Want TMJ Relief? Check the Pros and Cons of Treatments For TMJ

There are many types of treatments for TMJ related pain. Three common treatments offered in an attempt to provide TMJ relief are medications, chiropractic help and dental treatment from someone known as a TMJ dentist. There are advantages and disadvantages with all options.

Treatments for TMJ Relief - Medications

Many people reach for pain relievers at the first sign of pain. While this is often one of the fastest methods to get relief from pain it is not a good idea to rely on pain medications for many cases of long term pain. This would certainly include those who suffer with TMJ pain.

The reason is that many types of pain are due to a structural or physical problem. TMJ related pain is no exception. With a TMJ disorder the jaw or bite of a person is out of alignment. This causes the muscles, ligaments and nerves that are attached to the TMJ (temporomandibular joint) in one way or another to become strained and then inflamed.

Pain is the result of this physical problem. Chemicals such as those included in medications simply can not cure a physical problem though. Medications can mask the pain of a physical problem but they can not fix the root cause of a physical problem.

The other disadvantage with taking pain medications is that they can have many negative side effects. You only need to read the label of pain medications too see the long list of additional complications that may result from using a certain product.

The physical problem causing a TMJ disorder mostly gets worse over time so more medications would often be required when pain relief is not found. This increases the chance of possible complications from the use of medications.

The best solution is to get treatment for the real physical cause of TMJ pain.

Treatments For TMJ Relief - Can Chiropractors, Physical Therapists or Ear, Nose and Throat Specialists Help?

The root cause of TMJ pain is not addressed by physical therapists or ear, nose and throat specialists.

Chiropractors may be able to offer help but this depends on the exact nature of the physical problem causing a patients' TMJ syndrome. If there is a misalignment in the spine then a chiropractic adjustment can be of assistance in properly aligning the spine and therefore providing pain relief.

Fundamentally, TMJ pain is mostly because of a poor bite and misaligned jaw so it is often better to first visit a TMJ dentist and then afterwards to visit a chiropractor if the spine is also involved in addition to the jaw.

Treatments For TMJ Relief - How A TMJ Dentist Treats The Root Cause Of A TMJ Disorder

Visiting a TMJ Dentist is one of the surest ways to correct the root physical problem that causes TMJ pain. This treatment is not as fast as simply popping a pain pill but it is the path to take for those wanting to have the core problem corrected so long term pain relief is possible.

While the treatments a TMJ dentist performs to provide TMJ relief are painless and designed to provide long term results, there are a few disadvantages.

First, a TMJ disorder is very complicated to properly diagnose and then provide treatments for. Because of this, not every dentist is comfortable in taking on patients who have TMJ pain. So the first challenge is finding a TMJ dentist.

Secondly, TMJ dental treatments require periodic follow up appointments so it helps to find a TMJ dentist who is fairly local. This is not always possible but because of the uniqueness of the help they provide some people with TMJ pain are willing to travel long distances for help. For example, TMJ dentist Dr. Goodfellow in the Toronto area has had patients drive as long as 12 hours for his TMJ treatments.

The unique advantage a TMJ dentist provides is that they have invested thousands of hours in post-graduate studies specifically for the treatment of TMJ syndrome. Because of this they have gotten to the point where they can use their expertise and many pieces of specialized equipment to quickly diagnose if someone actually has a TMJ disorder. If this is the case they will know exactly what treatments to provide in order to deliver quick and mostly long-term pain relief.