Home Remedies For Jaw Pain

What is Jaw Pain?

Jaw Pain can be caused by a variety of reasons such as Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD), degeneration of jaw joint, internal or external injury, tooth abscess, severe gingivitis, impacted wisdom tooth, bony outgrowths around the jaws and so on.

Jaw ache can be mild or severe, depending on the exact cause. When caused by common jaw related problems, the condition can be cured using a number of home remedies for Jaw Pain natural treatment.

To avoid Jaw Pain from getting worse, you should also adopt certain preventive measures like providing rest to the jaw, taking small bites of food, avoiding chewing gums and other such foods that require a lot of chewing.

In case the pain does not fade away within two weeks even after the application of natural remedies for Jaw Pain home treatment, it would be better to consult a qualified specialist to get rid of the problem as it may require surgery or corrective dental therapy. Severe pain may also indicate an underlying problem requiring medical attention.

Causes and Symptoms of Jaw Pain

More often than not, Jaw Pain arises due to problems in the joints and muscles of the jaw especially, jaw joint dysfunction. Jaw joint, where the lower jaw bone connects with the temporal bone of the skull, is known as temporomandibular joint in medical terms. Therefore, jaw joint dysfunction is also called temporomandibular disorder.

It is generally caused by serious jaw injuries like fractures, dislocations, muscle tension, structural abnormalities of the temporal joint, misalignment of teeth, dental problems etc.

Moreover, forceful biting, excessive nail biting, gum chewing, teeth grinding, teeth clenching (Bruxism) and other such habits forcing the mouth to open rapidly or too widely may also contribute in the same. Stress, too, tends to aggravate the problem.

Jaw Pain can also be associated with issues like Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, sepsis in the TMJ, bone metastasis, Caffey’s disease (swollen jaw glands), herpes zoster, jaw cyst, jaw tumor, severe gingivitis, toothache, recovery from oral surgery, sinus infection and other such conditions. Besides, it has been noted that at times lower jaw pain or discomfort may be experienced due to heart problems.

As the name suggests, the most obvious symptoms of Jaw Pain are pain and discomfort in the jaw area that can lead to limited jaw movement. At times, jaw ache may be accompanied by earache or neck pain as well. In case the pain is caused by jaw joint dysfunction, symptoms like facial pain, headache, dizziness, jaw clicking, jaw locking, stiffness, uneven bite, etc may also be present.

Natural Home Remedies for Jaw Pain

• Massaging the jaw muscles gently and passively opening and closing the jaw are some of the most effective natural home remedies for Jaw Pain. This therapy can help reduce the pain and strengthen the jaw muscles as long as the jaw exercises are done in moderation.

• Hot and cold compresses serve as common Jaw Pain home remedies. For instance, soaking a towel in warm water and then placing it on both sides of jaw can help relieve jaw discomfort by healing and relaxing the muscles through increased circulation.

You can also use hot water bottle wrapped in towel for this purpose. Cold compresses, on the other hand, are highly beneficial in curing Jaw Pain naturally.

• As Jaw Pain can be caused by excessive teeth grinding and clenching, it is better to avoid engaging in such activities. Placing the tongue between the teeth can help control such habits. Ideal jaw posture requires putting the tip of the tongue on the roof of mouth behind the front teeth.

• Stress management also serves as an efficient home remedy to reduce this problem. Hence, learn some relaxation techniques like yoga, meditation etc, take adequate rest and maintain proper posture.

• Gargling with lukewarm salt water several times in a day is highly beneficial in treating infections causing jaw ache.

Diet for Jaw Pain

When dealing with Jaw Pain, it is recommended to eat healthy but soft foods and avoid chewing on hard and crunchy foods such as nuts, raw vegetables, thick bread etc. Therefore, include items like soups, mashed potatoes, bananas, cooked fruits and vegetables, milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, fruit and vegetable juices and other liquids foods in the diet.

Try having more vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and magnesium rich foods and avoid caffeinated products as they tend to increase muscle tension. When having meals, cut the food in smaller pieces to make the task of chewing easy. Besides, avoid having foods that require extreme jaw movements like opening the mouth wide.

So, adopt the above mentioned home remedies for Jaw Pain, follow a healthy diet, manage stress and avoid extreme jaw movements to get rid of this problem.