Dear Recent Client after our first appointment to address TMJ symptoms:

I hope you are seeing some improvement, the steps, even incremental, are important.

For all causes, symptoms and discomforts, there is an opening.

The authentic endeavor to address your body's signals and cultivate possibility and solution is a blessing all its own.

In electing to treat your TMJ holistically, you open pathways to well being of your jaw, head and neck. This itself opens us to greater self love and self care.... that results in lower stress levels (and less strain at the levels of the brain that mitigate stress with TMJ symptoms)

In encourage you to give it a little of your time, for each effort of self care adds up cumulatively.

Best wishes. Stay on the path of finding and applying what nourishes you.

If you are in a place to put homework into supporting the jaw....

Here are my offerings...

1) The "cork exercise." Its called the cork exercise because you hold a cork - or other smaller household object between your teeth for 1-3 minutes. Starting with an object that is big enough for you to feel stretch without pain is ideal. Start with one minute a day for a week. The second week, choose a slightly larger object for up to two minutes for a week. For the third week use the same object for three minutes. For the fourth week, choose a slightly larger object that brings stretch without severe discomfort for three minutes.

The idea is that you do the cork exercise once, even twice a day for 2-4 weeks. The musculoskeletal system being what it is, its responsiveness and plasticity require consistent input.

2) Rocobado's 6 TMJ exercises. They will help resent muscle imbalances and bring further awareness and re-education to the tissues. 

3) Icing after these exercise would be great, to calm any inflammation response

.....as would any self massage of the temporal bones, occiput, neck, such as:

4) This Qi Gong exercise for the head would be ideal, once a day. It will help loosen intracranial tension and drain intracranial stagnation. 

5) Given the likelihood of a compounded stress component that often precedes a TMJ incident, a restorative yin yoga practice, once a week can be a game reset. My all time favorite is this one, taught by Michelle Goldstein of Heart Alchemy Yoga.

6) Ongoing Craniosacral contact can be really helpful, every 1-4 weeks in actute situations, a general rule of thumb. It helps resolve lesions, support the restoration of ease pathways so that this TMJ event does not become chronic. Typically I see improvement in increments as many roots of musculoskeletal balance points and fascial trains both intercranially and in the peripheral nervous system are involved with the TMJ. One session is not usually adequate unfortunately, the body being a garden and not machine as we know. 

7) We water and tend what we can, when we can. 

And no pressure to do any or all of the above. Just offerings. 

With love,

Broehe

Want More on the Jaw? Wow you have an appetite. Okay...!

As with any stress we want to recover from, soothing stress in the central and peripheral nervous systems is important

This refers to layers of unconscious stress mechanisms reflected throughout the endocrine, lymphatic, and musculoskeletal systems.

The temperomandibular joint (tmj) or jaw, is a cornerstone of our survival: mechanisms moving through this area are so crucial that aspects of it are managed by the cerebellum and the brainstem, the reptilian, oldest parts of our brain. Such as breathing and airway. Such as taking in and breaking down nourishment: chewing, salivating, tasting, swallowing. On top of that: communication, the production and resonance of sound, expression, language. Also, intimacy/contact with near ones, such as kissing. For a mammal, communication, belonging to others, alerting others to danger or our own wants and needs is survival. Its a need of belonging. When threatened, we tend to show our teeth, grind. Thanks reptilian brain.

(Because of that, taking care of the brainstem/cerebellum via the head and neck are so important. See my blogpost on neck pain for self care. The tail of the head and neck is the sacrum, and what I call the roots of the central nervous system: sacrum, lower pelvis, low back, pelvic floor, hips, legs, knees, ankles, bones and articulations of the foot bones (tarsals). Don't neglect to take a walk, roll on the floor, dance for a song or two. Waving your hands in the air like you don't care will improve drainage and cardiovascular function, go for a song or two or 3-5 minutes!)

When musculoskeletal tension and stresses such as over sitting and over flexing in the spine and lack of variety of movement become prevalent, we become more susceptible to headaches, TMJ, neck pain, etc. Oh that sounds like a lot of life experiences for many of us, having been in chairs for 8 hours starting in our developmental years. Do that 1-2 song dance! or roll on the floor from time to time....

Night-time clenching and grinding is a favorite way our body mitigates stress at the unconcious level in the brainstem and cerebellum.

Joint capsule problems, malocclusion, bruxism, injuries, chewing imbalances, temporal bone misalignment, postural dysfunction such as "forward head," pain in the upper neck, extensive dental history including surgeries, orthodontia, extractions, and bridges can all change the alignment of "bite" and thus change the balance of the muscles the move the jaw, as can the discomfort of sinus infection and blockage.

The main jaw muscle, the masseter, is responsible for 50% of the tension in our bodies. This is due to its relationship to the limbic and sympathetic nervous system, where the generation of reflexive and unconscious somatic motor responses are running all the time. Eating habits, expression, emotions, posture, sleep, and inner balance can immediately reflect a system on high alert and can create a negative feedback loops of tension throughout the tissues in our heads, as well as our thoughts, words, actions and relationships. When stress peaks, the fight or flight response of the limbic system puts a squeeze on surrounding tissues near the brain stem, which is directly in between and behind the right and left temperomandibular joints.

We can use this the other way around though! As we relax the jaw, the body follows.

I'd like to share that the vagal nerve is 80% assessing the relative safety or threat of our environment. Literally: is my person cared for? groomed? touched caringly? Infants with no vagal nerve input of skin to skin contact or sufficient care do not survive. This is how important caring touch is, a necessary reflection of safety needed to switch to parasympathetic motor functions of digestion and procreation....and self realization. Development, growth, healing, halt in threatened environments until such time as those threats are demonstrably inhibited.

My teacher's teacher, Hugh Milne said that over 60% of his tmj clients were women who were conditioned with the epithet: "If you can't say something nice, don't say something at all." He instructs us to educate the client to notice when they "swallow truth and notice anger and aggression and when anger is restrained."

The somatic reflection of these conditionings reflect literally in the fibers of the right and left temporalis posterior muscles of the jaw, which retracts the jaw - a reflection of the inhibition of expression and communication.

The opposite or antagonist muscle is the muscle that protrudes the mandible/jaw bone. This muscle is the enactment of assertion of expression, bringing forward the mandible, via the right and left lateral pterygoid muscles. Hugh Milne says the lateral pterygoid muscles are the expression of anger, dominance, assertion, confidence, will. In many clients with jaw pain, these muscles are hurting and out of balance.... and there is no judgement. This is very human stuff. We all have challenges on our path of self expression - its pitfalls and its clarities.

How do we address these mind-body phenemena on a path toward ease and harmony? Keep reading....and try one or more of any of these offerings.

Other homework options for the TMJ

Place your fingers in gaps near bony structures in the jaw, just in front of the ear. With the fingers holding each jaw, gently open the mouth about 5%. Gently close. Repeat 7 times. Increase or decrease pressure of your fingers as needed. Rub the bony structures behind the ear and at the base of the skull, the temples and side of the head. Use an essential oil: Cedarwood, Juniper, Lavendar, Clary Sage, Frankinsense, Roman Chamomile, Rose, or Sandalwood.

Use a hot water compress covered by a cloth and hold on painful spots.

Nourish the cells of muscle tissue internally with homeopathic medicine like arnica montana or a magnesium supplement like "Calm" sold at health food stores or herbal medicine. Also nourish externally as needed. Try an herbal topical such as the Ultimate Healing Cream.

For more about chronic pain, read Chronic Pain Recovery in Six Steps.

Soothe the vagus nerve in the body

The vagus nerve brings the body into its relaxed, parasympathetic state and is vital in bringing the body out of inflammation and the stress response.

Here's an easy thing to do!

Take two fingers on either side of your belly button and make small bouncing motions about 50 times.

Apply a cool wet cloth to the temples. Aaah. Do it again. Aaah. Do it everytime you have a moment, perhaps before leaving the restroom. Big exhale. You'll find more holistic self care ways to soothe your vagus nerve here. And don't forget about those essential oil hydrosols like a rose petal witch hazel spray on your temples, face, neck, nape. Aaaaah, that's my favorite way. Rosewater any moment. Aaah.

Child's pose and Legs up the Wall are ways to bring the body to Mid-tide flow of cerebral spinal fluid, the tide in which the body engages its own self healing impulses. For more on the tides and their mental-emotional-physical components see my blog article.

Care for the muscles of the pelvis, sacrum, and low back

The muscles of the jaw refer directly to the muscles of the hip and pelvis. If you have TMJ pain, you likely also have lower back, sacral or hip tension. Is that true for you? See your therapist and/or address it with more diy back relief like this:

Roll out your pelvis and stretch your hamstrings like this. Sit on your heels, and gently rock to each side, working the attachment of the hamstring muscles at the pelvic sits bones. Sit cris-cross applesauce on the floor instead of on the couch when watching a show. Squats open up the pelvis. I use a back device called the True Back and I love it. Sit on the floor hold your knees to your chest and roll back and forth on your back to relieve back muscles and tone abdominal muscles and core, move around and explore the space by rolling around. Roll for longer on painful sore areas. Try rolling for 7 minutes; you can set a timer once a day.

Water and Salt

Do a salt scrub. Before leaving the shower, turn off the water and pour a good salt into your hands and rub all over your body, even the scalp, avoiding any broken or freshly shaved skin. Then rinse with cold water if you can take it and hot water if ya can't! Twice a week, or everyday. Or take an epsom salt bath. Both the salt scrub and the salt bath nourishes and maintains the chemical balances in your skin and muscle cells, improving nerve and motor function. Add lavendar or sandalwood oil if you like healing that feels spoilingly good.

De-Stress and Nourish the 5th Chakra, Vishuddha

Before amazing quality of life can emerge, stress needs to be understood within one's own body, and attended to ~especially in the TMJ area.

There is inherent vitality in addressing a deep need at the TMJ and its bioenergetic counterpart, the 5th Chakra. Take your time and use these suggestions as a wind-down-for the-day contemplation exercise.

The energy centers in our body, called the chakras and the energy fields around our body modulate our system amongst larger natural systems. In the mix, the energy of our words....matter. Thoughts, words and emotions of balance promote inner harmony, literally and physically, in actual experience, in the body, in the present.

The 5th Chakra is directly over the jaw and its importance is expression, listening, and the balance between the two. In Vishuddha, we contemplate our expression in the world; what we show, what we restrain. Thoughts and beliefs may be over or under expressed. Balance in this area shows up as ease in communication and understanding....and to be human is to experience imperfect examples of these:)

So no judgement at all, please. This is super human stuff in all of us that needs to be balanced and nourished on occaision.

Dysfunction and pain in the area of Vishuddha, the 5th Chakra, can indicate a need to pay attention to better listening skills such as being silent and still while another person is talking. Gossiping, secrecy, judgement, mixed messages, dishonesty are imbalances of the 5th Chakra.

On the other extreme it may manifest as a deficiency of expression. One of my teachers, Hugh Milne, instructs us to educate the client to notice when they "swallow truth and notice anger and aggression and when anger is restrained."

If almost constant use of devices and media in the form of entertainment are a part of daily life, it may or may not indicate that less "noise" for a while might help one to find inner calm and centeredness.

Things that bring the 5th Chakra into balance include the practice of still and quiet, being in the present, or meditation. Talking with others from your heart and telling the truths about your life with those you trust and love nurtures a healthy 5th Chakra. Journalling and automatic writing keep the valves open and oiled so you can notice and cultivate your inner monologue with greater awareness and intention. Don Miguel Ruiz tells us,

"Impeccability of the word can lead you to personal freedom, to huge success and abundance....Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your Word in the direction of truth and love."

More honey for your 5th Chakra is chanting. Chant sacred words. Any of them. Michio Kushi explains "When sounds are repeatedly prounouced in the form of meditation and prayer, in the good sitting posture, active vibrations energize all parts of the body, and mental-spiritual vitalities start to arise.

Aum.

Yogananda said "The infinite potencies of sound derive from the Creative Word, Aum, the cosmic vibratory power behind all atomic energies. Any word spoken with clear realization and deep concentration has a materializing value."

A Ma Te Ra Su O O Mi Ka Mi. According to Kushi, this sacred word from traditional Shintoism was considered in prehistoric Japapn to be the "Ten Syllable Divine Words" meaning "Heavenly Shining Great Graceful Spirit."

Along with nourishing the 5th Chakra let's nod one more time at a time-honored stress reliever. It is the form of rest, or napping. Grossly under-rated and under-balanced in our culture.

Set an alarm for a 10 minute timer once or twice a day, for the purpose of defining some down time, real down time. Meditate sitting up cross legged or lay down with your feet up, under a blanket and bolster your knees and bolster your low back or upper back, as you feel called. The idea is a passive relaxation position. Music is okay, try candlelight. No read, no look at phone. Look at ceiling. Breathe and rest in stillness. End your rest with hearts to the universe or not.

Conclusion

For all causes, symptoms, and discomforts, there is an opening. The authentic endeavor to address your body's signals and cultivate possibility and solution is a blessing all its own. In electing to treat your TMJ naturally, holistically, you open pathways to the well being of your jaw, head and neck and you open to greater self love and self care.... that results in lower stress levels.

Give it a little of your time, for each effort of self care adds up cumulatively.

Best wishes. Stay on the path of finding and applying what nourishes you.

May you be happy