I have read through so many threads on this forum...as TMJ sufferers (in the beginning atleast) we are all looking for the most information we can possibly get our eyes on to better educate ourselves and somehow get relief from pain.
I, for one, have decided to quit taking OTC pain meds such as Tylenol and Ibuprofen. TMJ can last for years and although I have been dealing with it for only one year, I do not want to find myself 10 years down the road with a bad liver from too much Tylenol...lol. It's just not good to take that stuff every day for years and years. I would rather just live with a headache.
Anyway, back to the point of this thread, one day I happened to be reading how someone suggested letting your jaw "hang"...as in the "duh" position (lol)..very relaxed and a little open. I have only been doing it for 1 1/2 days but it has helped with my headaches so much it is unbelievable. I think it will take a while to make this a habit...at least until my jaw gets back to normal (because from my experience, TMJ issues come and go depending on how I handle my jaw). Anyway, if you have not tried this, I dare you to and let me know how it works for you. For some reason once I was diagnosed with TMJ I somehow would clench even more (?) Weird. Maybe it's just that I realized I was doing it once I became aware.
Lastly, I purchased an OTC mouth guard and even if it was a $500 fitted mouth guard from my dentist, I don't think I believe in them. If you are going to clench anyway, all it basically does is protect your teeth. When I wear a guard I clench the mouth guard STILL putting pressure on my teeth. For me it is pointless. If it helps you, so be it. Whether I clench my teeth or a night guard the result is the same...constant headaches when I awake.
Oh yeah, has anyone ever looked inside their cheeks at their gums? On both sides of my gums I have what looks like a "line" (that I can feel, too) running parallel with my teeth. I wonder what that has to do with?
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