The holiday season has arrived and you've looked forward all year to satisfying your appetite with sugary-sweet desserts, holiday cookies, and fudge. Only one problem stands in your way--jaw pain. Instead of enjoying each delicious bite, your jaw is painfully popping, catching, and locking as you desperately try to enjoy your holiday plate of food.

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is a common site for trouble resulting in jaw pain, headaches, neck pain and shoulder pain. Jaw popping, catching, locking, teeth grinding, and ringing in the ears are also common complaints with TMJ related pain. Even stress from the holidays contributes to the problem. TMJ disorder is quite common and affects 5-15% of people per year, interestingly only 1/2-2/3 of people seek help. Typically this is because most people are unaware of what can be done to relieve their pain. Don't continue to grind your teeth over this, instead empower yourself with some basic knowledge that will put you on a path to relief.

Temoromandibular disorder (TMD) can be challenging to diagnose because of its wide range of symptoms. Some people may have minor issues with their jaw movements or bite alignment that cause their jaw pain. For others, it's the emotional stress that can lead to clenching or grinding the teeth and compression of the joint. The unfortunate side effect is tightness in the jaw muscles, pain in the cheeks, and painful temples. Other people develop a habit of biting their tongue, cheek, lips to avoid their jaw and teeth issues.

While it is a complicated problem to treat, those who treat it regularly can make quick sense of the combination of symptoms. A team approach is often the best way to get fast pain relief. A physical therapist specializing in the problem is a great place to start, but choose one that will work together with a dentist or even your doctor to get the best results.

Don't feel like you need to resort to walking 10 blocks through downtown Rochester to find the best soup special to avoid pain. There are many other things you can do to make eating your favorite treats less painful. In most cases, relief from TMJ related pain comes from nonsurgical treatments. Occasionally severe cases may need to be treated with orthodontics, dental procedures, or oral surgery. The great news is that there are a few simple things you can start doing during this holiday season to start reducing your pain right away.

To start feeling relief today, use these tips:

• Ensure you tongue rests gently against the roof of your mouth. This helps relax jaw muscles and reduce tension.
• Avoid frequent or prolonged mouth breathing.
• Gentle moist heat directly to the neck and jaw muscles can help relax muscles and relieve pain.

Brian McQuilkin is a Physical Therapist
with Active PT with a special interest in TMJ disorders.
More tips, tricks, and TMD resources are available at www.ActivePTandSports.com
©2009 ActivePT, Corp. - Reproduce with written permission only.