What Are These TMJ Exercises?

The world of medicine has often been found wanting when it comes to discovering an effective cure for certain diseases, which are serious in nature, and cause considerable pain and discomfort to those afflicted by it. This holds particularly true for the conventional school of medication. People are thus often left with only two options: either trying to cover the internally generated noise via other 'white noises' or 'sound masks', or making an attempt to switch to a life in which these distressing sounds would be a regular occurrence. Fortunately, the intensity and the pains associated with many such diseases can be considerably brought down, if exercises are regularly practiced, in sessions conducted under seasoned experts. One of the ailments that fall in this category is the temporomantibular joint (TMJ) disorder. Experiences of many people show that these exercises are highly effective in alleviating the painful sensations of TMJ disorders. However, the physiological getup of this intricate jaw joint has to be carefully understood, before one becomes able to fully grasp the full advantages of practicing these tasks.

The joint in the temporomandibular joint of the body is somewhat different from the other joints. Its utility is not limited as a ball and socket joint (hip and shoulder joint) or a device that resembles a hinge (elbow joint). While the TMJ does act as a hinge for the lower parts of the jaw area (mandible), it also makes the slight forward movement of the jaw possible as well. This movement, in fact, allows people to bite things in the proper manner. The TMJ exercises try to ease out the process of opening and closing the jaw, by toning the muscles present in the TMJ area. Such ways of relaxing the muscles also ensure that biting activities become more easy and problem-free.

While we have, till now, dealt only with the anatomical aspects of TMJ, the next thing we would do is to look at the TMJ exercises. For a person suffering from the TMJ ailment, the following TMJ exercises can come in extremely handy indeed.

Exercise # 1

The roof of the mouth has to be touched by the tongue, the mouth opened as wide as possible, and breath should be inhaled for a couple of counts. Next comes the holding of this breadth, followed by the exercise of exhaling, again for a couple of counts. Once completed, the tongue should go back to its initial position. After a specific interval (few seconds), the exercise should be repeated, that too, for ten times.

Exercise # 2

The fist has to be rolled up in a tight manner, and placed underneath the chin. Now, patients have to make an attempt to open their chin, while holding their arms simultaneously, in a steady manner. The lower jaw bone (or, the mandible) gets much-needed relaxation via this method, thanks to the isometric energy developed in the exercise. The time span of the exercise is ten seconds. Once completed, after an interval of ten seconds is to be repeated. In this manner, the exercise has to be done ten time. However, the exercise has to be immediately brought to an end, if clicking sounds become audible when the jaw is being opened. Patients have to restart the tasks once more in such cases.

Exercise # 3

Isometric energy can also be generated by forming a tight left fist, and placing it under the left portion of the jaw, and maintaining a strong pressure point. If this position is retained for ten seconds, the muscles of the jaw region become relaxed, and can easily retract back to their original forms. Ten times is the recommended number this exercise should be repeated. The directions are the same when people would use their right fist to support the right portion of their jaws.

Exercise # 4

Pressure can be exerted, albeit in medium dosage) right underneath the joint area of the TMJ, by the application of the index fingers in either of the patients' hands. The mouth should then be gradually opened, till a click sound is heard. Of course, as soon as the sound is audible, the exercise has to be abandoned and restarted. The jaw region will recover its original alignment and will open/close more smoothly, with the help of the even pressure that is applied on either side of the jaw, in this exercise.

Exercise # 5

This TMJ exercise is the most challenging one, and hence, people with more serious cases of TMJ disorders are generally advised to stay away from practicing it. It is certainly not suitable for those with persistent jaw pains due to TMJ, or if they have other related health hazards. Its efficacy as a TMJ pain-lessening exercise is, however, widely trusted by patients, particularly in cases where the ailment has been diagnosed at an early stage.

The two major functions of the temporomandibular (TMJ) joint can be listed in the following way - a) its hinge-like functions that allow the jaw to close and open with greater ease, and b) its property to sliding the lower jaw ahead, so that humans can bite food items properly. The exercise in question is aimed at rejuvenating the working powers of the TMJ. The forefinger as well as the thumb holds up the chin, and, in addition, shake up the chin, at intervals of ten seconds. Patients can also imitate the manner in which TMJ works, by moving the chin region slightly back and forth. It is imperative that the task is immediately halted if painful sensations are experienced while performing it.

Achieving TMJ Relief

There is no denying the benefits of the TMJ exercises, but these effects do never last for extended periods of time. The reason for this is simple: These exercises are not able to remove the underlying problem-creating factors the ailment. As such, chances of the TMJ disorder coming back are high.

High hopes should not be expected from the conventional schools of medication, or the drugs that are sold over the counter. Both these categories of treatment techniques treat only the symptoms of the TMJ disorder, and not the underlying causes behind the latter. On the other hand, holistic schools of treatment are much more effective, since they point out each and every reason behind the TMJ problems, and set about eliminating them. The entire body of the affected people is perceived as one entity for this purpose. Long-term cure from TMJ disorders is thus achieved, since there remains no trace of the causes of the ailment, or its symptoms, in the body of the individual.

Self-Care Techniques for Treating TMJ

Millions of people suffer with the pain of temporomandibular joint disorder and most individuals can find relief of pain using various self-care techniques for treating TMJ. Treatment can vary from simple physical therapy to serious surgical procedures. Trying as many self-care relief techniques as possible should be exhausted before considering surgical treatments. If an individual suspects that they may have temporomandibular joint problems, there are?certain?types?of therapy that can be?applied at home to help relieve the pain.

Apply cold packs or moist heat. Ice packs should be applied first followed by gently stretching the mouth. The moist heat is then applied by using a warm wet towel or wash cloth and placing it in the microwave oven. Another method is filling a sock with rice and placing this in the microwave. Eating foods that are soft also helps rest the jaw joints. When experiencing pain from temporomandibular joint disorder, eat foods such as oatmeal or foods like eggs and yogurt. Avoid crunchy foods that are hard to chew such as raw veggies, nuts or chips and also foods that require stretching the mouth wide-open such as burgers and hot dogs.

Clenching and grinding teeth is a major cause of TMJ pain. Becoming self-aware of this can help prevent it. Pay attention to this and try to keep teeth apart and lips closed through the day. It this is a serious problem, taking note of the position of the mouth and teeth every ten minutes can help become aware of this and prevent it. Also try to avoid yawning too widely.

Avoiding stressful situations can help prevent this disorder and help prevent grinding and clenching of teeth. Practicing relaxation techniques, taking part in gentle exercise and using sauna?can help relieve pain. Applying these self-care techniques for treating?TMJ along with getting the proper amount of rest and maintaining a healthy diet can help relieve the painful symptoms associated with temporomandibular joint disorder.

The Work of a TMJ Dentist and How to Locate an Experienced One

TMJ is a very rare disorder that most health care professionals are unaware of. TMJ stands for temporomandibular joints which are located on either sides of a person's face. This disorder is quite serious and needs immediate treatment. It not treated in a timely manner it can severely affect the patient's back, neck, ears, and head too. TMJ also has a negative effect on the patient's eating, breathing, and sleeping thus causing quite distress in his/her life. The main cause of TMJ disorder is a shift in the position of patient's teeth or by orthodontic work performed on the patient. A patient experiencing this disorder will experience symptoms like difficulty and pain when opening or closing his/her jaw, jaw clicking, and even tightness in the jaw. When the patient's jaw joints become unaligned due to various reasons he or she can start experiencing this problem.

If you feel that you are experiencing any of the above mentioned symptoms, you should immediately consult a TMJ dentist. Before you go looking for a TMJ dentist, you should first consult with your regular dentist and describe these symptoms to him or her. Any regular dentist will also be able to diagnose this disorder by conducting a thorough exam. Your regular dentist will be more familiar with your jaw and teeth history than any new TMJ dentist. Therefore it is important that you first consult with your regular dentist and discuss your problems with him or her first and then take his/her advice on which TMJ dentist to go to.

People working in the medical profession are more able to give you good referrals. Therefore ask your dentist to refer to you an expert Dentist or any maxillofacial surgeon that is board certified too. The problem is that you can never find any Dentist who is a recognized specialist in this particular area. This is why you will have to search for maxillofacial surgeons who will basically be your Dentist too. A maxillofacial surgeon is basically experienced in the particular areas of jaw and mouth and hence the work of the Dentist falls in his medical expertise. If you are suffering from TMJ disorder the most probable treatment that your Dentist will recommend is surgery and for that you should go to an experienced maxillofacial surgeon who will be able to bring your jaw back in balance through surgery.

The best place to search for an experienced and recognized TMJ dentist is the online website of the American Academy of Orofacial Pain. On this site you can find many references to any expert Dentist that is located close to your area. Here you simply have to select the state in which you are living in and from there you can get a complete list of Dentists. You can get full details on any Dentist that you find appropriate like his/her contact number, official address, email ID, and personal website if he/she has any. Always go for a Dentist that is located close to you because making multiple trips to the Dentist office will be difficult for you if the clinic is located too far away. Other details that you should look into are the Dentist credentials, educational background, working experience, and their policies regarding dental insurance.

There are other ways as well through which you can search for a good TMJ dentist like asking any dental school in your vicinity for referrals or by asking the dental society of your state to give you good recommendations. These sources will help you locate a good and experienced TMJ dentist that you can go to confidently.

How To Treat And Prevent Hip Pain

The hip is a "ball-and-socket" joint. The largest bone in the body, the femur, is in the thigh and narrows to a "neck" that angles into the pelvis and ends in a ball-shaped knob. This ball fits into a curved socket in the pelvic bone (acetabulum). This arrangement provides a joint that can move freely in all directions. The joint itself is located rather deep under some big muscles so that it is protected from dislocating - that is, from coming out of the socket.

Two special problems arise because of this anatomical arrangement. The narrow neck of the femur can break rather easily, and this is usually what happens when an older person "breaks a hip" after a slight fall. Also, the "ball" part of the joint must get its blood supply from below, and the small artery that supplies the head of the femur can become clogged, leading to death of the bone and a kind of arthritis called aseptic necrosis.

The hip joint can also become infected. Very occasionally it will be the site for an attack of gout. The bursae that lie over the joint can be inflamed with bursitis. Rheumatoid arthritis can injure the joint. Conditions such as spondylitis can cause stiffness or loss of motion of the hip.

A "flexion contracture" is a common consequence of hip problems. This means that motion of the hip joint has been partly lost. The hip becomes partially fixed in a slightly bent position. This causes the pelvis to tilt forward when you walk or stand, so that when you stand straight the back has to curve a little more than normal. This allows extra strain on the low back area.

For poorly understood reasons, pain in the hip is often felt down the leg, often at or just above the knee. This is called "referred" pain. Non-referred hip pain may be felt in the groin or the upper outer thigh. Pain that starts in the low back is often felt in the region of the hip. Since the hip joint is so deeply located, it can often be troublesome to locate the exact source of pain in these regions.

Listen for the pain message and try to avoid activities that are painful or that aggravate pain. You will want to avoid pain medication as much as possible. Rest the joint from painful activities. Use a cane or crutches if necessary. The cane is usually best held in the hand opposite the painful hip since this allows greater relaxation in the large muscles around the sore hip joint. Move the cane and the affected side simultaneously, then the good side.

As the pain begins to resolve exercise should be gradually introduced. First, use gentle motion exercises to free the hip and prevent stiffness. Stand with your good hip by a table and lean on the table with your hand. Let the bad hip swing to and fro and front and back. Lie on your back with your body half off the bed and the bad hip hanging and let the leg stretch backward toward the floor. Standing, see how far apart you can straddle your legs and bend the upper body from side to side. With your feet together, try to turn your feet apart like a duck so that the rotation ligaments are stretched. Repeat these exercises gently two or three times a day.

Then introduce more active exercises to strengthen the muscles around the hips. Lie on your back and raise your legs one at a time. Bicycle or walk. When walking, start with short strides and gradually lengthen them as you loosen up. Gradually increase your effort and distance, but not by more than 10% each day. Swimming stretches muscles and builds good muscle tone.

A good firm bed will help, and the best sleeping position is on your back. Avoid pillows beneath the knees or under the low back. Make sure you are taking anti-inflammatory medication as prescribed, especially if you have rheumatoid arthritis or spondylitis.

Rimadyl, Your Dog, and Arthritis

It is the dream of most dog owners to see their old dogs suffering from arthritis leap over fallen trees, jump high for a Frisbee or run like the wind like the dogs in TV commercials.

A Pfizer survey indicated that about one-fifth of dog owners are willing to be extravagant when it comes to their dog's health because over fifty percent have expressed that dogs have become their own unique companion. It is no wonder that carprofen, an anti-inflammatory drug also known as Rimadyl, became a popular remedy for arthritis in dogs. Launched in 1997, despite clinical trials that resulted in one-fifth of test subjects (dogs) exhibiting unusual and negative liver functions, Rimadyl got an FDA approval. Soon, the story of the miraculous drug was pouring over airwaves and TV commercials. Even veterinarians were amazed with what Rimadyl could do and even administered the drug to their own dogs.

However, dog owners soon became weary of Rimadyl when complaints about the drug's side effects arose during Rimadyls' launch year. A dog suffering from arthritis that showed unbelievable signs of progress was reported to suffer a series of vomiting and eventually died. Various complaints about the drug's negative side effects such as vomiting and diarrhea soon took place tainting Rimadyls' reputation as a miracle cure. Pfizer was even issued an ultimatum to input a warning to dog owners and veterinarians in the drug's labels about the fatal side effects of Rimadyl.

As the favor for Rimadyl declined, dog owners and vets seek an alternative therapy to canine arthritis. The usual remedy that most dog owners and uninformed vets resort to is to give their dogs NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) that work much like aspirin in people with headaches. However, knowledgeable dog owners and vets would know that a safer arthritis therapy exists and is fast becoming popular: glucosamine. Nowadays, dog owners have renewed hope of fulfilling their dream of seeing their dogs behave the way they do in TV commercial ads with dietary glucosamine supplements. Dietary glucosamine supplements such as Syn-flex for Pets allows assistance in the rehabilitation of your dog's joints thereby combating the effects of arthritis. Unlike Rimadyl, its benefits last long-term. Syn-flex Liquid Glucosamine for Pets combines anti-inflammatory ingredients with glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, ingredients that enable assist the repair and re-growth of damaged cartilage. If you want to see a faster improvement in your dog's condition, try Syn-flex Liquid Glucosamine for Pets. Synflex is very effective and efficient as it is 90 to 95% absorbed by the body.

Unlike other dietary glucosamine brands, Synflex is able to treat different kinds of pet arthritis such as osteoarthritis, hip, elbow, and knee dysplasia, degenerative joint disease, and others. Moreover, you will notice a significant change in your dog's behavior in as quickly as 10 to 15 days. No more limping, skulking around a corner of the house, and moaning from your dog. How is this possible? Glucosamine, when combined with the right ingredients, not only eases the pain of arthritis but also assists in building healthier cartilage in joints. This is the secret of Synflex that makes it better than other glucosamine brands. You can read more about this terrific product at http://www.syn-flex-usa.com, my personal distributor.

Microcurrent Stimulator and Ophthalmologists

Microcurrent (MCS) makes use of extremely small electric stimuli running into the millionths of an ampere. The electric current generated relieves pain, increases the wound healing rate and stimulates regeneration of injured tissue.

It is also used to change scar tissue. Scar tissues are fibrous in nature and replace normal skin when it is injured. They can be tougher than normal skin. A study demonstrated how the scar tissue was 3 to 5 times less in tissue in skin areas where MCS was used.

In treating myofascial trigger points too, this therapy is very useful. These trigger points are like tight contraction knots in muscle. Many times, the joint pain caused by them is mistakenly associated with tendonitis, ligament injury or arthritis.

How does microcurrent stimulation work?

Our body has electric current flowing through it. Our cells generate a very small electric current in the range of microamps. When our body is injured, the electric flow is disturbed hence, the natural healing process cannot take place. The electric current in our body bypasses that region.

MCS therapy restores the natural current flow to the injured region. The body cells, energized and recharged, resume their normal functions. Hence, the healing process is sped up.

How is it done?

There are two techniques:

1) Eye and socket is completely covered with pad electrodes and electrode is placed over each eye

2) A probe-type applicator is used on acupuncture points around the eye

MCS and treatment of retinal diseases

Numerous studies have shown the effectiveness of MCS therapy in the treatment of retinal diseases. It is of a non-invasive and painless nature. This is making it an ideal alternative for treating macular degeneration with traditional methods such as Coagulating laser therapy.

Age-related Macular degeneration or AMD is an ailment in which patients gradually lose their vision with age. Clinical studies have indicated this therapy's ability to slow down disease and also promote healing.

It does this by increasing ATP production in retinal cells. ATP is a molecule used for energy storage by cells. Enhanced production helps in protein synthesis. It also helps retinal cells absorb the required nutrients.

The increased blood circulation to the area leaves cells rejuvenated and re-energized. The stimulation therapy boosts the cells' ability of getting rid of waste products.

It is best to get MCS in early stages of macular degeneration but it can benefit people in advanced stages also.

The therapy is used in treating wet and dry macular degeneration as well as Stargardt's disease, retinitis pigmentosa, swelling and retinal vein occlusion including other retinopathies.

Are Bumps on Finger Joints Signs of Arthritis?

If you have bumps on your finger joints you may have early signs of arthritis.

About two years ago, a friend of mine who is in her 40's came to me for advice about arthritis. Her doctor had told her that her neck was like she was 65 years old. Not only did she have arthritis in her neck, but in her feet as well. My friend is passionate about horse riding - how much longer will she be able to do that?

Both my parents had arthritis - my father's was in his feet and hands, my mother's in her back. My husband has arthritis in his knee - a result of a rugby injury and having cartilage removed. Arthritis is both painful and debilitating.

What causes arthritis?

There are two types of arthritis - osteoarthritis (the most common, caused by wear and tear) and rheumatoid arthritis (inflammation of the joints due to an autoimmune disease).

According to Doctor Ray Strand "over 70% of the people over 50 years of age have some degree of degenerative arthritis ".

Joint fluid from an inflamed joint, contains excessive free radicals. To counter free radical damage we need to consume a diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables and to supplement with optimal levels of antioxidants which include Vitamin E, beta-carotene, selenium, Vitamin D and Vitamin C. It is also advised to consume glucosamine which supports healthy cartilage.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease - caused by a virus or bacteria. The immune system becomes confused and it attacks itself rather than the bacteria or virus. The joints become inflamed causing chronic inflammation, pain and swelling; and the joint fluid which is usually thick becomes thin, so the cartilage becomes less protective.

My horse-riding friend is a 'health nut' - she eats organic food and has a healthy lifestyle. But that hasn't been enough to prevent Osteoarthritis. My suggestion is to add advanced-quality broad spectrum nutritional supplements - antioxidants, multi-vitamins, multi-minerals, glucosamine and omega-3 to a healthy lifestyle to support healthy joints and bones. And to also continue with exercise to maintain fitness, muscle strength, heart health, relieve pain and stiffness and to get better quality of sleep.