TMJ has a number of causes. These include growth problems, arthritis, or trauma (e.g., whiplash or a facial injury). However, the two most common causes are bruxism, with clenching and grinding of the teeth, and stress. Bruxism usually occurs without awareness during sleep. Sometimes, the teeth are out of line and the bite needs adjusting.
TMJ is relatively common. One in three people may have it in some form. For some, TMJ causes pain. For others, it may be the root of earaches or unexplained headaches. Many people with full-fledged TMJ suffer from headache with pain in the cheek and side of the head.
Royal Recommendations for Prevention and Treatment
1. Avoid high-stress foods such as all forms of white sugar, white flour, fast foods, and junk foods. These foods are vitamin and mineral deficient and they deplete the body of energy and provide little real nourishment in return. (See “Allergy—Foods.”)
2. Give your mouth an oral vacation. Avoid food that is hard and difficult to chew. This includes gum, hard candy, nuts, and ice. Limit your diet to soft and liquid foods for a while.
3. Eat as close to nature as possible. Eat steamed vegetables and fresh fruits, as well as grains (e.g., brown rice and homemade bread) and beans. Diets low in complex carbohydrates can cause depletion of serotonin, a brain neurotransmitter that relieves tension. Meat sources that promote serotonin production include fish, chicken, and turkey.
4. Rule our hypoglycemia. (See “Hypoglycemia.”) This is a sign of low adrenal function. Blood sugar fluctuations can be measured by a glucose or insulin tolerance test.
5. Have a hair analysis to determine mineral imbalances.
6. Grinding your teeth at night may indicate parasitic infection. This is evaluated by stool collection. Use a laboratory that specializes in this type of analysis, not your local hospital. A “parasite cleansing”--with herbal supplements, homeopathics, and acidophilus--can alleviate this problem. Continue treatment for three weeks a month for at least three months, up to six months.
7. A water filled splint may prevent a sore jaw from clenching or grinding your teeth at night.
8. Reduce your stress levels. (See “Stress.”) Heart Rate Variability Testing can evaluate your autonomic nervous system. Non-cognitive biofeedback (i.e., recycling of the body’s heart rate variations) can treat the imbalances of your ANS. Deep breathing, muscle stretching, yoga, and self-hypnosis with audiotapes can all help you to progressively relax your muscles.
9. Many TMJ patients also have back problems. (See “Backache” and “Back Exercises.”) This can be related to poor body posture or footwear (such as high heels). Get a musculoskeletal evaluation and alignment by an osteopath or chiropractor. Consider massage therapy as well as a means of loosening up the muscles of the back, neck, and jaw.
10. Do muscle stretching and resistance exercises to strengthen your jaw. First, apply a warm washcloth to both sides of your face. Then, gently stretch your lower jaw by pulling it down and forward. This can also be done with resistance. As you slowly open your lower jaw, you push upward and inward against your fingers holding the jaw for a few seconds. Then, relax, stretch the jaw a little further and repeat. Ideally, you should be able to insert the knuckles of your 2nd, 3rd, and 4th fingers into the opening of your jaw.
11. In general, you should avoid excessive yawning, propping your chin against your hands for too long, cradling the phone between your neck and shoulder for long periods of time, carrying heavy handbags on your shoulder, and sleeping on your side.
12. Beneficial Supplements include vitamin C, B-complex (with additional B5 and B6), the minerals magnesium and calcium (taken at bedtime), and the amino acid L-Tyrosine.
13. Tryptophan increases serotonin, a brain neurotransmitter that helps to reduce stress. While it has been removed from the market for political reasons, it may still be obtained in the form of its precursor known as 5-hydroxy-tryptophan (“5-HT”) from a compound pharmacy. The standard doses of tryptophan are between 500 and 2000 mg at night. If you are taking 5-HT, which is 10 times more potent that tryptophan, the standard doses will range from 50 to 200 mg at night. Take with magnesium and vitamin B6 to ensure tryptophan’s conversion to serotonin.
14. Herbs found to be helpful are chamomile, hops, passionflower, skullcap, and valerian root.
15. Homeopathics include: Avena Sativa (if insomnia results from mental overexertion), Chamomilla (especially in children or if overly sensitive and irritable), China (if grinding teeth during sleep), Cocculus (for exhaustion--often the result of caring for others), Coffea (unable to shut off mind when sleeping, good for coffee drinkers), Ignatia (exhaustion from chronic worry or grief), Nux Vomica (excessive drinkers of alcohol or tea, and smokers), Passiflora (best in the children and elderly), Sepia (in women who are moody and irritable--especially during menopause or the menstrual cycle), Valeriana (if sleep is light and non-refreshing).
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