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TMJ, TMD and a Flight out of JFK 

In one of my flights from New York to London, I overheard a lady across the aisle complaining to her husband about her TMJ. She said she needed a sip of water so that she could take some aspirin.
When the flight attendant arrived, this anguishing woman started to tell a story about the pain she has been experiencing since she got TMJ and how it always got worse when she was flying.
I resisted the temptation to let her know that we all have TMJ, which actually stands for the temporomandibular joint, a unique joint on either side of our jaw formed by the union of our temporal bone (skull) and the mandible (lower jaw).
The actual soreness that we feel when our TMJ malfunctions is known as TMD, acronym for temporomandibular joint disorder (or dysfunction).
The TMJ acts as a "shock absorber", because it allows movement forward and backward, side to side and up and down. When the muscles, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, and other tissues related with them become stressed or inflamed, TMD can happen.
TMD can be the source of different complaints like headaches, neck aches, back aches, swelling of the face, jaw pain, and an inability to chew or swallow without some degree of pain.
It isn't clearly understood why TMD affects women in much larger numbers than men, but there are a number of studies which suggest that the frequent relief brought on by pregnancy is an indication that TMD is affected by hormonal changes in the body.
Again I resist telling that to my aisle mate, as I'm almost definite that she would rather take her aspirin than to get pregnant. On the other had, we do have a rather long flight ahead of us.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that the nine months of relief during pregnancy is worth the morning sickness, labor, delivery, child rearing and college tuition. However, many experience the excruciating pain that pregnancy seems like a good alternative. For men who endure, along with those who cannot bear children anymore, arthritis medications may offer some relief.
Some say that ice or heat packs can give temporary relief. For extreme cases however, such as when opening the mouth is too painful to bear, surgery is often recommended.
But before giving in to such extreme degree, it would be prudent to note that some find it helpful to eat soft foods, avoid chewing gums, beef jerky or jawbreakers.
Avoid yawning and singing and remember that any extraneous movement such as chewing ice or holding the phone between your shoulder and your jaw should also be shunned.
Aside from this, don't overlook the possibility that something as unsuspected as stress can be the culprit behind your TMD. Along with stress, many experience jaw clenching, teeth grinding and poor posture.
These are all believed by many to be at the root of many TMD problems. So before you opt for surgery OR pregnancy, sit up straight, take a deep breath, spit out your gum and just relax.
An even better source of relief is by using my program "TMJ No More", an all-natural alternative to the conventional therapies. Just a few simple exercises done each day can remove your TMJ pain permanently!

Article Source: http://www.uberarticles.com/articles

Christian Goodman is a well known natural health alternative researcher and the creator of the Natural Health Blog. His latest research is the Natural TMJ Treatment , which has now helped thousands of people to cure their TMD naturally.

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