TMJ?

[RoseEve]

Hello all. I am not anxious about this I am just wondering what TMJ feels like. I don't want to google. I have pain when I talk and chew and the pain is from my ear to my upper jaw. I've never had this before but u know it can be related to stress. I'm a teacher so the end of the year is upon us. I sang for the mass in our church on Monday and I was nervous. On Friday I'm giving the graduation speech so I'm very nervous about that. All in all tons of stress. I know no one can diagnose me . I am just wondering if this sounds familiar for TMJ and if so do I need to go to a doctor or are there home remedies? I hope everyone is well :)

[Agadch]

Hello, roseeve. What you described sounds to me like TMJ. Have you been clenching your teeth a lot? You could try relaxation exercises or trying to eat softer food but I would suggest going to your dentist to get a mouth guard for when your sleeping at night because you could be clenching your jaw while your asleep and that could be whats causing the problem.

[elysemarie123]

Hello! As a constant teeth grinder I feel your pain!! I work in radiology in a hospital and many of the physicians there say that TMJ isn't so much a condition as it is a joint. If you feel right in front of your ear and move your mouth you will feel how it works. For me, stress and jaw issues are 100% related. If I am stressed I am constantly grinding my teeth and flexing the muscles in my head and jaw -- so much so that I give myself a horrible tension headache (which we know just creates an ugly cycle). My advice would be to look up jaw relaxation techniques and to try and distract yourself. When I'm not thinking about it, I usually never flex my muscles. When I thinking about it it's almost impossible to stop. If you grind your teeth too, consider getting a mouth guard as it will protect your teeth! I just had to put $500 into my second mouth guard in 3 years because I ground through the other one.

I know it's easier said than done (and I need to take my own advice!) but just try and relax. Go get a massage!

[HoneyLove]

I feel for you RoseEve, I have TMJ issues too! Although TMJ pain/problems can vary widely, if you're finding pain in that area when you talk and chew it can be a big indicator of the issue.

A trip to your dentist rather than doctor would be a good idea, and there are loads of home remedies you can do for it (in fact they're recommended before any more invasive treatment). The website tmj.org is really helpful and has loads of self help tips. You'll also find some good TMj exercise videos on YouTube. Anxiety and stress can be a major cause, so working on relaxing your body is essential. It's also good to be aware of posture such as not spending too long looking down at your phone/tablet, don't sit at the computer with your chin resting on your jaw and be aware of clenching your jaw during the day. Yoga is great for it I find!

[RoseEve]

Thanks for the responses everyone! I will take a look at the website. I notice that I do clench and grind my jaw a lot. I've been trying not to do that. It feels a bit better today. :)

[HoneyLove]

Hope you begin to feel better RoseEve, TMJ can be a nuisance! x