Treatments vary greatly from one health professional to another. No one treatment can treat all TMJ problems successfully. Some symptoms of TMJ can be relieved quickly while other symptoms will take longer time. Even though there is no quick fix but identifying the causes most likely will mitigate and even relieve the symptoms. Our treatment protocol is to treat the causes of the problems and not just treating the symptoms.
TMJ problems can originated from the teeth, the TM Joint itself, from the jaw muscles, or from other aggravating factors like trauma both physical and mental. Most TMJ problems are a combination of many causes. Different causes result in different symptoms. The symptoms resulting from teeth problems will be much different from those resulting from the muscles. Teeth relationship (how upper and lower teeth fit) can cause bruxism, and injuries to the jaw muscle as well as the temporomandibular joint. Temporomandibular joint itself can be damaged from excessive jaw muscle forces from an unbalanced teeth relationship. It is important for the TMJ sufferer to understand that the disorder can be acute and chronic in nature and highly dependent upon the interaction of the multiple factors. Jaw, head and neck muscles can also cause multiple headaches and facial pain.
Hot towels around the head with massage of the face and neck muscles, as well as the upper back, will give some immediate relief. Not clinching the teeth will also help. See you doctor as quickly as possible.
If no treatment was done, some symptoms last a short time while other
symptom last for years and even a lifetime.
For those symptoms that do not go away in a short time, such as a few
days or weeks, and the cause is not treated, the problem can manifested
into chronic problems resulting in permanent damage and treatment will
be more complicated.
This information is FYI only. It is not intended to provide treatment
or recommend treatment by any means or methods. Any health problems need
careful diagnosis by your attending doctors.