HEALTHY LIVING
Get Relief From Jaw Pain
The first thing to do is de-stress, because tension causes people to clench their teeth and overwork their muscles. :: BY GARY GREENBERG
T
he temporomandibular joint (tmj) is one of the most active and complex joints in the body, yet its disorders are widely overlooked. “When you consider all of the chronic pain
conditions that people deal with in this country, TMJ disorder tends to be one that’s kicked to the side like a poor stepchild,” says Clark Stanford, D.D.S, dean of the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry. The TMJ, which connects the
jawbone to the skull, is unique among all of the body joints. “The TMJ moves in every
direction, which no other joint in the body can do,” notes Boca Raton, Florida-based dentist Wolf Schwartz, D.D.S. “And it’s the only one in which
there are two joints in motion at once.” The TMJ is also one of the
hardest-working joints in the body, engaging whenever you chew, talk, or otherwise open and close your mouth, or grind your teeth.
“Most Americans grind their teeth in their sleep,”
says Schwartz. “That can put up to 500 pounds per square inch of pressure on the joint.” All of this usage can lead to problems that result in TMJ pain and/or loss of motion, potentially affecting
Is It a Sign of a Heart Attack? J
aw pain is a common symptom of a heart attack. However, it differs from TMJ pain, which is typically localized to a
particular spot and can ebb and flow with joint activity. “If it’s a cardiac event, it’s going to be more of a diffuse pain, and it will be hard to identify the exact location,” says Dr. Steven Bender, a clinical assistant professor at Texas A&M College of Dentistry.
88 NEWSMAX MAXLIFE | OCTOBER 2021
the ability to chew, swallow, speak, make facial expressions, and even breathe. TMJ disorders can also cause headaches, neck and
back pain, hearing issues, and sleep apnea. “The most common symptom is an aching pain in
the masseters (a set of jaw muscles),” says Stanford. “Some people get joint noises — snapping, popping, clicking — but there’s not always one symptom. It can be a mix.” An estimated 10 million to 35 million Americans
suffer from TMJ disorder at any one time. The biggest demographic is premenopausal women, which is one reason Stanford believes it so often disregarded. “There could be a component of sexism in clinicians’ offices,” he tells Newsmax.
MANAGING TMJ DISORDER The good news is that TMJ pain tends to get better on its own. Muscle relaxants, anti- inflammatory drugs, and warm wet compresses can offer temporary relief. Schwartz also recommends wearing a “night guard” to prevent teeth grinding. Arthroscopy, surgery, and
joint replacement are sometimes performed in extreme cases but haven’t proven to be effective over the long haul. The verdict is still out on laser, ultrasound, microcurrent, and Botox therapies. “Over the past 30 years, most clinicians have adopted the philosophical position to treat it more and more conservatively,” says Stanford.
“The most conservative interventions are often just
as effective as the more radical interventions.” There are ways to reduce risk of TMJ disorder.
Perhaps the first thing to do is de-stress, because tension causes people to clench their teeth and thus overwork jaw muscles. Experts say to ease up on gum-chewing. You can also
do jaw exercises, such as opening your mouth as wide as you can and moving your jaw side to side. “TMJ pain comes from a complex interaction of
many factors including a person’s anatomy, physiology, and psychology — what we call biopsychosocial,” says Stanford, a member of the TMJ Association. “And the orientation of how they are going to deal
with this pain is an important part of managing the condition and preventing it from becoming a chronic state.”
KODI ART©SHUTTERSTOCK
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