Sunday 21 June 2009

Reducing Stress: An Effective TMJ Treatment

By Lynn Lopez

A painful jaw, one that constantly clicks and grinds or simply doesn't move properly, is more than an annoyance--it's a serious condition that could worsen over time if left untreated. The temporomandibular joints are located on both sides of the jaw and work in such a way that helps you open, close, and use your jaw in a smooth, efficient manner, but they can become painful and irritated when they are thrown out of alignment, thereby causing a condition known as TMJ disorder.

TMJ disorder is caused by a variety of things, such as trauma to the head, tooth grinding, direct trauma to the jaw, and misaligned teeth. TMJ pain is a natural offshoot of this disorder, and not only does this manifest as aches in your jaw, but it could also turn into headaches, migraines, ear pain, ringing in the ears, and a literal pain in the neck. Massages, surgery, jaw exercises, and decreased use of the mouth and jaw are some of the most commonly recommended TMJ treatments. But another way to treat TMJ is something that pretty much all of us require: stress reduction.

Believe it or not, stress does play a pretty powerful part in TMJ. This is because when people are stressed, they usually end up grinding their teeth or clenching their jaws tightly, and this is usually an unconscious action, making it all the more dangerous because you may be inadvertently worsening your TMJ disorder. This is why stress reduction is one of the best non-medical TMJ treatments being recommended along with a host of other treatments that can ease your TMJ disorder.

Stress is something that comes at us virtually every single day, so you should make a conscious effort to alter your response to stressful situations. Try the old favorite: In the middle of a swirl of stress, take a quick break instead of powering through your work in order to let yourself breathe and clear your head. This allows you to be calmer as you face the things that cause you so much stress. You can also try other alternatives that require intervention from outside parties. You can attend stress support groups in order to learn new ways to address your stress, or consider psychological counseling as well.

By integrating stress reduction as a TMJ treatment in your daily life, in time, you'll notice that you are clenching your jaw less often. But most importantly, not only have you helped to ease your TMJ disorder, you will also discover that you have developed a better way to respond to stress and improved the quality of your life at the same time.

About the Author:

No comments:

Post a Comment