What You Can Do to Alleviate the Symptoms
There are some things that patients can do while waiting for appliance therapy to help control TMJ symptoms and alleviate pain. Here are some suggestions that many patients find beneficial:
- Soft diet (no gum, hard candy, beef jerky, tough steak, ice, etc.)
- Cold packs alternating with moist heat or a heating pad applied to area two times a day for 20 minutes, as needed
- Anti-inflammatory medications, such as Advil or Aleve (if you are able to take such medications), as directed
- Controlled, minimal mouth opening
- When chewing food
- When swallowing
If you find that your teeth are together during the day or night, this puts loading forces on the temporomandibular joints and can help create muscle spasms and aggravate inflammation within the temporomandibular joint.
Understanding TMJ Pain and Popping
Understanding the nature of TMJ pain and popping and what you can do to help the symptoms is half of the battle in helping to find relief. Some patients can resolve their symptoms just by awareness and education of the problems and causes of TMJ disorders.To learn more about TMJ treatment, contact our office to schedule an appointment: 713-828-8587.
