TMJ or Tamporomandibular Joint Syndrome is a dental problem that is caused by trauma, hormonal changes and excessive stress. The TMJ symptoms include pain in chewing food, difficulty in opening and closing the jaw, swelling around the jawbone and frequent and severe headaches. This could either be mild, tension or even worse migraines. A large percentage of TMJ patients have claimed to suffer from chronic headaches at some point during their ailment.
A TMJ headache is characterized by a lot of pressure, especially in the temple areas of the head. Some people have also claimed to experience pain in the forehead. This comes as no surprise since pain can go all the way to your eye sockets. If you constantly experience pain behind, above, and below your eyes then you may want to get that checked out. Visiting a dentist is the best available option for a person suffering from any or all of these symptoms. The dentist is going to do a medical checkup and is then going to rule out the chances of other disorders based on your description of the symptoms before finally diagnosing TMJ syndrome.
TMJ headaches are among the most common symptoms of this disorder and are the most prominent ones too. Most patients suffering from TMJ headaches feel a raging headache every time they wake up. The reason for this is the tightness in the Tamporomandibular Joint caused by the disorder. This tightness of the joint causes tension which is then transferred on to the neck, shoulders, and head of the patient, resulting in severe headaches.
Natural Treatment Methods
Since the headache suffered by a TMJ patient is because of the tension in the joint, resolving the tension is the only way to stop the pain. Avoiding eating hard foods that require a lot of chewing can help a person in exerting less force on the jaws and will relieve the tension on the joint too, easing the headache. Using this natural treatment method can help a person in reducing the pain in the head a great deal without having to visit a dentist.
Stress Management
TMJ stress management is also a very simple and effective method of reducing the headaches caused by this disorder. In this method, the person is required to alleviate the stress experienced during the day in doing everyday chores. Since stress can increase the headaches caused by TMJ syndrome, the solution to managing the headaches is in keeping oneself calm and stress-free. Yoga classes, meditation, and bathing in hot water are some excellent stress management options that a person can use for treating TMJ headaches. Using natural treatment methods can go a long way in treating the problem without the use of any medications.
Jaw Exercises
Another useful and effective method for reducing the headaches caused by TMJ syndrome is to use jaw exercises that can ease the tension in your jaws. Jaw loosening exercises that can help in alleviating the tightness of the jaw muscles can help a patient in getting rid of the severe headaches. As soon as the TMJ jaw pain will subside, so will your headaches. For instance, opening the jaw as wide as you can and pressing the fist to the chin for a few second and then slowly closing the jaw is a good jaw loosening exercise that can help in relieving the jaw pain and the headache. However, for the exercise to be effective, it has to be used regularly.
Using any of the above-mentioned treatment methods can help a person in treating the severe TMJ headaches that accompany TMJ disorder.
