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

Cheek Biting and TMJ

Cheek biting? Yes, there are many people who habitually bite the insides of their cheek. For some, this sounds strange. For others, they are nodding along wondering how they can stop this habit. Much like biting your nails, cheek biting can be a frequent habit.

People who bite their cheeks tend to bite the inside of their cheek, lip, and tongue. There are multiple reasons why people bite their cheeks, such as nervous habit, some need to constantly chew, and some people cheek bite due to TMJ.

How are cheek biting and TMJ related? Great question!

Many people are cheek biters because of malocclusion or misalignment of teeth. This can be caused by Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ/TMD). These people tend to bite their cheeks occasionally due to their bite being slightly off. When someone has malocclusion their bite does not come together properly. Sometimes, they compensate by moving their mouth to the right or left. Typically, this movement is not recognizable to the untrained eye. However, their bite feels better when they can rest their teeth on something which is why they bite their cheeks and lips.

Although cheek biting can simply be a nervous habit it can also be a result or symptom of TMJ. Many people who bite their cheeks are self conscious of this habit because they contort their face to bite their cheeks. If you are a habitual cheek biter we suggest seeing a TMJ specialist to ensure that your cheek biting is not related to TMJ.

Dr. Farnad, the TMJ Doctor of Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, will give you a comprehensive evaluation of your oral health and TMJ. He will examine your cheek biting, to ensure lesions have not developed. Occasionally, lesions can lead to oral cancer due to bacteria entering lesion sites.

If you bite your cheeks out of nervousness try chewing gum, wearing lip gloss or lip balm, and try to recognize when you most frequently bite your cheeks.

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