You may not think about your temporomandibular joints (TMJ) much, but you use them a lot. The joints connect your jawbone to your skull. Your TMJ springs into action each time you talk, chew, and swallow. TMJ disorders occur when something goes wrong with your jaw joints and jaw muscles. Oftentimes, this happens because of a jaw injury, inflammation such as with arthritis, or overuse.
TMJ disorders may cause mild to debilitating symptoms, such as:
pain while chewing
pain in the ear, face, jaw, and neck
clicking, grating, or popping sounds in the jaw when you open or close your mouth
locking of the jaw joint
headaches
In some cases, the symptoms of TMJ disorders may go away without treatment. If your symptoms persist, your doctor may recommend a variety of treatment options, often more than one to be done at the same time.
Medications
Along with other nonsurgical treatments, these medication options may help relieve TMJ pain:
Pain relievers and anti-inflammatories. If over-the-counter pain medications aren't enough to relieve TMJ pain, your doctor or dentist may prescribe stronger pain relievers for a limited time, such as prescription strength ibuprofen.
Tricyclic antidepressants. These medications, such as amitriptyline, are used mostly for depression, but in low doses, they're sometimes used for pain relief, bruxism control and sleeplessness.
Muscle relaxants. These types of drugs are sometimes used for a few days or weeks to help relieve pain caused by TMJ disorders created by muscle spasms.
Therapies
Nondrug therapies for TMJ disorders include:
Oral splints or mouth guards (occlusal appliances). Often, people with jaw pain will benefit from wearing a soft or firm device inserted over their teeth, but the reasons why these devices are beneficial are not well-understood.
Physical therapy. Along with exercises to stretch and strengthen jaw muscles, treatments might include ultrasound, moist heat and ice.
Counseling. Education and counseling can help you understand the factors and behaviors that may aggravate your pain, so you can avoid them. Examples include teeth clenching or grinding, leaning on your chin, or biting fingernails.
In some cases, TMJ disorders go away on their own. If your symptoms persist, TMJ exercises may help bring pain relief.
