Today we're going to talk about TMJ.
That's an acronym for Temporomandibular Joint Disorder, and it's a major problem for so many people.
It's often very severely painful, and I'd like to talk about some bad habits that you might be doing because there are so many exercises that you can do to relax your jaw as well as massage or some kind of exercise thing but if you don't stop the bad habits, then that's not gonna be good because it's gonna come back. You can relieve the pain by doing something, but it will come back after a couple of hours or something like that. So it's super super super important not to make those bad habits that I'm going to introduce today.
1. Not Noticing your Causing Tension
I learned from my chiropractor in Japan that if you have a line here or a wavy shape between the on the side of your tank, you're clenching. However, I'm sure I'm not crunching. Still, I have tension. So it's possible that even if you have good tongue posture and good teeth posture, you can still have tension in muscles which is really annoying. Still, it is that it's possible so in my case, I'm good posture teeth posture is good too. However, I can still cause tension in the muscle.
I want to suggest that if you look at yourself in the mirror (or someone else looks at you), check out this space between your teeth and then try to make sure there's no tension as well as when your head is on your butt (like this) with good posture you should be able to relax without having to exercise! In my personal opinion, the way to relax the muscle is just to take a deep breath, inhale then exhale, when you exhale, don't open your mouth but instead release any tension so that it doesn't build up again!
2. Asymmetry
Asymmetry is one of the big reasons you might have TMJ pain, and it can be a pain to treat. If you have TMJ pain, it's very likely that you have asymmetry which means not just a visual asymmetry, but either side is more painful when you drop your jaw and touch your fingers in front of the mirror in front of yours. If this is the case, then one joint will pop up more than the other actually. It might even feel like it's popping out more on that side. This means that either side will be more painful than the other over time so it's not good to have asymmetry!
3. Ignoring teeth alignment
If you're ignoring tooth alignment, it's time to pay attention.
You may have ignored the fact that your teeth are crooked for a long time, but that doesn't mean it's not causing damage. In fact, if you have crooked teeth and an uneven jaw, it could be causing damage to the entire facial structure and even worse, it could be causing pain in your TMJ! Your upper and lower front teeth are connected to the bone structure of your face. If those teeth are crooked, then your bone structure will also be crooked and that can cause serious pain in your TMJ.
The best way to avoid this problem is to choose a dentist who recognizes the importance of proper alignment and who will help you get back on track with orthodontic treatment.
4. Body Posture
We're going to try good body posture again. This time, set your head on your butt, open your chest and shoulder down tight is up space between the teeth. Make sure there's no tension here, and then on purpose, you're gonna look down even more. Do you feel pain or tension? I do. Let me know if you feel tension or not because I love to know what you think.
The difference to me is a big one. I feel the tension even if I try not to do it. I feel like I have attended, so that means this experiment tells me that that posture really forces you to cause a lot of tension here not just in the hair but here too because it's connected at totally makes sense now!
I always say body and face are connected without knowing like like without really feeling the difference but not now!
5. Stress
It's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day bustle of your life and not notice how your face contorts, but the truth is, it happens. So many times a day that it becomes second nature, and you don't even realize it.
The good news is that there are things you can do now to help combat this unconscious facial tension, when you're awake, try to be mindful of your facial muscle tension, and check a mirror when you have time so that you can catch your unconscious facial expression habits. Deep inhale and exhale to relax these muscles as well. You might not be able to check the size of the lines on your face at first, but you can easily check here right (pointing). After doing this for a while, you'll probably find some habits like every time I go to this class (and point), I have more attention here (point). After this class (and point), I have more lines here (point). This means that history class is very stressful for me! But now I know so I can try to relax!
You can release tension in your jaw and neck by practicing good posture, your head should be on your back, your chest open, shoulders down, and your head sitting bone 50/50 symmetrical to the space between your teeth. Then close your mouth and place your tongue on papa's tongue up to the space between your teeth, and then close. Release tension and repeat.
A good body posture is one way to release tension in the jaw and neck. Another way is to stop fixing your teeth. Fixing your back teeth can create more asymmetry and cause more pain, so be careful!
You can also try to reduce stress by doing meditation or something else that works for you. It's worth trying because it's really effective!
