How to Do Exercises for Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD) Treatment
To do exercises for temporomandibular joint disorder, start by touching your upper and lower teeth together to stretch out your jaw. You can also stretch your jaw by opening and closing your mouth slowly. Work on gentle jaw stretches like these for 5 minutes every day. Then, work up to harder exercises, like jaw pulls. To do jaw pulls, position your fingertips on the edge of your lower front teeth and pull down your jaw slowly until you feel pain on the affected side. Hold that position for 30 seconds, release your jaw, and then repeat the process twice to complete 1 set. Try to do 4 sets of this exercise each day for the best results.
Stretch your jaw. This exercise is recommended by Oxford University Hospitals, to be done for five minutes twice a day when you are most relaxed. Touch your upper and lower teeth together. Keep your mouth closed, and be sure your teeth are not clenched together. Keep your tongue touching your gums and the roof of your mouth, just behind the front teeth. Run your tongue back towards your throat. Push the tongue as far back as you can comfortably stretch it, while keeping your teeth touching together. Open your mouth slowly. Keep your tongue pressed against the back roof of your mouth. Stop just shy of the point at which your tongue will be pulled away. Repeat for a full five minutes. Continue this exercise twice daily. Rest your jaw. Resting your jaw is an important component of dealing with TMD, especially after stretching. Help keep your jaw relaxed by keeping your lips closed, your teeth apart, and resting your tongue on the roof of your mouth rather than between your teeth. Try to avoid strenuous activities such as opening the mouth fully, clenching or grinding your teeth, holding things with your teeth, or cradling your phone between your shoulder and your jaw. Practice jaw pulls. This simple exercise can be done any time of day, though participants in one study found it helpful to do one set of jaw pulls (three cycles of stretching per set) after each meal and once while bathing, for a total of four sets daily. Position fingertips on the edge of the front teeth on your lower jaw. Pull the jaw down slowly, until pain is felt on the side of your jaw affected by TMD. Hold that extended position for 30 seconds. Do three cycles of stretching to complete one set of stretches. Aim to do four sets each day. Practice resisted mouth opening. This is a fairly simple exercise, and can be done any time of day. Position your thumb under your chin. Slowly open your mouth. Continue pushing upward with your thumb to apply resistance. Hold the position for three to six seconds before slowly closing your mouth. Repeat daily to help prevent pain from returning. Practice resisted mouth closing. This is similar to resisted mouth opening, but works the opposite muscles. Position both thumbs under the chin and both index fingers below your lips, just above the chin. It should look and feel like you are pinching your chin with both hands. Gently push your jaw down for resistance while you try to close your mouth. Repeat daily. Move your jaw side to side. This is a fairly simple routine that can be modified for increased resistance as you build your jaw strength back up. Place two tongue depressors or popsicle sticks between your front teeth. Move your jaw slowly from side to side. Gradually increase the thickness by adding additional tongue depressors, once the exercise as gotten comfortable. Practice forward jaw movement. This exercise is similar to the side-to-side routine, and can also be modified for increased resistance as you strengthen your jaw. Place two tongue depressors or popsicle sticks between your front teeth. Move the bottom jaw forward, so that your bottom row of teeth are positioned in front of your top row of teeth. Gradually increase the thickness by adding additional tongue depressors as the exercise becomes comfortable. Understand the symptoms. TMD typically involve pain in the temporomandibular joint, located at the intersection of the upper and lower jaws. Other symptoms include: Radiating pain in the face, as well as through the jaw and neck line Stiffness in the jaw muscles Reduced or limited movement in the jaw Popping or grating in the jaw, usually accompanied by pain A misalignment between the upper and lower rows of teeth Getting a diagnosis. Only a professional medical expert can determine whether you have a TMD. Though there is not a clear-cut "test" to arrive at or rule out TMD, a doctor will generally evaluate the symptoms you are experiencing, and may order an X-ray to further examine the temporomandibular joint. Though it may take time to arrive at a diagnosis of a TMD, your doctor may first need to rule out other causes of jaw and face pain, including sinus infections, ear infections and neuralgia, which causes pain in the face due to nerve inflammation. Treat TMD symptoms. Once your doctor has diagnosed you with TMD, he will probably recommend a course of action. There are a number of options available, and what your doctor recommends will probably depend on your symptoms as well as your personal medical history. Pain relievers, both over-the-counter and prescription-strength, may be recommended to alleviate pain and reduce inflammation. Muscle relaxants may be recommended by your doctor over a short period of time (ranging from a few days to several weeks) to help alleviate pain and reduce muscle tension in the jaw. Sedatives may be prescribed to aid in sleeping at night, especially if TMJ pain flares up during sleep. Corticosteroid injections may be recommended to help ease pain and reduce inflammation. Wear a bite guard. Wearing a bite guard can help reduce pain and may make it easier to live with pain. 
Stretch your jaw. Touch your upper and lower teeth together. Run your tongue back towards your throat. Open your mouth slowly. Repeat for a full five minutes. Rest your jaw. Practice jaw pulls. Practice resisted mouth opening. Practice resisted mouth closing. Move your jaw side to side. Practice forward jaw movement. Understand the symptoms. Getting a diagnosis. Treat TMD symptoms. Wear a bite guard. 