Exercises for TMJ Pain Relief: Simple Steps for Comfort

Temporomandibular joint Disorder or TMD can cause huge discomfort and pain in your jaw joint region, especially in front of your ears. It can affect your everyday activities like speaking, eating, and talking ultimately affecting the quality of your life. If you are the one struggling with this pain, trust me, you are not alone. We have patients struggling with this condition just like you. Fortunately, there are several exercises that you can do just right now sitting at your home to relieve TMJ discomfort. In this blog, we'll talk about some simple exercises to help ease your pain. 

Common Causes of Temporomandibular Joint Disorder

Although the exact cause of TMD is not known there are several factors that can be the reason

1. Bone-related: arthritis, bone fracture, bone degeneration 

2. Muscle related: muscle fatigue and pain, muscle tear

3. Tooth related: malocclusion, bruxism, clenching

4. Others: stress, anxiety, depression, tumors, breathing difficulties 

Signs and Symptoms Of TMJ Disorder

There are plenty of symptoms TMD can produce and these vary from person to person. Commonly they cause;

1. Difficulty opening and closing mouth
2. Facial pain
3. Joint pain
4. Pain while chewing
5. Pain on one or both sides of the lower jaw bone
6. Headaches 
7. Neck pain
8. Shoulder pain
9. Jaw popping or clicking sound while opening and closing your jaw leads to pain
10. Sensitivity of teeth

8 Best exercises for TMJ to relieve pain

These are some of the self-care TMJ exercises you can do at home to relieve jaw pain.

Resisted mouth-opening exercise

This exercise helps to release your muscle tension while strengthening it. 

How to do it?

• Place a thumb under your chin and try to open your mouth gently while pushing your thumb slightly upwards to create resistance in opening your jaw.
• Hold this for up to 6 seconds and then gently close your jaw.
• Repeat this at least 5 times for 5 times a day.

Resisted mouth-closing exercise

This exercise helps to relieve tension and pain while improving the movement of the jaw

How to do it?

• Gently grasp your chin with your index finger and thumb and slowly close your mouth, you will feel mild resistance while closing. 
• Repeat this at least 5 times for 5 times a day.

Jaw movement from side to side

This is one of the exercises for pain and discomfort relief that helps strengthen the muscles while increasing the range of muscle movement by moving the jaw from side to side.

How to do it?

• Press your tongue against the roof of your mouth move your jaw to the left side and hold this position for 5 seconds. 
• Now move your jaw from side towards the center move to the right side and hold for 5 seconds.
• Repeat the process for at least 10 times a day.

The forward motion of the jaw

This will remove the tightness and improve the flexibility of the jaw muscles.

How to do it?

• Open your mouth slightly.
• Gently move your bottom teeth in front of your front teeth. Hold this position for 10 seconds, and then slowly return to the resting position.

Keep your tongue up.

This is a strengthening exercise and helps improve your jaw movement. 

How to do it?

• Press your tongue against the roof of your mouth.
• Stretch open your jaw while maintaining your tongue on the roof of your mouth.
• Repeat this exercise at least 5 times a day.

Jaw relaxation exercise

Among other TMJ exercises for pain relief, this one works by relaxing your jaw muscles and reducing tension in your jaw. You will feel TMJ symptoms subsiding over the period. 

• Gently part your teeth and touch your tongue on the roof of your mouth.
• Close your eyes, take deep breaths, and focus on relaxing your muscles.
• Hold your breath for 5 seconds and release slowly.
• Repeat this 5 to 10 times a day.

Chin tucks exercise

People with TMJ may experience pain due to poor posture. This could be related to your TMJ pain if you frequently experience pain in your shoulders and neck. Chin tuck exercises may help you with this;

How to do it?

• Sit straight up, with your back and shoulders relaxed.
• Now, slowly tuck your chin under your neck towards your chest. 
• Move your shoulder back as if you are creating double double-chin
• Hold for 5 seconds and repeat at least 10 times a day.

Goldfish exercise

Rather than focusing on the muscles around your jaw, this exercise helps relieve TMJ pain by aligning your jaws while you chew. 

How to do it?

• Press the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth.
• Now, place your left index finger on the left joint and your right index finger on your chin.
• By putting gentle pressure on both fingers slowly drop your chin.
• Do the exact same steps for the right TMJ
• Perform this exercise at least 5 times a day.

How long can TMJ dysfunction last?

TMJ disorder symptoms can be short-lasting and can be chronic to persist for a long time. It can either heal itself in weeks or can last for years. It depends on every person and the cause of the disease. Unfortunately, there is no specific timeline for the cure.

Acute attack is short-lasting and can produce moderate to severe pain. To find relief massages, cold packs, and over-the-counter pain relievers can be helpful. If you feel pain more often then it can be chronic and can be prevented by avoiding the triggers that lead to TMJ.

If it's severe then you must discuss the best treatment option with your dentist as soon as possible. 

Can TMJ disorder cause tooth pain?

Temporomandibular disorders itself can not cause tooth pain. However, if your TMD is caused by bruxism or clenching you might have dull pain in your teeth, especially the back ones. Also, you might face sensitivity due to the shedding of the upper layer of teeth. 

Avoid doing or eating these things that cause TMJ:

There are certain habits and foods that you can avoid in order to avoid pain and dysfunction. These include; 

• Chewing on hard stuff like nuts, ice, toffee, etc
• Stressful activities
• Clenching 
• Teeth grinding at night
• Opening mouth too wide
• Prolonged jaw movements like talking and chewing for too long
• Yawning
• Habits like nail-biting

When to Seek Professional Help?

We have discussed the best TMJ exercises for pain that will help you with TMJ pain and improve the movement of the jaw. Although TMJ pain relief exercises can be effective in alleviating pain and reducing TMJ dysfunction it's important to keep your symptoms in check. If your symptoms persist or worsen over the period, consult a dentist to get the best available treatment options. 

Conclusions:

If you feel any pain in your jaws you might be suffering from temporomandibular jaw disorder. Jaw exercises, stretching exercises, improving posture, and relieving tension can help relief TMJ pain. Incorporating these simple exercises can help reduce pain associated with TMJ and improve the movement of the jaw. Consistency is the key, exercise becomes easier with time and you will feel noticeable improvements with time. 

Although exercises can help, there are other ways to manage your TMJ pain. You need to reach out to your dentist to get personalized treatment advice. You can contact us and we can help you with your specific needs and symptoms. 

Here at Houston Sleep Associates (HSA) in Houston, TX, we are passionate about quality sleep. Our years of experience ensure that each patient receives the best care that is customized to their unique needs and desires!

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