How To Cure TMJ Permanently - TMJ Specialist Sydney

As the joint that connects the jawbone to the skull, the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) performs a variety of important functions. You use it every time you open your mouth to speak, yawn, chew, and swallow food. It is responsible for moving your mouth up and down and left and right. And since it is often exposed to repetitive movements, there’s always a high risk for wear and tear. With this, some people can develop disorder in this joint called temporomandibular joint disorder, or simply called TMJ. 

Quick facts about TMJ

Patients of this disorder can experience mild to sharp pain in the jaw joint along with the surrounding area, which results in difficulty opening the mouth. Other problems that can be associated with TMJ include headaches, ear ache, neck pain, jaw pain, to name a few.

Bad oral habits such as jaw clenching and teeth grinding, trauma or injury to the jaw, wear and tear, and aging can all contribute to this condition. As with other joints in the body, it is also prone to arthritis. 

But is there anything you can do to prevent and even treat TMJ permanently? 

How can I permanently cure TMJ at home?

Fortunately, TMJ disorder is not irreversible. With proper care and treatment, you can cure it permanently. 

In most cases (especially mild to moderate ones) you don’t need to seek professional help, as there are ways to manage the pain, and even make it go away. However, if the pain is stubborn and affects your day-to-day life, then you should definitely seek medical help. 

Here are some things you can do to treat TMJ at home.

Lifestyle and Home Remedies

For starters, you need to stop bad oral habits such as teeth grinding and jaw clenching, or anything that puts too much pressure on your jaw joint. You can also avoid eating chewy and hard food, such as chewing gum, hard meat, and ice cubes. Unnecessary pressure and repetitive movement on the joint can result in damage due to overuse and wear and tear. 

Hot and Cold Compress

First off, apply moist heat to the area – doctors often recommend moist heat to treat joint injury and joint pains. The same idea can be used in your jaw joint; moist heat or bottle with warm water inside wrapped in most cloth can be used to alleviate pain. 

Moist heat can provide temporary relief from pain by promoting blood flow and increasing blood supply for muscle relaxation. It is also effective in relieving stiffness and rigidity to the affected area. 

When using hot compress, make sure it is not too hot to avoid burning your face. 

For cold compress, as with hot compress, doctors recommend cold compress to numb the affected area and reduce pain, inflammation, and swelling. Ice packs and cold compress are especially good for TMJ triggered by arthritis. 

If you don’t have a cold compress or ice pack, you can wrap ice cubes in a clean cloth and apply it to the jaw. Avoid using cold compress for more than 15 minutes. You can alternate between 15 minutes on and 15 minutes off if you want.