Temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ) can be quite painful. For sufferers of this syndrome the pain can be so bad that it greatly reduces their quality of life. Finding relief can be frustrating journey that leads you down many dead end roads. According to Dental Guide USA, TMJ is the second most common musculoskeletal condition that causes pain and disability. So, TMJ No More could be a good resource for people with this problem who are looking to reclaim their lives from chronic pain. Does it really work though?  That’s the question we need to look at today.

What is TMJ syndrome?

TMJ syndrome, also called TMJ disorder or simply TMJ, is a dysfunction in the  joint of the jaw. This dysfunction can occur because a injury of the joint itself. Wear and tear of use and age or an autoimmune disease like rheumatoid arthritis can attack the tissue of the joint. It can also occur when the muscles around the joint become too tight throwing the joint out of alignment. The muscles of your face can become tighten because of trauma like an accident or fall. It can also occur because of long time bad habits like grinding your teeth or cracking your jaw.

When it does occur you can have pain in your neck and shoulders as well as in your face and jaw area. You may experience limited range of motion in your jaw (it won’t open wide) or the jaw may become locked when you do open it wide. The jaw joint will click and pop when you open and close it. Your mouth may swell on the side that’s affected. You may also experience headaches, dizziness, tinnitus, and nausea.

Convention Treatment

When you get treated for  TMJ the doctor may advise you to rest your jaw for a while. You’ll be put on a diet of soft foods and advised to avoid gum and hard candy. You can use warm compresses on your face to relieve the pain and pain killers. You also may be fitted with a bite guide or splint.

Pain medication like cortisone can be injected directly into the joint. This will cause temporary relief, but doesn’t address the root cause of the problem. Your doctor may choose to inject a solution into the joint to clean it out. This helps the situation and can be quite a successful treatment for some people. The last resort is surgery.

TMJ No More

TMJ No More was written by nutritionist and medical researcher, Sandra Carter. Carter struggle with TMJ for 12 years and searched every possible way from conventional medical treatment to holistic therapies to get relieve. The first part of the book chronicles her experience. She explains how her pain first occurred and slowly got worse until it was unbearable. Once her pain took over her life, started doing research herself to figure out what she could do to cure her TMJ.

The book then outlines in detail what she did to cure her TMJ. It includes living a healthy lifestyle of course. Eating right and exercising really does affect all aspects of your physical health.

The book also includes exercises and stretches that you can do to help heal your jaw. The descriptions of the exercises are well written and easy to understand and the illustrations of the exercises are clear and professional.

The only issue I had with the book is that in the healthy eating section Carter recommends eating soy. Soy is toxic and should only be used in your diet in the fermented form. Fermented soy is found in foods like miso, natto,  and tempeh.

Other than that  minor issue, I think the book offers some good advice. Like most books on similar topics you have to do some work. You need to make sure you do the exercises and stretches described on a regular basis to see results. In general self-care takes work, but it’s well worth the effort.

If you’re interested in finding out more about TMJ No More, click here. That is an affiliate link so if you buy the book, I’ll get a percentage of the sale.

Photo by lanuiop

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