The temporomandibular joint is possibly the most intricate joint in the human anatomy.  It is the only joint which both articulates (hinges) and translates (slides). Temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMJ, is a blanket term describing chronic inflammation of the temporomandibular joint, which connects the jaw to the skull. Many individuals experience clicking or popping of their jaw when yawning, chewing, or even just talking.The circumstance is considered TMJ disorder when there is pain. In serious cases, the condition can include headaches and neck pain.

Many individuals with TMJ syndrome suffer from chronic stress.  Clenching of the teeth, biting nails, and grinding teeth at night can cause or exacerbate the condition.In these examples, treatments as varied as psychotherapy, meditation, and wearing a biteguard at night have been demonstrated to provide TMJ relief.

For many years I suffered TMJ on my right side, partly due to grinding my teeth at night, and partly as a result of doing most of my chewing on the right side of my mouth. The anguish was grievous enough that whenever I slept on my right side, the following day that side of my face was too painful to touch.

My dental practitioner commented that my molars on my left side displayed unusual wearing. The overdevelopment of the muscles needed to clench the jaw shut causes the bones in the joint to pinch down on the bursa, a small sac. One simple, highly effective exercise involved pressing my fists underneath my jaw, and gently opening my job against the resistance created by my hands.Inside a couple of weeks of day-to-day practice, the pain was for the most part eradicated. 

I personally caution against the common recommendation of a soft diet, as reduced activity can lead to further deconditioning.

Even as symptoms of TMJ can be misidentified as earache or impacted wisdom teeth, TMJ is occasionally misdiagnosed as originating from impacted molars. As with any medical condition, diagnosis should be left to a professional, as the same pain symptoms could be indicative of a serious abscess or deep infection.

The emerging field of neuromuscular dentistry has concerned itself with the specific issues causing an emerging from TMJ disorder. A neuromuscular dentist concentrates not only on proper alignment of the teeth, but correct functioning of the TMJ joint and muscles.

As pain relievers such as acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are generally have only short-term effectiveness in treating TMJ pain (which is often neuralgic in nature), low doses of tricyclic antidepressants such as Amitriptyline and Nortriptyline are sometimes prescribed for pain modification.

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