If you have a disorder that affects the temporomandibular joints, your symptoms may hinder all aspects of life. For example, jaw pain might impede your performance when giving a presentation at work, while headaches likely prevent you from enjoying time with loved ones. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce the severity of TMJ symptoms at home. Below, Oral Surgery Associates of Alaska, Anchorage’s leading oral surgeon, shares some simple exercises for getting started. Coupled with their services, you can achieve lasting relief. 

Relieving TMJ-Related Pain at Home: Try These 3 Exercises

1. Chin Tucks

Chin tucks increase mobility by stretching the jaw, which can reduce the severity and frequency of symptom flare-ups. To perform this exercise, sit or stand with your chin up and shoulders back. Then, pull your head straight back as if you are trying to create a “double chin.” Hold this position for three seconds, release, and repeat nine more times. 

2. Resistance Yawns

Make a fist and use it to push against your chin while opening your mouth, as if yawning. Hold the open-mouthed position for three to five seconds with the fist still providing resistance before closing your mouth. This exercise will strengthen jaw muscles, which can relieve many of the symptoms of TMJ-disorders over time. 

3. Deep Breathing

For a lot of people, TMJ-related pain is the result of stress, which often causes tension in the head, jaw, neck, and shoulders. As a result, practicing a few deep breathing exercises can help. Try inhaling slowly, and let your stomach expand as you do so. Then, exhale slowly for as long as you can before repeating. Perform a dozen times for optimum stress relief. 

If you have a TMJ disorder and the symptoms are affecting everyday life, turn to the knowledgeable oral surgeons at Oral Surgery Associates of Alaska. Based in Anchorage, this dental surgery practice treats patients who have all kinds of oral health issues, from impacted canines to facial trauma. Visit their website to explore the various procedures they perform, or call (907) 561-1430 to make an appointment with one of their oral surgeons today.