Are you an expecting mother in Wilmette IL with TMJ disorders? Do your symptoms overwhelm you and make you anxious about how to cope without risking your pregnancy? Have your symptoms, like intense jaw pain, been preventing you from getting enough nutrition?

Studies found that TMDs are a common condition, but they can be especially painful during pregnancy. If you are expecting and experiencing TMJ pain, know there are ways to achieve TMJ relief in Wilmette IL!

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TMJ DISORDERS AND WOMEN in Wilmette IL

It’s a well-known reality that TMJ disorders are more common among women than men, but you may wonder why. Well, here are some of the reasons:

The average female jaw is smaller than the male’s, requiring more effort to chew, talk or open and close the mouth.
Women have more hormonal changes (fluctuations), which can affect the jaw muscles and joints. This is the same reason why pregnant women are more prone to TMJ disorders than others.

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HOW IS TMJ PAIN LIKE FOR PREGNANT WOMEN?

In general, TMJ disorders are like toothaches. Think about how your jaw feels when you have a toothache—it hurts, right? And it’s sore to move around, right? Well, that’s what happens with TMJ disorders. Your jaw is still sore, even though there isn’t a physical problem with the joint itself.

However, this pain gets magnified when you’re with child. The stress of pregnancy can cause the muscles around the temporomandibular joints to tighten and spasm. This, in turn, causes pain that makes chewing and swallowing very difficult and, yes, sometimes extremely unbearable.

Other symptoms include:

• Jaw clenching
• Jaw popping or clicking
• Ear pain
• Headaches at night or during the day (tension-type headaches)

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BEST FORMS OF TMJ RELIEF FOR PREGNANT WOMEN

While there are no guarantees that you’ll be able to avoid the symptoms of TMJ completely, especially when you are pregnant, there are several things you can do to reduce their severity and make your pregnancy more comfortable. Below are some of the simplest, easiest-to-follow, and effective forms of TMJ relief in Wilmette IL.

• Avoid chewing gum, hard foods, and sticky foods.
• Use a mouth guard, especially if you grind your teeth while asleep or awake, as this can exacerbate TMJ symptoms.
• Use cold packs or ice packs to reduce inflammation in the jaw area when necessary. In addition, applying cool compresses to the face can help relieve pressure from swollen tissues in the jaws or around the eyes during TMD episodes.
• Heat pads may also help take some pressure off your swollen tissues by increasing blood flow through capillaries near the surface of your skin (which helps with pain management). Just keep in mind to avoid using them for extended periods because they could overheat cells (which can result in increased swelling) and damage the skin.
• Visit your go-to upper cervical chiropractic practice regularly to address postural misalignments that resulted from previous neck and head injuries.

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ATLAS UPPER CERVICAL CHIROPRACTIC

If you are expecting but experiencing worse or more frequent TMJ pain episodes, the most recommended way out of it is upper cervical chiropractic care. This specialized form of care can help relieve tension in the jaw and neck muscles that can cause earaches, headaches, and other symptoms. It can also help you better manage stress levels so that you feel more relaxed as you move through your pregnancy.

Upper cervical chiropractic care is very safe for pregnant women, so if you have some time before your next OB appointment, consider adding it to your pregnancy care plan!

If you’re not sure why you should consider this remedy in the first place, we suggest asking yourself the following:

• Did you hurt your neck or head several years ago?
• Did you overextend your neck while riding a ferris wheel or bump car?
• Have you injured your head or neck in a car collision?
• Have you been struggling with chronic neck pain but can’t seem to pinpoint the root cause?
• Are you struggling to find a TMJ remedy that works?

To try this approach to overall health improvement and TMJ relief in Wilmette IL, reach out to Dr. Halstead of Atlas Upper Cervical Chiropractic. He will help you address and manage this unnecessary pain so you can better focus and prepare for your upcoming bundle of joy.