One of the Most Common and Debilitating Chronic Pain Disorders Affects Young Women The Most

Why the hell does my face hurt?
 
You already know that stress is the culprit of all kinds of bad shit: weight gain, headaches, mineral deficiencies – the list goes on. But now you’ve got another reason to chill the hell out: TMJ.
 
Yep, chronic pain in your neck and upper back, migraines or ear problems might be coming from this bitch of a condition -- and your stress levels, diet or lifestyle habits could be to blame.

Stats and Stuff
 
According to TMJ.org, “Temperomandibular Joint Disorder is characterized by pain in the jaw joint and surrounding tissues and limitation in jaw movements.”

TMJ affects over 35 million people in the US each year – the majority of whom are women in their childbearing years. In fact, women outnumber men a whopping 9 to 1. Lucky you.
 
TMJ Symptoms
 
If you have TMJ, you know that jaw pain is only one of many irritable symptoms. Other problems can include sore cheek muscles, a clicking or popping noise in the jaw, difficulty opening your mouth all the way, teeth grinding, sore shoulders, itchy/clogged ears, balancing issues (vertigo), whooshing or ringing sounds in the ears, migraines, headaches and a whole smorgasbord of gnarly crap. Fun!

Causes
 
TMJ isn’t some crazy-ass virus you suddenly wake up with one morning. Some women are simply born with it, while others get it thanks to car accidents and other vicious blows to the facial region. Even more interesting, however, is that scientists are starting to draw a link between female hormones and TMJ, suggesting that estrogen levels might actually play a role in the severity and onset of the disorder.

Many TMJ sufferers are also women who have fibromyalgia – a condition characterized by chronic aches and pains all over the body. When shit hurts all the time, you're more likely to be stressed, fatigued and completely out of whack. No wonder that glass of wine sounds so damn good at the end of the day.
 
Diagnose Me, Doc
 
This is where things get funky. There currently isn’t a universally-accepted way to test and identify TMJ disorder. Many dentists, doctors and so-called “TMJ specialists” diagnose the disorder by obtaining every last piece of patient history information and doing dental X-rays or CAT scans. Unfortunately, patients end up blowing massive wads of money on office visits, pain killers and, in worst-case scenarios, completely unnecessary surgeries that usually do jack-shit for pain relief.
 
TMJ Home Remedies

What can you do to feel better? There are many all-natural, home remedies that actually work to cure TMJ:
 
Diet. Inflammation-fighters such as vegetables, fruits, legumes and healthy fats should be staples of your diet. Conversely, tension-inducing crap like energy drinks and soda should be avoided as much as possible. Oh, and don’t even think about chomping down on hard candy or nuts.

Exercise. Put down that remote, get your ass off Facebook and go outside. Ride your bike. Go for a walk or jog. Hell, go chase a semi down the freeway so long as it gets your blood pumping.

Stretches. Most TMJ stretches are quick and easy to do. A simple stretch such as turning your head slowly to the right as far as you can and then all the way back to the left can loosen up those stiff face muscles. Do them first thing in the morning and before you go to bed at night.

Lifestyle. Know what’s causing a lot of that tension in your face? That messed-up relationship or crappy job. Make a list of the BS that’s causing you stress and ditch it ASAP.

Posture. For the love of God, sit up straight. All that slouching at the office and in your car is pulling your neck and jaw muscles forward. Sit up straight to help reduce tension.

For additional information on the disorder, check out some TMJ treatment options you can easily do from home.

Do you have TMJ? What helps you manage the pain? Let us know in the comments section below!

Andy Coffaro, Guest Blogger
Andy is a writer, editor and marketing consultant for a vast array of health clients. After cutting his teeth as an account manager at a boutique public relations agency, he thought it would be a good idea in 2009 to try his hand at full-time freelancing despite the worst economy since The Great Depression. When he’s not busy saving the world with his TMJ Disorder Home Treatment Program, the Bay Area native spends his time running, listening to classic rock and cheering on the San Francisco Giants.

Photo Sources: patryko1, thart13, ranja2006

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