Yoga And TMD

Some of our patients being treated for TMD have asked us if there is anything they can do at home to help compliment the therapy they receive from our office. For TMD patients, we found that one activity in particular has brought some added relief and boosted their overall quality of life in ways they didn’t expect.

Yoga is well known to help relieve stress and bring about relaxation in those who participate in the 5,000 year old practice. If you are not familiar with how yoga works, it is a series of breathing techniques, mediation and physical exercise, or poses. There have been many studies that show it can improve your health and state of mind. While there is no conclusive data to support that yoga relieves TMD pain, it may help aid in relaxing your jaw, facial and neck muscles.

In general, yoga can help you be mindful of how you may be clenching your jaw. By drawing attention to the area, you may begin to notice when it locks up and then use breathing techniques to release the strain. You may find that yoga also helps reduce your stress levels, which can also help free tension in your jaw.

Other yoga poses help relax the muscles in the head and neck, as well. It’s important to know, however, that some poses may actually put more strain on your head and jaw, and should be avoided. We recommend that you consult with our office before starting yoga as we don’t want to cause further pain or damage to your TMJ.

As always, at TMJ Sleep and Therapy Centre, we are happy to answer any questions you may have about TMJ or sleep apnea in the Granger, IN area.