Jaw pain wears you down. On a normal day, getting to the gym is a chore. But when TMJ disorder flares, you’ll do jaw exercises all day long if they promise relief.
Here’s what I tell my patients: what TMJ disorder is, when jaw exercises help, which ones are worth your time, some exercise equipment for the back and spine that can help, and when exercises won’t fix the problem.
Why do people try jaw exercises for TMJ?
Because TMJ pain usually comes from the muscles, and exercise is what we do for muscles. That logic is sound, but it’s only half the story.
Most people never think about their jaw joint until something goes wrong. When it does, here’s what you need to know: the joint itself is usually not the problem. That can happen, but it’s the least common cause.
TMJ symptoms most often come from a disharmony in how the joint, the muscles and the jaws work together. Pain can start in many places, but the most common source is the muscles. So exercise seems like the obvious answer. Hold your horses, though. It’s a bit more complicated.
What causes TMJ symptoms?
A lot of parts that all have to work together. When one falls out of step, the strain spreads.
Your lower jawbone, the mandible, is one piece that connects on both sides of your head. Both sides have to move in precise harmony. If one side is off, it throws off the other. Can you say snowball effect?
And it isn’t just the mandible. It links to your skull through the temporomandibular joints, ligaments, muscles and tendons, and 32 teeth have to meet properly on top of that. Tension from your neck and shoulders can make TMJ disorder worse too. Together, all of this is the TMJ complex.
Picture a canoe full of people paddling. When everyone paddles the same direction, it glides. When one person paddles backward, the whole team works against itself, and everyone tires faster.
Temporomandibular joint pain is like a row team out of harmony.
The TMJ complex works the same way. When any part is out of harmony, symptoms start. They range from mild to severe:
- Pain while chewing
- Pain in the ear
- Painful clicking or popping when you open or close your mouth
- Locking of the jaw
- Headaches
- Tension and soreness in the face muscles
Do TMJ exercises actually relieve pain?
Sometimes, but not always. Some studies have found no benefit from TMJ exercises at all. I’d rather be honest with you about that.
Tmj exercises for pain & do jaw exercises for tmj work.
That doesn’t mean you can’t get relief. Exercises can ease pain for a while. But because TMJ disorder can come from many different imbalances, sometimes another treatment fits better.
When jaw exercises do help, it’s usually by:
- Stretching the ligaments and muscles
- Letting the lower jaw rest in a different position
- Strengthening the jaw muscles
- Relaxing the jaw
- Improving jaw mobility
Which jaw exercises work best for TMJ?
The internet is full of them. These are the ones I find most useful, starting with the most important.
Jaw muscle relaxation
This one isn’t really an exercise. The goal is rest. Most TMJ sufferers need less jaw tension, not more.
Rest your tongue gently on the roof of your mouth, just behind your upper front teeth. Let your teeth come apart and relax your jaw muscles. Make it a habit throughout the day whenever symptoms flare.
TMJ muscle stretch
Muscle tension is a big part of TMJ disorder, and stretching improves how well your muscles tolerate it.
With your tongue on the roof of your mouth, open slowly until just before your tongue drops away. You’ll feel a stretch along the sides of your jaw. Hold for about 15 seconds and repeat through the day.
Rest on a pen
Pen in mouth tmj exercise.
How your top and bottom teeth meet is a common cause of TMJ disorder. This gives your jaw a break by changing its position for a while. Rest your front teeth gently on a clean pen or pencil.
Opening exercise
The lateral pterygoids are small muscles that help open the jaw. Place your thumb under your chin for light resistance. Slowly open and close against it 6 to 10 times.
Closing exercise
Several muscles close the jaw: the temporalis, the masseters and the medial pterygoids. Hold your chin and apply gentle downward pressure, then close your mouth against it.
Forward jaw relaxation
Your upper front teeth act like a fence for your lower front teeth. Every time you bite, your lower jaw has to stay in a narrow range to clear behind them. Over time that creates strain.
To test whether your front teeth are part of the problem, place a clean pen or pencil between them. Let your jaw settle as far forward as feels comfortable and relax.
Side-to-side stretch
Range of motion matters for healthy muscles. Chewing gives your jaw plenty of up-and-down movement, but it needs side-to-side movement too. Open slightly and slowly move your jaw left and right, with a mild stretch at each side.
Can back, neck and spine exercises help TMJ?
They can. People with spine pain often have TMJ pain too, and the reverse. The two aren’t always connected, but it’s worth ruling out whether your spine is adding to the problem.
Back pain can be related to TMJ pain.
Traction devices
TMJ pain often has a nerve component. Pain starts at a source but travels along nerves, and the cranial and spinal nerves can refer pain from one part of the body to another. So tension or compression in your neck and back from poor posture can show up in your head and jaw.
Spinal traction can show whether treating your neck and spine changes your TMJ symptoms. There are many devices. A good one to consider is the FDA-registered Teeter inversion table.
Posture
Posture affects how you feel more than most people realize. Sit without leaning unsupported, stand up straight and keep your arms supported on a table or armrest. Watch for repetitive daily motions that strain one side.
Chin tucks and neck stretches
Your neck and jaw sit close together and share many nerves, so neck strain often shows up in the jaw.
For a chin tuck, pull your chin straight back to make a double chin, keeping your shoulders back and chest up. Hold for three seconds and repeat 10 times. Then tilt your head back gently, hold for three seconds and repeat 10 times.
What else helps with TMJ pain?
Pain relievers and warm compresses help in the short term. But they mask the problem rather than fix it.
Over the counter pain medications for muscle pain.
Over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen ease TMJ pain, and warm compresses can help too. A physician or TMJ dentist may prescribe muscle relaxers.
Exercises and pain relievers only go so far with TMJ dysfunction. If you’ve had muscle pain, headaches, ear pain or jaw pain for more than a few weeks, that’s no way to live. A TMJ dentist may recommend:
- Customized mouth guards, called orthotics
- Orthodontics
- Balancing the bite, called equilibration
- Botox for the jaw muscles
- Restorative dentistry to correct wear or missing teeth
- Acupuncture to relieve pressure in the affected area
- Care from a neurologist when nerves are involved
- Physical therapy and chiropractic care for the neck, spine and shoulders
When should you stop relying on exercises?
If your symptoms don’t improve within a few weeks. Sometimes TMJ symptoms fade on their own. Sometimes early symptoms signal a disorder that’s getting worse.
Try the exercises and techniques above. If they don’t help within a few weeks, follow up with your primary care physician, your dentist or a TMJ dentist.
Jaw pain brings patients to our Waltham office from Lexington, Concord, Wellesley, Newton, Somerville, Cambridge, Brookline and Waltham itself. TMJ treatment can often start the same day as your first evaluation, so you do not make the drive twice before anything happens. Aesthetic Smile Reconstruction, 75 3rd Ave, Waltham, MA 02451, (781) 487-1111. See how TMJ treatment works here.
