The Role of Diet and Exercise in a TMJ Treatment

Most people suffering from a temporomandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome held a common misconception that a TMJ treatment alone can relieve them of jaw pains and, ultimately, of the TMJ syndrome.

Since a TMJ syndrome is closely connected to other disorders such as plugged ears, neck pain, and fibromyalgia, addressing the syndrome by a TMJ treatment alone would not suffice. This is where the role of diet and exercise comes in.

Diet and exercise, in fact, figure significantly in any physical treatments that patients undergo. Diet can affect the pain associated with TMJ. Among the popular diet changes people incorporate in their TMJ treatment is the avoidance of foods with sugar, yeast and preservatives, cutting back on wheat and dairy, and eating more red meat for iron, zinc and vitamin B12.

Other than the content of your diet, dentists specializing in TMJ treatment also advise their patients to check the consistency of the food they eat on a regular basis. Softer foods are preferred over hard ones since overworking the jaw can add to the pain. Chewing gum and other chewy edibles such as candies should also be avoided to avoid stressing the jaw.

Besides watching your diet, there are also exercises designed for people suffering from TMJ. While diet and exercise alone cannot solve all TMJ-related problems, having them as a supplement to your TMJ treatment can expedite healing. In some serious case, it is advisable to seek the help of an expert apart from doing these exercises.

Most of these exercises can be performed at home. It would be wise to follow a strict TMJ exercise plan and take down notes for monitoring and evaluation purposes. The notes are also helpful during your visits to the dental clinic. You can readily answer questions related to your condition thereby helping your doctor find the appropriate treatment.

In doing TMJ exercises, make sure you place a mirror in front of you. Open and close your mouth slowly. When you have TMJ, you can easily notice that your jaw is not aligned. Repeat the opening and closing of your mouth for ten times to help the jaw re-learn how to open and closely correctly. Make repeated attempts at opening your mouth correctly.

To alleviate muscle pain due to TMJ, a different set of exercise is suggested. First, while facing a mirror, slowly open your mouth as wide as you can. Slowly close it. Repeat the opening and closing procedure. Repeating this step for at least 3 times a day can help you relieve your muscle pain.

If your jaw continues to click, close your mouth and move your tongue back then slowly open your mouth until your tongue moves away. Repeat this step twice. If you jaw shifts sideways, slowly open and close your mouth without shifting to the side. Repeat this step five times. If you want to ease the tension in your jaw, open your mouth downward and slowly close it.