Chapter List

• Introduction to Doctors Home Remedies
• Acne
• Allergies
• Angina
• Athritis
• Asthma
• Athletes Foot
• Backache
• Bad Breath
• Bed-Wetting
• Belching
• Bites
• Black Eye
• Bladder Infections
• Blisters
• Blood Pressure
• Body Odor
• Boils
• Breast Discomfort
• Breastfeeding
• Bronchitis
• Bruises
• Bruxism
• Burns
• Bursitis
• Canker Sores
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Cellulite
• Chafing
• Chapped Hands
• Chapped Lips
• Cholesterol
• Colds
• Cold Sores
• Colic
• Conjunctivitis
• Constipation
• Corns and Calluses
• Cuts and Scrapes
• Dandruff
• Denture Troubles
• Depression
• Dermatitis and Eczema
• Diabetes
• Diaper Rash
• Diarrhea
• Diverticulosis
• Dry Hair
• Dry Skin and Winter Itch
• Earache
• Ear Infection
• Earwax
• Emphysema
• Endometriosis
• Eye Redness
• Eyestrain
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Fissures
• Flatulence
• Flu
• Food Poisoning
• Foot Aches
• Foot Odor
• Forgetfullness
• Frostbite
• Genital Herpes
• Gingivitis
• Gout
• Hangnails
• Hangover
• Headaches
• Heartburn
• Heat Exhaustion
• Hemorrhoids
• Hiccups
• Hives
• Hyperventilation
• Impotence
• Incontinence
• Infertility
• Ingrown Hair - 10 Ways to Get a Clean Shave
• Ingrown Nails
• Insomnia
• Intermittent Claudication
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Jet Lag
• Kidney Stones
• Knee Pain
• Lactose Intolerance
• Laryngitis
• Menopause
• Menstrual Cramps
• Morning Sickness
• Motion Sickness
• Muscle Pain
• Nausea
• Neck Pain
• Night Blindness
• Nosebleed
• Oily Hair
• Oily Skin
• Osteoporosis
• Perfect Posture
• Pet Problems
• Phlebitis
• Phobias and Fears
• Poison Ivy and Oak
• Postnasal Drip
• Premenstrual Syndrome
• Psoriasis
• Raynauds Syndrome
• Restless Legs Syndrome
• Scarring
• Shingles
• Shinsplints
• Side Stitches
• Sinusitis
• Snoring
• Sore Throat
• Stained Teeth
• Stings
• Stress
• Sunburn
• Swimmers Ear
• Tachycardia
• Tartar and Plaque
• Teething
• Tendinitis
• Tmj
• Toothache
• Travelers Diarrhea
• Triglycerides
• Ulcer
• Varicose Veins
• Vomiting
• Warts
• Wrinkles
• Yeast Infections

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Tmj

TMJ

15 Ideas to Ease the Discomfort

"Hmmmm, looks like you have a case of temporomandibular joint syndrome," says your dentist.

"Whagggr?" you say, your mouth still pried open wide and stuffed with cotton.

The temporomandibular joint is simply your jaw joint, he explains.

"But please explain, doctor, what's this about a syndrome?" you ask.

No matter what school of thought your dentist adheres to, his answer will no doubt be a very long and complicated one. Temporomandibular joint syndrome, commonly known as TMJ, is without a doubt among the most complex and controversial of all modern ailments.

But we won't get into the ongoing controversy as to whether TMJ is a muscle and ligament problem or a bone and cartilage problem. Nor will we argue whether the primary cause is stress or misaligned teeth or any other of the many suspected culprits. Your only concern at the moment is that you've been told that, yep, you have it, and you want to know what to do about it. Here's what the experts say you can do at home to complement the care you're getting from your doctor.

Go with the flow. That is, do anything you can to increase blood flow to the area. You may want to apply moist heat or ice, but don't interchange them. Apply ice or moist heat to the sides of your jaw, says Sheldon Gross, D.D.S., a lecturer at Tufts University and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey/New Jersey Medical School and president of the American Academy of Craniomandibular Disorders. Heat works best for some, ice for others, he says. You should experiment to see what works best for you.

You can also try easy stretching and massage. If you get the blood flowing in the area, you are likely to alleviate some of your symptoms, says Dr. Gross.

MEDICAL ALERT Some Symptoms are Serious The most common signs of TMJ—among them headaches, toothaches, aching neck, shoulders, or back, and a clicking or popping noise when opening or closing the jaw—are usually nothing more than minor to moderate annoyances that will go away when the condition is corrected. There are, however, some symptoms that are considered more serious and should be investigated by your doctor, warns Harold T. Perry, D.D.S., Ph.D. "If you can't open your mouth, can't brush your teeth, and are having sharp headaches, go see a doctor," says Dr. Perry. It's a sign your TMJ is getting worse.

Support your jaw. Pick up the kind of mouth guard sold in sporting goods stores that you soften in hot water and then bite down on to form a better fit in your mouth. Wearing one will hold your jaw steady and may temporarily deal with your symptoms, says Dr. Gross.

Give up the bagels. If you've got a lot of pain in and around your mouth, consider an oral vacation. That is, limit yourself to soft and liquid food for a while and see if this helps, suggests Harold T. Perry, D.D.S., Ph.D., a professor of orthodontics at Northwestern University Dental School and editor of a dental medical journal that focuses on TMJ problems.

Take an aspirin and give yourself a rub. "Aspirin is a marvelous drug for any muscle or joint problem," says Dr. Perry. He suggests one tablet followed up several minutes later with a brisk self-massage of the jaw using a hot washcloth.

Check your body position. If you work at a desk, check your body position throughout the day. Make sure you—and especially your chin—are not leaning over the desk, says Owen J. Rogal, D.D.S., executive director of the American Academy of Head, Facial, and Neck Pain, and TMJ Orthopedics. His Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, practice specializes in TMJ problems. As a general guideline for sitting or standing, your cheekbone should be over your clavicle, and your ears should not be too far in front of your shoulders, he says.

Many people with TMJ also have back problems. The two are interrelated, Dr. Rogal says, not two separate problems.

Throw away your pillow. Instead, tuck yourself in with a thin towel rolled up under your neck (to about the thickness of your wrist). Have another towel under your back and a pillow under your knees. Sleeping in this position—on your back throughout the entire night—can be very relaxing to your jaws and "critical" to overcoming TMJ, says Dr. Rogal. But what if you generally sleep on your side? He suggests placing a beanbag on either side of your head to stop you from rolling over into that position.

Limit your jaw movement. Don't make like the MGM lion. If you feel a yawn coming, restrict it by holding a fist under your chin, says Andrew S. Kaplan, D.M.D., an assistant clinical professor of dentistry at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine of the City University of New York and author of The TMJ Book.

Seven Nasty Habits to Break Overcoming TMJ is very much a matter of what you don't do, claims Andrew S. Kaplan, D.M.D. If any of these habits are yours—pay attention! These tips may be of help to you. Don't: Lie on your stomach with your head twisted to one side. Lie on your back with your head propped up at a sharp angle for reading or watching television. Cradle the telephone between your shoulder and chin. Prop your chin on one or both of your hands for too long. Carry a heavy shoulder bag with the strap on the same shoulder for an extended period. Do work, such as painting a ceiling, that requires looking up for long periods of time. Wear high heels.

Stop grinding your teeth. There's little question that gnashing teeth, referred to by doctors as bruxism, can bring about or exacerbate TMJ troubles. (See Bruxism on page 102 for more on this subject.)

PANEL OF ADVISERS

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Sheldon Gross, D.D.S., is in private practice in Bloomfield, Connecticut. He is a lecturer at Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts, and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey/New Jersey Medical School in Newark. He is also president of the American Academy of Craniomandibular Disorders and a member of both the American Pain Association and the American Headache Association.

Andrew S. Kaplan, D.M.D., is an assistant clinical professor of dentistry at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine of the City University of New York and author of The TMJ Book. He is director of the TMJ Clinic at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.

Harold T. Perry, D.D.S., Ph.D., practices dentistry in Elgin, Illinois. He is a professor of orthodontics at Northwestern University Dental School in Chicago, Illinois. He is also the editor of the Journal of Craniomandibular Disorders—Oralfacial Pain and a past president of the American Academy of Craniomandibular Disorders.

Owen J. Rogal, D.D.S., has a private practice in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, limited to treating TMJ. He is executive director of the American Academy of Head, Facial, and Neck Pain, and TMJ Orthopedics. He is on the medical staff at Philadelphia's Metropolitan Hospital and is the author of Mandibular Whiplash.