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Pressures on the temporomandibular joint can stem from a number of sources: wearing braces, chronic or acute stress, misalignment in the palette or other cranial plates, injury, etc. But whatever the cause, the effects can be painful, as you know, and if your TMJ is causing you to grind your teeth -- either at night while sleeping or during the day -- you do not want to erode the protective enamel of your teeth any further. Here is a simple treatment, even though it is not easy to do at first, but it's worth it: 1. Determine how far you can open your jaw. Sometimes this is only one finger wide, for others it may be two or three fingers wide. 2. Find something soft yet firm to bite down on that is about the same size. A cork from a wine bottle will work for one finger's width. A plastic film container may approximate two to three fingers' width. 3. Place the object between your teeth so that your mouth is open for the next couple of minutes. 4. For 3 to 5 minutes, practice panting with the object between your teeth. The longer you can do this, the better. If you feel light-headed, just sit down. You do not have to pant heavily. A light panting will do the job. Have one hand on your diaphragm just below your ribs in the middle and make sure that your panting moves your hand slightly. One session will usually break the clamping and grinding habit in your jaw. But if you do notice the TMJ trying to re-assert itself, just do the exercise again. It only takes minutes and it's amazing to feel the relief! Return to main listing. Contact Us | My Daily Dragon Home | |
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