We do not Accept Husky
What is The Treatment for TMJ Headaches?
Headache is a symptom of many medical conditions. This is because all the parts of the body are connected to the brain so when any part of the body is in discomfort, it sends a signal to the brain and the brain outputs the signal as headache.
Most times, the headaches occur as a result of stress and you just need to rest to get better. This is no excuse for you to take a headache with negligence. Headaches could come as a symptom of different problems so you should take necessary measures to ensure that you have yourself checked to find the cause of the headache. One source of headache that people are unlikely to think of is the jaw. There is a joint in the jaw called the temporomandibular joint or the TMJ joint. This joint is what connects the jaw to the human skull and it is responsible for doing a lot of activities like chewing, laughing, talking, blushing, and so on. The joint is like a hinge and it allows the jaw to open and close.
Due to the number of functions that the TMJ performs, the joint is quite special and when something is wrong with the joint, it can give off a lot of symptoms. When there is a problem with the TMJ, it is called a temporomandibular disorder (TMD) and headache is one TMJ symptom of TMD. A TMD could be something as common as teeth grinding and about a tenth of the total population of the United States has been reported to have TMD.
Teeth grinding makes the muscles in your jaw get tensed and when these muscles are tensed, the pain can spread to the TMJs that pass through the cheek to the head. When these TMJs receive pain from the muscles in the jaw, it causes several things including headaches. TMJ headaches are just like the general headaches that you experience when you have other problems but you need a TMJ doctor to help you with a TMJ headache as local anesthesia is not enough to solve TMJ headaches. When a TMJ headache is not resolved in time, it might lead to joint hypermobility, osteoporosis, etc.
Symptoms of TMJ
Some symptoms can help you distinguish TMJ headaches from general headaches. When you notice these symptoms, you need to find a TMJ doctor to confirm if they are TMJ symptoms or something else. Here are some of those symptoms:
- Pain in the jaw
- Tight of the jaw muscles
- Clicking sound in the jaw
- Change in the alignment of the upper and lower teeth.
Treatment Of TMJ
TMJ headaches can be experienced in different parts of the head and can feel like tension headaches. Luckily, these pain have cures. Here are three different changes that can help to solve TMDs.
- Change of Habits: To treat TMDs, you need to change a few habits that cause your jaw to get tensed. Avoid hard foods or food that you have to chew for long before swallowing. This will reduce the activity done by your jaw. If you clench your jaw as a way to pacify yourself or cope when faced with certain situations, you need to reduce the number of times you clench your jaw. You also need to avoid stretching your jaw too much. If you are feeling pains from TMJ, you can use NSAIDs like aspirin or ibuprofen to reduce the pain. You can also ice your jaw or practice jaw exercises.
- Doctor’s Prescription: If you have dropped habits that could lead to TNDs and you still experience pains, you should visit a doctor. The doctor will help you to prescribe stronger medications than NSAIDs.
- Surgery: If a doctor’s prescription and a change of habit do not help to curtail the pains from TMDs, you might need to undergo a surgical operation. Some orthodontic works claim to be effective in curing the pains though they have not been certified by any board.
Remember that not all headaches are TMJ headaches but if you experience any TMJ symptoms, talk to your doctor about it and if you need to see a TMJ doctor, you will be referred to one.
If you are looking for TMJ dentist in Danbury, CT? Schedule an appointment and visit