse, or if they are accompanied by fever or unexplained weight loss go back to your doctor right away.

If you have been diagnosed with arthritis, there are several things you can try, but no one solution will be effective for everybody. Your doctor will work out a joint pain treatment plan with you, based on your individual pain and severity of arthritis. Physical therapy may be prescribed or joint health supplements suggested. If yours is a chronic condition you can work on ways to manage your arthritis pain. Some treatments include massage, warm therapeutic tubs, exercise, relaxations techniques, res, and proper diet. Medications can also be prescribed to help manage the pain. Many people who suffer from severe joint pain swear by supplements and topical creams for temporary relief. Talk with your doctor to find out which joint pain treatment is the right one for you.

Have you ever heard of the word Bruxism? It is a condition when a person is clenching their teeth and most of the time even grinding it. The hardest type to cure is night bruxism, it is hard to cure because the person is usually not aware that they are not doing it. If a person continues to brux then eventually they will develop TMJ disorders. If you continuously grind your teeth you will feel pain in your jaw and that is the start of your TMJ disorder, and most people only remedy it with pain medication. But like mouth guards, pain medication will only alleviate the pain but won't stop you from grinding your teeth. Long term use of pain medications will also bring more harm than good because of the side effects. Treating the root cause of the problem is way better than just alleviating symptoms of the problem.

And the solution that most doctors can think of in solving this problem is by the use of mouth guards. Wearing a mouth guard is not really a solution to bruxism because it doesn't really solve the problem. It can be a lifetime accessory. Using it for the rest of your life is not a pretty thought because it is also expensive. Imagine having to put mouth guards every time you sleep at night. The mouth guard can only act as a barrier between the upper and the lower teeth and will not prevent you from grinding your teeth night after night. So many people with this problem would like to know how to stop teeth grinding and TMJ, what most people don't know is that besides the expensive mouth guard there are also natural cure for bruxism options.

Mouth guards can be a good temporary solution but not something you want for the rest of your life. They are expensive because it is customized with each person because not all people have the same dental structure. So customizing it will make you spend around $500 to $700 and as you know it acts as a shield between teeth so it will easily tear, and you will have to regularly replace it. Mouth guards can't stop teeth grinding and TMJ.

Natural cure for bruxism is the only way to go if you really want to stop your nightly habit and it won't even cost a cent. More and more people are discovering natural ways of solving this problem. All you have to do is find the treatment that suits you. Finding the right treatment will make feel relief and your partner will have a good night's rest.

In the United States alone, about 20% of dogs are suffering from arthritis. This disease is degenerative which means that the function of structure of the affected tissues, muscles or organs can gradually deteriorate over a period of time. If left untreated, this can lead to permanent immobility. The most common symptoms of arthritis is joint pain-dogs cannot tell you if they are hurting obviously but what signals will tell you that your dog is indeed affected with this chronic condition?

The following tell tale signs are indications of the degenerative disease:

-Your dog becomes violent or aggressive. He may yelp or he can be inactive and quite withdrawn
-The ears may lie flat against his head
-You will notice that your dog often licks the affected area
-Your dog may show personality changes. A normally docile dog may become unusually aggressive
-Aside from joint pain-dogs with arthritis have decreased activity (unwillingness to walk or play) and show signs of stiffness.

Have your dog checked by a veterinarian immediately so he can prescribe proper medication. Never assume and try to give your dog whatever you think will be good for him or her. With your doctor's background about pets and arthritis and the results of physical exam, x-ray, blood test and MRI, he can specifically point of what type of arthritis your dog is suffering from.

For joint pain-dogs do not respond well to over-the-counter pain killers all the time. You need to seek your veterinarian's approval before doing so otherwise you are risking in make matters worse.

The three basic things that you can do at home to relieve your dog's pain is by giving him a massage at least twice a day, providing him with heat treatments and applying medicated oil three or 4 times a day to the affected area. Keep your dog warm to help ease the pain that comes with arthritis.

TMJ disorder is Temporo-mandibular joint syndrome which is a medical condition caused by the imbalance of the jaw. This can cause serious pain and clicking noise each time the patient closes his/her mouth. This can cause severe headaches and can become quite difficult for the patient to bear. This disorder is not well known by most medical professionals and thus not many doctors are experienced to offer a cure for it. Many people go undiagnosed because their poorly experienced dentist is unable to recognize the problem. TMJ disorder is quite difficult to cure but there still are plenty of options to consider for TMJ treatment. But before you can get good TMJ treatment it is important that you locate a highly experienced and trained TMJ specialist who can properly guide you on the right TMJ treatment to go for.

A TMJ treatment can either be less invasive or can be extremely invasive. The most invasive form of TMJ treatment involves surgery in which the imbalanced jaw causing this disorder is fixed by bringing it back in balance. The least invasive form of TMJ treatment involves simple exercises that patients can do on their own in their homes whenever they are free. Regardless of the TMJ treatment you pick for yourself there are some tips that you should always keep in your head to minimize the pain caused by TMJ disorder. First of all always remember to never overuse your jaw. The only way you can adopt this minimal form of TMJ treatment is to avoid eating all those foods that are really hard and require a lot of chewing. This change might be difficult to make, but is important if you wish to get relieved of the severe pain caused by TMJ disorder.

Another form of minimal TMJ treatment is to simply take an over-the-counter medicine. Anti-inflammatory medicines are really good for treatment. Many people have quoted that simply taking an ibuprofen really helps in relieving yourself from the pain caused by TMJ. Therefore whenever you experience sudden extreme pain, go for a treatment on your own by simply taking any good anti - inflammatory medicine. Of all the different causes that lead to TMJ, one major cause is stress. As a form of treatment try taking stress management classes. Adopt different methods that will help you relax like listening to music. Exercise is also a very good form of treatment as it again helps you relieve yourself of stress and relaxes the muscles. Even if stress is not your cause of TMJ, stress can surely aggravate your condition of TMJ. Therefore, no matter what treatment you adopt, always keep your stress levels in control by including stress relieving habits in your daily routine.

Engaging in stretching exercises is also good for treatment. Relaxing the neck and shoulder muscles will help you feel better. Exercises that release tension in the upper body are good for treatment. Another tip to keep in mind is to always stand tall. The posture of your body is always important for TMJ treatment. Other points to keep in mind include cutting back on the number of hours you spend on the computer. Sitting in front of a computer screen for too long is also a cause of stiffness in the neck muscles. This is really bad for your TMJ disorder. Therefore adopt TMJ treatment by avoiding too much use of the computer. Other forms of treatment include taking muscle relaxants to keep yourself free from pain. You can also try wearing a mouth guard whenever you go to sleep at night to prevent any unconscious grinding of the teeth.

TMJ (Temporo-Mandibular Joint disorder) is pain and dysfunction of the joint in the skull which enables you to talk, eat and otherwise move your mouth. TMJ can manifest itself as pain in the jaw, head, ears or teeth; difficulty in chewing, talking and opening/closing of the mouth and clicking or grating sound in the jaw. Conventional medicine doesn't provide holistic treatment to TMJ related difficulties. In fact, doctors rely on patients to seek out TMJ exercises to relieve pain in the long run.

Physiotherapists have devised methods that will help you ease pain due to TMJ, which you can do from home with no expense. While it is best to seek out therapy for curing the condition, the root causes of the pain will remain even after therapy. These exercises for TMJ will also help to eliminate these root causes and help to rebuild healthy, supple joints. Note - stop the exercises and restart after a few minutes when you feel very painful or your jaw starts clicking.

1. Sit in a straight-backed chair and let your jaw rest on a soft, firm object like the palm of your hand. Without moving sideways or opening the mouth, try to move your head backwards using your chin slowly, relax and repeat for a few times. Next, try the exercise with teeth slightly apart.


2. Place your tongue against the roof of your mouth. With your teeth closed, pull its tip backwards along the roof, as comfortably far as possible. With the tongue held there, open your jaw slowly and only as much as possible without pain. Now breath in and breath out slowly for a few seconds, slowly close the jaw and relax the tongue.


3. Rest your jaw on your fist, with the elbow firmly placed on a solid support. Now slowly open your jaw and hold it open for a few seconds. Breath in slowly and relax the jaw while breathing out. Repeat the same with just one side of the jaw against the fist, then the other side. Repeat till the jaw feels relaxed.