My doctor just diagnosed me with TMJ disorder and presrcibed physical therapy...?

Question

The therapist can't see me for a month, anyone have any tips on how to alleviate some of the pain in the meantime (aside from medication, I'm already doing that) ?

Answer 1

Moist heat- get a moist heting pad. This increases blood flow to the tight muscles and helps them stretch and relax.

Here are some excercises that I found as well that may help.

Assisted Opening - Place two fingers on lower front teeth, slowly open as wide as is comfortable while pushing down with your fingers. Repeat ten times.

Resisted Opening - Cup palm under chin, open jaw slowly, and gently resist opening with hand under chin. Repeat ten times.

Midline Exercise - Look in mirror, bite teeth together, and look at position of two center teeth on lower jaw (central incisors). Open slowly while watching these two teeth and attempt to keep lower jaw "centered" as you open. Repeat ten times.

Simple Opening/Stretch - Open jaw slowly ten times as wide as is comfortable.

Lateral Movement Exercise - Open jaw about one inch from clenched bite. Move lower jaw as far to the right (straight to the right without opening more) as is comfortable. Repeat ten times and then do the same on the left side.

Neck Stretch - Attempt to touch ear to shoulder by bending neck and not raising shoulder. Repeat ten times and then do ten more on the other side.

Also I would second guess that whole PT seeing you for a month. Many states/insurance programs require a PT eval to be done with in 7-10 days from the doctor writing the script. You may want to check with your insurance and also looking into calling other PT's...it seems kinda odd that this PT can not be bothered with doing an eval (which generally will take about 30 minutes). You may have to drive a bit out of your way to find another PT, but it may be worth the drive.

Make sure you have a prescription from your doctor that says "PT eval" If you have the script then you should be able to go to any PT you want to. (With in your insurance plan)

PT's have to do evaluations first and then a treatment plan to start treatment.

Answer 2

It's difficult to give you good recommendations until you are evaluated. The wrong advice could actually worsen your problem. Yet, there are some things that might be helpful which should not cause any further harm.

The first is switching to soft foods. Next, posture correction is important because a slouched posture can make the jaw protrude. When you yawn, keep the tounge in contact with the roof of your mouth to avoid excessive opening. If you grind your teeth at night, a mouth guard may be beneficial. Finally, rubbing an ice cube on your painful area for 5-6 minutes 3-4 times a day can help with the inflammation.

Good luck

Answer 3

TMJ pain and symptoms may require evaluation by more than one medical specialty, such as your primary care provider, a dentist, or an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctor, depending on your symptoms. Some dentists specialize in TMJ diagnosis and treatment.

A thorough examination may involve:

Feeling the joint and connecting muscles for tenderness
Watching, feeling, and listening to the jaw open and shut
Sliding the teeth from side to side
Pressing around the head for areas that are sensitive or painful
X-rays which may show abnormalities, but can be difficult to read
An MRI of the jaw area may occasionally be performed
A dental examination may show mis-alignment of the bite (crossbite, malocclusion)
In some cases, the results of the physical examination may appear normal.
Simple, gentle therapies are usually recommended first. If those don't work, mouth guards and more aggressive treatments may be considered. Surgery is generally considered a last resort. Fortunately, there are many steps you can take at home long before that point.

Try massaging the various muscles that may be involved. Probe all of the muscles of the face, shoulders, and back of the neck. (Avoid the area around the throat.) Press on the muscles to identify extremely painful points. Massage the painful spot with hard, slow, short strokes. Do this several times a day until the muscle is no longer painful when pressed.

To massage the masseter muscles on each side of your jaw, place your thumb inside your mouth and squeeze the thick muscle in your cheek (toward the back of your mouth) with your fingers. To get at the harder-to-reach jaw muscles inside your mouth, use your index finger to probe for tender areas behind the teeth, and use the finger to massage these spots.

Here are some other steps to consider:

Maintain good posture while working at a computer, watching TV, and reading. Take frequent breaks to relieve stressed muscles.
Make a habit of relaxing your facial and jaw muscles throughout the day.
Avoid eating hard foods, like nuts, candies, and steak.
Drink plenty of water every day and get plenty of sleep.
Learn relaxation techniques to reduce overall stress and muscle tension in your back, neck, and body.
Other home-care therapies are useful for some people, such as moist heat or cold packs on the face, vitamin supplements, or biofeedback. Exercising several times each week may help you relax, strengthen your body, increase flexibility, and increase your pain threshold.

Answer 4

7 years ago I've been involved in a car wreck and even since suffered with severe on and off facial and jaw pain. I've tried almost everything western medicine had to offer and had visited countless of specialist, had done ct scans, and therapies but to no avail. The doctors I have been to had persisted that there wasn't anything wrong with me and that almost drove me crazy as I was going through hell from this condition. According to all my symptoms I was diagnosed by a holistic doctor as having TMJ and he had recommended this book to me. After following the recommendation in the book for several weeks, it had changed my life. I got immediate relief after following the unique set of exercises in the book and after 2 weeks the jaw and face pain had completely gone. I only wish I would have ordered this program years ago. It would have saved me a lot of pain and anguish.

Answer 5

One of the best, all natural, treatments for extreme pain is the healing herb, cannabis. Cannabis has been used to treat a variety of ailments including acute, chronic pain for thousands of years. Countless studies have demonstrated its efficacy to relieve pain especially where standard opiate-based pain relievers have proven ineffective.

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Answer 6

Physical therapy for TMJ? that's a new one on me...TMJ is in your jaw...you could see a Rheumatologist and get a cortisone shot...
that just might stop the whole pain thing altogether..and don't chew gum!!!

Answer 7

TMJ is basically arthritis @ the joint of your jawbone. As others have said..don't chew gum. Any overuse can aggravate it.

Answer 8

I have it too ,no chewing gum, get a night gaurd tray to use while you sleep at night .try your best to cotrol it its so hard and i get lots of headaches too.good luck

Answer 9

eat very soft food