Lack of Sleep & TMJ Pain

Could sleep be the best remedy for Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ/TMD)? It may not be the absolute solution, however, it significantly improves TMJ symptoms and pain. Sleep deprivation or disturbances may actually increase TMD pain. There are also sleep disorders that mimic similar symptoms to TMJ pain. We've talked about this in our previous post on sleep apnea and TMJ. You can read more about that here. 

Lack of sleep can be detrimental to those suffering from inflammation, autoimmune disease, and TMJ sufferers. Even things such as your posture are affected by lack of sleep. Just imagine, you get little sleep, wake up, hit the snooze button, run to the office and slouch into your chair. Being hunched over, having poor posture, or sleeping in the wrong position can alter your alignment affecting your head, neck, and jaw.

If you suffer from jaw pain and TMJ pain try not to sleep on your stomach. Instead, try sleeping on your back. A physical therapist can also help alleviate some pain for some patients, depending on their individual symptoms. Sometimes, TMJ patients have other joint pain. It is very important that these issues are addressed. Although knee pain may seem to be different than jaw pain they can be intimately related.

The TMJ Doctor, located in Beverly Hills, is a center for TMJ therapy and treatment. If you have questions about our office and Dr. Farnad, the TMJ Doctor, give us a call at (310)276-5300. We look forward to hearing from you! 

www.thetmjdoctor.com