subject: Problems With The Tmj [print this page] Yawning is fairly simple and chewing is something that you can continuously do because your jaw is fixated at the side of the head courtesy of the temporomandibular joint or TMJ for short but there are a number of people who have TMJ disorders across the world.
There are several types of motions that the jaw needs to fulfill in order for activities like playing music to be successful.
If you find out about problems with regard to your TMJ, usually, it is when the condition has already worsened over time since it is not easy to spot the occurrence of the disorder considering that it shares symptoms with other ailments.
More often than not, muscle pain in the jaw area can mean that a TMJ disorder has developed.
There are various stressors that can lead to a problem with this particular joint. As much as possible, time should be spent figuring out what caused a TMJ disorder from manifesting as this is necessary for any cure to begin.
Common or not, you can attribute a number of different causes when a TMJ disorder starts to manifest and some of these reasons include muscle clenching around the area of the jaw, bruxis, fingernail biting, and even more severe reasons like trauma from accidents and the like.
Usually, those who play music suffer from TMJ disorders because of the posture that they have when they read the sheet music. Playing the viola and similar instruments can lead to the problem because of the stress factor.
Playing the violin or viola can be stressful but aside from this, other concerns such as positioning of the neck and shoulders and the constant bow movement can also cause the problem to occur.
You need to know the root cause of a TMJ disorder for you to be able to treat it. When it comes to medicating a condition, it is best if the problem is discovered early.
You can take pain medication if the soreness continues or you can also place ice caps near the affected area.
What you need to watch out for in this case is a recurrence which you can prevent through stress management. For those whose TMJ problem is due to bruxism, a mouth splint might be necessary to prevent teeth grinding at night.
In line with the TMJ, your positioning when you play music matters tremendously. If you play music, take the time to exercise the jaw to ensure that no straining happens.
Violins need to be played using a certain kind of posture and to help reduce muscle strain try to put a piece of carrot in between your back molars.
Using a needle, there is a procedure that you can get from a dentist and this involves cleaning out the area of the jaw where the inflammatory deposits are present. Actually, when it comes to a TMJ issue, reconstructive surgery will only make matters worse.
When it comes to problems with the TMJ, you need to get the opinion of an expert. Examinations are necessary not to mention a copy of your records when it comes to getting the right condition determination.
When it comes to this, be sure to consult at least two specialists.
