TMJ Stands for Temporomandibular joint syndrome(Dysfunction/Disorder), that causes jaw pain but most of the people associated it with Headache. Jaw or Facial pain is a common problem affecting million of people worldwide. It can also effect our ability to eat or speak. TMJ is most complex joint pain in the body as it is connected to skull. These are the kind of disorder that can affect other areas of your body including neuromuscular( nerves and muscle) as well that can create crucial problem. Some people might experiencing persistent TMJ Headache that may be jaw pain. Such pain or agony must be treated.

I am going to explain in depth what is TMJ. Once you understand what it is, what exactly is going on in jaw area, then you can start using right tools to make it healthy again.

What is TMJ ?

Temporomandibular joint disorder (TJD) is the joint that connect your jaw or lower jaw to the skull. This injury happens when muscle and jaw are disorder or misplaced in the face. TMJ is the agony that can badly affect you however it may be the outcome of injury including mental stress, sports injury, dental surgery etc.   TMJ can happens due to the variety of possible factors, the muscle in and around the jaw, head and neck all get tight (almost tight) . Then they start to stay tight and connective tissues to them starts shrinking wraps and compresses everything down, And this sets up a dynamic jaw pain, tension and grinding that ultimately creates more pain  and tightness. It is the intolerable pain that can happen all of a sudden also makes you feel uncomfortable while eating or chewing. Pain can also be referred to teeth as well. This problem mostly happens with females and headache will be associated with it. With the help of right treatment you can get rid of this problem.

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TMJ Headache Treatments :-

Every treatment is dependent on the specific nature of the pain, condition of the patient or disorder. So if you are in pain TMJ treatment is the smart thing to start. First thing that you need to do is to consult with your doctors as most of the doctors first will recommend non-invasive treatment for your jaw pain. As treatment of the jaw pain depends on what the cause is. TMJ Headache Treatment methods are varied and may includes following:-

• Antibiotics if the jaw pain is caused by the infection.
• Use of the mouth protector, such as a mouth guard, it is the plastic dental protector worn on your upper or lower teeth.
• Pain medication(Drug).
• Relaxation therapy or muscle relaxer it helps you to relieve jaw pain or tension if pain doesn’t respond to mouth guard.
• Massage of your jaw
• Jaw Surgery,  Doctors rarely recommend surgery  to correct TMJ problem.This treatment is only for reserved people who are terribly suffering from jaw pain(pain that’s due to structural problem in the jaw point).
• Injection with local anesthetics( A drug to prevent pain during surgery)
• Take soft diet to avoid jaw pain or excessive jaw movement.
• Moist heat application or cold therapy.
• Use of correct posture to avoid back or neck pain/strain.
• A Root Canal Treatment,  A procedure to treat infection within teeth.
• Certain Blood Pressure medication when migraines or headache are being treated.
• Oxygen Therapy or some prescribed medication to treat cluster headache(One sided headache).
• Antiviral therapy to treat viral infection.
• Stretching to stretch and smooth the affected muscles.
• Counseling – Education and counseling may help you to understand jaw pain so, you can avoid them. There are also some books available in the market for jaw treatment or may find on you tube.
• Try to give your jaw a rest (do not speak to much, have soft food etc).
• Avoid biting your nails.
• Get 20 to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, it not only reduces stress but helps your body produce endorphins(organs).
• Yoga is also very good exercise for TMJ headache.

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Symptoms of TMJ Headache !

When the jaw is misaligned/misplaced/or dysfunction, it may lead to a many problem. Some of the most common symptoms of TMJ includes :-

• Pain in the face, jaw or ear area
• Swelling of the face
• Feeling of Dizziness
• Jaw pain
• Headache (often migraine)
• Neck pain or shoulder pain
• Ear pain
• Eye pain or pain behind the eye
• Cluster headache (one side headache)
• Inability to open the jaw smoothly
• Tooth pain
• Sensitive skin on the face or head
• Sinus pain or pressure (like headache)
• Ringing in the ear

Every single TMJ symptoms is ultimately due to muscle being too tight for too long. And if you are experiencing this problem then you may find these above symptoms in you. Some of the symptoms and issued caused by TMD (Temporomandibular disorder) that are not associated with a jaw disorder and therefore left untreated. Because of the complex relationship between the jaw muscles and the nerves of the face that travel nearby. but it can be correct if you get right treatment or some TMJ Headache home remedy that can help you out from this problem.

Hope this will serve the best for all those who are suffering from TMJ Headache from long or worried about persistent headache .