People suffering from jaw pain and other TMJ symptoms, such as restricted movement, headaches, , weand more are often desperate for relief. We see patients at the end of a long search for relief, having seen doctors, chiropractors, physical therapists, and other medical professionals trying to get relief from their pain.
We offer long-term treatments that we know work, but often people are interested in trying alternative therapies for TMJ. If you are considering an alternative TMJ treatment, it’s important to pick some that have at least some scientific basis to back up their effectiveness. Here are some assessments of alternative treatments that may work, based on a scientific review of evidence.
Posture Exercises
Posture exercises have been found to lead to some relief of symptoms, including an increase in muscle mobility. A combination of massage and exercise has also been shown to help.
Acupuncture
The evidence on acupuncture for TMJ treatment is mixed. Some studies show good results. Others show that it’s not better than placebo, which for some people may still be pretty good.
Muscular Awareness Relaxation Treatment
Ever wanted to just wish away your jaw pain? Well, maybe you can. Studies have shown some evidence that muscular awareness relaxation techniques may help reduce TMJ discomfort.
Biofeedback
Biofeedback is kind of like relaxation training with instruments. People are trained to relax their muscles by looking at readouts of muscle activity. Biofeedback has been shown to reduce TMJ discomfort.
Individual Responses Vary
Although these treatments have been shown to work for some people, the evidence still remains pretty scant. It’s likely that your experience will vary significantly from the people in the study, and you may not see good results.
These treatments are noninvasive and won’t likely lead to harm, so you can try them, but if you are looking for a more systematic treatment of your TMJ, please call (303) 691-0267 at the TMJ Therapy & Sleep Center of Colorado in Denver to talk about your TMJ.
