Is TMJ bothering you? You're not alone. TMJ disorders affect over10 million Americans. Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders are usually the result of inflamed and painful chewing muscles around your jaw. For some, it comes and goes and is triggered by doing something like chewing a piece of gum all day. For others, TMJ can be chronic and very painful. You're probably wondering how to get rid of your jaw pain. There's excellent news. A TMJ massage can help relieve your pain. As you read on, we'll provide a little background on TMJ and cover three specific at-home therapies that will offer your jaw some pain relief. Show
The 411 on TMJThe exact cause of TMJ is often challenging to determine. But there are some causes to look out for including, arthritis, a jaw injury, or clenching or grinding your teeth (bruxism). It also can be genetic. Signs of TMJ may include:
Contact your dentist if you have persistent pain or tenderness in your jaw or if you have trouble opening or closing your jaw all the way. Now, let's discuss the fun part so you can get some relief! TMJ Kneading MassageA TMJ kneading massage provides constant, circular motion against the joints and muscles most affected by TMJ pain. Here's how you do it:
TMJ Friction MassageNext up: the TMJ friction massage. For some people, pressure alone is enough to find some relief. That said, it needs to be done correctly and in the right place. Here's how to apply a TMJ friction massage to yourself:
TMJ Stretching MassageThe final massage for TMJ we'll cover today is the stretching massage. If you liked the friction massage, the TMJ stretching massage could further your relief and "exercise" the muscles most responsible for TMJ disorders. Here's what you need to do:
Pro-tip: The first variation of this massage needs two thumbs, so you might want to ask your partner for help! Now you know how to relieve some of your TMJ jaw pain, and the best part is that you can do all three of these massages at home. The key is to find the exact points and pressure that works for you. And to keep experimenting until you find relief. If you notice you're sore or stiff for too long, see your dentist or doctor for treatment options to pair with any of these TMJ massage techniques. So start trying out these massages today. It'll help you drop the pain and feel more comfortable as soon as possible. Skip to content
Why Jaw Joint Popping Is More Serious Than Knuckle CrackingYou might think that, because you routinely crack your knuckles and there’s nothing wrong with it, you don’t have to worry about popping in other joints, such as your jaw joint. First of all, there are potential problems with cracking your knuckles (such as risk of acute injury, decreased hand strength, and swollen joints). And your jaw joint is a different type of joint from your knuckles, so the popping associated with TMJ has a very different cause, which is much more serious.  What Causes Cracking in Your KnucklesCracking your knuckles is kind of a mysterious event, and there are many things about it that aren’t fully understood. We know that the joints in your knuckles, known as diarthrodial joints, are made up of two bones with a piece of cartilage in between them, which is bound tightly in place by ligaments. The cartilage is bathed in fluid, and there are gases dissolved in the fluid. When you physically manipulate your knuckles, you stretch them out, resulting in an increase in volume and a drop in pressure, which causes gases to come out of solution. We think that the cause of the sound–or the cause of part of the sound, since it’s composed of multiple parts–is this action of gases coming out of solution. This has been observed in a number of studies, including a recent detailed analysis by the University of California Davis, which used ultrasound to look at hundreds of people cracking their knuckles and repeatedly saw the same pattern to find that the sound of knuckle cracking is caused by the formation of the bubble, not the popping of it. We know that knuckle cracking is probably not dangerous. Studies have shown that the activity is not linked to arthritis, though people who regularly crack their knuckles might have more joint swelling and a weaker hand strength than those who don’t crack their knuckles. What Causes Cracking in Your JawJaw joint cracking, on the other hand, is caused by displacement of the cushioning cartilage. Your temporomandibular joint is a much more complicated joint, known as a condyloid joint, where the cushioning cartilage is not bound so tightly into place. It’s designed to have a little more freedom of movement to facilitate the complex motions of your jaw joint (your fingers just bend, while your jaw joint moves all over the place). When the cartilage is displaced in the jaw joint, it might still cushion the two bones, but it’s unstable. At a certain point in its motion, it will slip back into place, which is what causes the click or pop. You’ll probably notice that your jaw tends to move irregularly along with the popping sound. You may also experience sharp jaw pain at this moment, though many people have more dull, aching muscular pain and don’t get sharp pains at this time. Because jaw popping is linked to joint disc displacement, it can lead to jaw damage in a number of ways. First, this displacement stretches the ligament. Plus, it puts the ligament between the bones. This damages the ligament and may make it hard for the disc to slip back into place. If the disc can’t slip back into place, the jaw locks. In addition, when the disc isn’t in place, it does little or nothing to cushion the bones in the joint, which can lead to bone damage. As the bones grind, they can release tiny shards that irritate other tissues, leading to swelling, pain, and limited jaw movement. Can You Have TMJ without Popping?Yes. There are many reasons why you might not experience clicking or popping associated with TMJ. For some people, the movement of the cartilage doesn’t cause much noise or much disturbance of the motion of the jaw. In other words, you have have the popping, but it’s quieter and you may not notice it. In other cases, you may have progressed beyond the point where your cartilage is slipping back into place. It may be so displaced that it’s no longer cushioning your jaw joint at all. (See our more detailed description of what joint problems mean.) In this case, you may hear a grinding sound of bones contacting, or you may hear nothing at all. Either way, the chances are good that your jaw joint is suffering serious problems at this point and if left untreated may require surgery to correct. If you are experiencing jaw popping, it shouldn’t be ignored. Please call (303) 691-0267 for an appointment with a Denver TMJ dentist at the TMJ Therapy & Sleep Center of Colorado. Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!How do I pop my jaw back in place?After wrapping their fingers with gauze, doctors or dentists place their thumbs inside the mouth on the lower back teeth. They place their other fingers around the bottom of the lower jaw. They press down on the back teeth and push the chin up until the jaw joints return to their normal location.
Will my jaw pop back into place on its own?Sometimes, the dislocation happens because of accident or injury. However, if the ligaments in your jaw are too loose, they allow your mouth to open too wide. There are times that the joint will return to its place naturally. But there are also times when the joint doesn't return without treatment.
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How to crack your jaw back in place
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