TMJ or the Temporomandibular joint is known to be one of the most used joints in our entire body with the jaw muscles being some of the strongest ones we have.
We often do not pay any extra attention to this joint. Due to the kind of life we lead and the mental stress we go through, TMJ pain can be quite recurrent.
You need to take care of these joints like any other body part. If you exercise these points regularly, you can get rid of the pain. These exercises are very easy to do and do not take up much time at all.
Five exercises that can help you to get rid of TMJ pain:
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Opening your jaw
This is a really easy exercise suitable for loosening your stiff jaws and making the TMJs tender. You need to adopt a good posture and touch the roof of the mouth with the tip of your tongue.
Hold the tongue in the same position and try to open your jaw gently. Stretch it as much as you can and then slowly close it. You need to repeat the entire exercise eight times.
When you hold your tongue in that position, you are going to deactivate the jaw clencher muscles or the masseter muscle. The jaw then will open in a somewhat centralized position.
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Contracting and relaxing your jaw
The people, who suffer from TMJ pain, have problems opening the jaw. This exercise uses muscle energy techniques to make them relax and give room for more jaw motion.
You need to cross the thumb and index finger so that the thumb pushes up against the top teeth and the index one pushes down against the bottom teeth. Try to open your jaw as wide as possible and use the fingers to hold it in the position. Try to push your teeth against the fingers and hold it for eight seconds. Repeat this three times. If you face discomfort, immediately stop.
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Resisted jaw opening exercise
The jaw opening muscles are situated on the underside of the chin. Sometimes, people who are on the heavy side can get a double chin. If you do this exercise regularly, you can get rid of the double chin. You need to assume a good posture for this. Then push the thumb against the tip of the chin from under.
Try to open your jaw slowly while resisting the movement strongly with the thumb. You need to apply enough resistance which can make your jaw work hard. The resistance needs to be applied to your jaw both on the way to open it as well as while you close it.
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TMJ protrusion exercise
Problematic alignment of TMJ muscles is also another cause of TMJ pain. This particular exercise helps you to align as well as stabilize the TMJ points. Partially open your jaw. Then push your tongue against the roof of your mouth and smile to tighten the facial muscle. Finally, push your jaw forward slowly and relax. Repeat the process eight times.
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Isometric jaw deviation exercise
Without any doubt, this is a great exercise for the stabilization of the TMJ muscles. Partially open the jaw and relax it. Keep your fingers on the painful sides of the jaw. You need to push your jaw against the fingers and use them to create resistance to your jaw movements. Hold the entire position for eight seconds and then relax. Repeat it eight times and then switch to the opposite sides of your jaw.
Since these exercises target the muscles which control your jaw movements, performing those will definitely help you to get rid of your TMJ pain.
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Sanya
- April 18, 2018
