1. Hold Your Head Up
Strengthening the neck through correct posture can prevent spasms related to TMJ. Since your condition makes you overwork your temporomandibular joints and muscles, you should pay special attention to your posture in those areas. Head, neck and bite posture can be consciously improved. Ask your doctor for ergonomic suggestions and make a plan. When you feel yourself slumping in the upper body, perform a stretch or simply reposition yourself.
You can do this at the computer, where you will tend to thrust your head forward toward the screen over time. Remind yourself to return to a healthy posture, with feet on the floor or a footrest. Never hold the telephone between your ear and one shoulder. This is a recipe for tense muscles. Also, be aware of relaxing your bite. Resting position should be with your teeth slightly apart and your tongue lightly behind the top front teeth.
Be careful if your job or housework involves heavy or overhead lifting. These movements can put undue pressure on your already-stressed shoulders, neck and jaws.
2. Eliminate Jaw Clenching
If you have a severe teeth-grinding or jaw-clenching habit, your dentist or doctor may examine you and prescribe a mouth guard. This appliance keeps the upper and lower teeth separated so that grinding or pressure from clenching can't occur. Many patients wear a mouth guard only at night, when these TMJ symptoms are uncontrollable. Sometimes surgery is necessary to correct the bite.
3. Stretch to Reduce Stress
Jaw clenching and teeth grinding put incredible stress on the body, especially at night when most people are restoring, not depleting, their energy levels. You can reduce your overall symptoms by reducing your overall bodily tension. Regular exercise is recommended by conventional and alternative health professionals. You should do 30 to 45 minutes per session, three or more times per week. Yoga is a favorite of those who seek both exercise and focused stress-reduction techniques, but any activity within your limits will do.
Chiropractic, acupuncture and massage therapies also work for many patients to both reduce bodily tension and address the causes of temporomandibular joint disorders. Anyone who experiences frequent neck spasms should consider ongoing treatment.
