Instah > Ear, Nose, Throat Ailments > Cause, Symptoms and Achy Jaws Treatment
Cause, Symptoms and Achy Jaws Treatment
Jaws are needed for smiling, talking, chewing, laughing and yawning. One is generally not very conscious of it. Only when there is discomfort in that region, one tends to become aware of it. Pain can occur, which can be quite nagging and muscles of the jaws may not be very flexible for either chewing purposes, or laughing or whatever you may use the jaw for.
What are Achy Jaws?
Jaw joint is also known as the temporomandibular joint. (TMJ). Over 10 million Americans have TMJ disorders. There is much pain and discomfort in the jaws and the pain can be very debilitating at times.
Achy Jaws Causes (TMJ)
Primary achy jaws causes includes:
- Stress.
- Tooth Grinding.
- Jaw injuries.
Research is still very unclear. Many experts feel that stress causes TMJ and wearing of orthodontic braces may not necessarily cause pain in the jaw. No solid proof is available which says that clicking sounds in the area of jaw joints can cause TMJ.
Achy Jaws Symptoms (TMJ)
Primary achy jaws symptoms includes:
- Initially, one experiences pain in the jaw joint or in the area of the chewing muscles.
- Gradually, one experiences stiffness of the jaws or the jaws get locked up,
- Clicking is painful.
- One experiences grating or popping in the jaw joints.
- Change in the manner how the upper and lower teeth set together.
- Sometimes the pain is there for awhile but at times it may continue to persist.
Achy Jaws Treatment (TMJ)
As in the case of causes, much uncertainty is there about treatment.
- Widely used therapy is the plastic guard. It is sometimes known as a bite guard or a stabilization splint. It fits over the upper or the lower teeth. But, whether it can relieve pain or not, studies to this effect have been inconclusive.
Efforts will continue to find out the causes and other forms of treatment for TMJ. Till then, one will find ways and means to relieve a person of the pain by avoiding surgery which may affect the structure of the jaw.
Related posts from Past:
