Headaches are painful, and TMJ headaches are a step ahead in giving you discomfort and pain. While regular headaches tend to go away with mild medication, TMJ headaches are a big trouble and need proper treatment to be dealt with. Let us try to understand what TMJ headaches are and what can be done to get rid of them.
Meaning of TMJ headaches
TMJ, or the temporomandibular joint, is present on both sides of your head and connects your lower jaw to the skull. It is this joint that helps you to open your mouth, speak, and eat. Any kind of dysfunction in this joint results in TMJ headaches. This kind of headache occurs in one or more regions of the face/head and can be a result of osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, or joint hypermobility.
What are the symptoms of TMJ headaches?
- Facial pain
- Pain in the jaw joints
- Tightening of facial /jaw muscles
- Clicking noise in the jaw
- Sudden changes in the bite
- Confined movement of the jaw
- How can TMJ headaches be treated?
TMJ headaches can give you a tough time if left untreated. Hence, it is recommended to consider the following options for treatment:
- Make certain changes in the lifestyle like avoiding heard/chewy stuff, avoiding jaw clenching, gum chewing, or wide yawning.
- Practicing jaw exercises in consultation with the doctor.
- If lifestyle changes don’t help, the doctor might advise a surgical procedure to cure the problem.
For more information on the treatment of TMJ headaches, visit www.nytmj.com.
New York TMJ & Orofacial PainSite Title 