Do you ever hear a clicking noise when you move your mouth? Do you have trouble opening and closing your jaw all the way? Then you might have temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, or a problem with the joint just below your ears that connects your jaw to your skull. Although this condition can be painful, there are TMJ stretches you can do to relieve your discomfort. Let’s take a closer look at 9 of them.
1. Relaxed Jaw Exercise
For this exercise, gently place your tongue on the roof of your mouth, just behind your two front teeth. Slowly allow your jaws to come apart while keeping your jaw muscles fully relaxed.
2. Goldfish Exercises (Partial Opening)
Rest your tongue against the top of your mouth. Place one finger on your TMJ in front of your ear. Put the pointer finger of your other hand on your chin. Drop your lower jaw slightly and then close again. While you should feel some resistance, there should not be pain. Do this exercise six times to complete one set. For maximum pain relief, do six sets of this stretch a day.
3. Goldfish Exercises (Full Opening)
Like the previous exercise, put one finger on your chin and another on your TMJ. This time, however, allow your lower jaw to drop completely. Again, six of these stretches are considered one set. Be sure to do six sets daily to alleviate your discomfort.
4. Side-to-Side Jaw Movement
Place an object that’s a quarter-inch thick, such as stacked popsicle sticks, between your top and bottom front teeth. Move your jaw from side to side slowly. Over time this exercise will become easier. As this happens, increase the thickness of the object between your teeth.
5. Forward Jaw Movement
Again, place a quarter-inch thick object between your front teeth. This time, though, move your bottom jaw forward so it juts out more than your top jaw. Increase the thickness of the object you use as the exercise becomes easier.
6. Resisted Opening of the Mouth
Put your thumb under your chin. Apply a gentle pressure with your thumb as you slowly open your mouth. Hold for about five seconds, then close your mouth just as slowly.
7. Resisted Closing of the Mouth
Using your index fingers and thumbs, gently squeeze your chin. As you apply gentle pressure on your chin, close your mouth. This will help strengthen your chewing muscles.
8. Chin Tucks
Place your shoulders back and chest up. Create a “double chin” by pulling your chin straight back. Hold this position for three seconds. Repeat this exercise ten times.
9. Tongue Up
This one is a little simpler than the others. Touch your tongue to the roof of your mouth and keep it there as you slowly open and close your mouth.
No one is entirely certain how these TMJ stretches work to relieve pain, but aren’t you glad they do? For more relief from TMJ pain, be sure to consult your doctor or dentist.
About the Author
Dr. Pamela West is a graduate of the University of Southern California School of Dentistry and is a member of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine. She has established herself as one of the Top Dentists in the Greater Las Vegas area. She founded and currently works at iSleepSolutions in Summerlin, where she excels at treating both sleep apnea and TMJ disorder. If you frequently experience discomfort in your TMJ, don’t hesitate to contact Dr. West on her website or by phone at (702) 602-2000.