TMJ Treatment - The Best Way to Get Rid of Lockjaw

There are a number of ways to relieve the TMJ lockjaw, however for most dentists they will tell you that the best method is to allow your body to do the work. You heard right, your body is going to tell you what to do. To have TMJ lockjaw for the very first time can be a scary feeling and a frustrating thing to deal with. The main reason is that you do not know what to expect or how you can make the pain stop.

TMJ lockjaw will take place when the patient experiences a muscle spasm and the muscles decrease of the jaw. You will know when you are experiencing a muscle spasm. If you are able to move your jaw from one side to another and are then unable to open your mouth, then you have experienced lockjaw from TMJ. For most who are experiencing this, they will find that they tense up and this in turn will cause the TMJ to get worse.

So how do you get rid of the lockjaw? First and foremost, you need to make sure that you relax. By relaxing, your body is allowing the muscles in the face to loosen. Once this has taken place, try to start doing some TMJ exercises. By applying a warm compress to the area is another way to make it better. This will help to soothe the area.

Before you are to stretch the muscles and loosen the muscles, remember that it is best that you allow the muscles to become accustomed to the stretching by first applying a warm compress. By applying a warm compress, you are drawing blood to the area that is sore and this will allow it to move easier.

Once you have started to notice that the muscles are beginning to loosen, then you will want to practice the exercises. Start with some very basic exercises and work your way up. You will only want to do a few at first to allow your facial muscles to not become overworked which can cause more damage. As with any other treatment option, this may not work for everyone.

First, you will want to open your mouth as wide as you possibly can. You will want to do this without feeling any pain and then close your mouth again.

Second, you will want to open your mouth up and move the jaw from side to side, first moving left and then moving right. Once you have done this, close your mouth. Then move on to the next step.

Third, Repeat the second step but switch the sides in which you move your jaw by first going to the right and then to the left and then close your mouth.

The last step is to do this over and over again. You will want to do this for several minutes and for several times a day. This will slowly start to stretch the muscles.

For some they start to feel relief right away and for others, it may take quite a while before they are able to notice any difference. This is just one of the exercises that can be done for someone who is having TMJ pain. You want to remain as stress free as possible as this can cause the facial muscles to become tense. Try to stay as relaxed as possible. Remember when you start to feel like you are going to have lockjaw, to stay calm and relax. Then apply the warm heat to the side of your face as this will help the blood flow and the muscles to relax.