There seem to be more illnesses in today’s time than cures, though medical experts and scientists are doing everything they can to find cures and stop the spread of disease or illnesses. The illness TMJ or Temporomandibular joint disorders manifests with the jaw, jaw joint and the surrounding facial muscles which is caused because of an injury to the area, clenching or grinding of the teeth, osteoarthritis, dislocation of the soft cushiony area, rheumatoid arthritis of the Temporomandibular joint. The acute TMJ pain can occur suddenly even if one is not chewing, singing, talking, yawning, sleeping on one side of the face or even with the mouth open, cradling the jaw, or what have you. The problem is that it makes a person feel confused as to why the sudden pain, especially when things were hunky dory earlier! This is the problem with illnesses – they are hardly ever around and then they suddenly ‘happen’ and before you know it, treatment is the answer to a solution that was unheard of. Headaches and difficulty in opening the mouth is another facet of the illness, along with tenderness in the neck, shoulders, face, the lower joint area, pain in the neck and tinnitus.
For every problem one has to make sure that one meets with the right professional or one can feel they one will have to have a second or even a third opinion. Diagnosis with tests like an x-ray, CT scan, MRI, imaging testing, etc. will be able to identify the problem. A TMJ specialist after ruling out the problem with the test results makes sure that the patient sticks to a diet with soft food, warm compresses on the jaw or the area that is paining based on the TMJ symptoms. Anti inflammatory pain killers are prescribed with a view to help ease the suffering of the patient – these are the self help treatment ‘duties’ of a person suffering from the illness. In addition to this the specialist may fit the person with a bite plate or a splint which is a plastic guard really that is positioned to fit the upper and lower set of teeth. TMJ treatment reduces acute clenching of the teeth especially if worn at night. If a patient has been having dental work, he or she must ensure that any problem with the gums or teeth, are ruled out before following this process. Cortisone treatment is another option that is suggested by doctors to help patients ease the acute pain. If these solutions do not work, perhaps invasive surgery will be a necessity, depending on the extent of the malady of course. However, many of the time tested methods and the professionals do not consider surgery as an option unless actually required as it may not actually cure the problem. The best way to deal with the problem is to actually try and ease any form of stress, stop clenching the teeth, stick to a program of soft food and generally try and change the course of life without thinking too much about the problem.
