TMJ exercises to relieve jaw pain
Dr. Suresh Amarnathan, BDS.,
A hinge-like bone that joins your skull and your jaw is known as a temporomandibular joint. To feel it, place your index finger on your cheeks and gently press, then open and close your mouth. This bone structure is sensitive, and sometimes it becomes unaligned.
Popping or clicking noise when eating is one of the most usual symptoms of TMJ disorder that could result in jaw pain. Sometimes the pain may even reach near your ears.
Pain in the jaw can make it difficult to chew, talk, and enjoy other daily activities. Jaw exercises can encourage healing, stretch out muscles, and help improve your jaw movement better. Here are some TMJ exercises to relieve jaw pains:
1) Resisted mouth opening exercise
To do this, keep your thumb below your chin. Open your mouth slowly, and at the same time, gently press your chin up with your thumb. This exercise provides strength to your jaw joint.
2) Resisted mouth closing exercise
To do this exercise, you have to hold your chin using your index finger and thumb finger. Then while closing your mouth, gentle pressure is applied on your chin. This exercise strengthens your chewing power.
3) Tongue up
Touch your upper surface of the mouth using your tongue and then slowly close your mouth in a gentle manner. Do not apply more pressure on your mouth muscles during this exercise.
4) Jaw muscle massage
Massage your jaw muscles gently using your fingers in a downward circular motion. This type of massaging technique relieves some tension and reduces pain. A cold or warm compress can also be applied for ten minutes during this time.
5) Opening and closing mouth exercise
This exercise is very easy. First, open your mouth as wide as possible and then close your mouth. Then for the second time, open it half as wide and close. Repeat these two steps to enhance the range of motion in the jaw.
6) Wide mouth exercise
To do this exercise, place the tip of the tongue on the top of your mouth. Then open your mouth widely as much as possible and move your tongue towards the tonsils and then in front. By doing this exercise, the muscles in your lower jaw are strengthened.
7) Chin Tuck exercise
To do this exercise, stand up straight in such a way your chest front and shoulder back. Try to push your chin downwards until it resembles that you have a double chin. Hold it for a few seconds and repeat up to ten times.
8) Relaxed jaw opening exercise
Place your tongue on the top of your mouth behind your upper front teeth. Now open your mouth gently without straining the jaw muscles. As your jaw is relaxed, the pain will be relieved.
9) Side to side exercise using object
To do this exercise, keep an object like a pen or pencil in between your upper and lower teeth and slowly move your jaw towards left and right without making the object fall. This enhances the flexibility of the jaw and range of motion.
10) Slow alignment exercise
To do this exercise, keep your upper two front teeth and bottom two front teeth in alignment and slowly open and close your mouth without missing alignment. Stand and do this exercise in front of a mirror to get good results. This exercise strengthens your jaw muscles and maintains precise jaw alignment.
TMJ exercises are great to relieve pain. Taking care of your mouth is a very important thing for the healing process.
The best thing to keep in mind is TMJ exercises won’t hurt. If the pain still exists after doing these exercises, contact us immediately to examine your mouth for the best possible treatment.
