Understanding how we process Pain: How to help our Jaw

What is pain?

The topic of pain is a lengthy one to discuss and even more so, chronic pain. Over 25 million Americans have been dealing with chronic pain daily for the past 3 months. Pain is generally onset from a process which begins with an initial site of injury where tissue damage has occurred. As we process the injury, our brain begins to document the problem and our awareness of the pain increases in order to “protect” ourselves from further damage.  Pain signals are being sent from the site of injury to a specific location in the brain. Changes in our spinal cord and brain occur over time as we continue to perceive pain from the original injury.

When pain doesn’t resolve on its own

Typically, after a time of “wait and see” goes by, if the problem goes untreated our body experiences something called “central sensitization”. This is abnormal and intense enhancement of pain by processes of the central nervous system.  The area of our brains which light up from the pain now begins to spread to other areas at the cortical level and result in referred and diffuse pain- one may no longer only be experiencing painful sensations at the original site of injury but may also be sensitive to stimuli in the regions surrounding it. These are what we call plastic changes occurring at the brain and spinal cord.

Neuroplastic changes (TMJ example- read below)

Neuroplastic changes take time to occur, but they also take time to undo. Changes that actually modify our brains physiology present as very real pain sensations, even when the tissue damage has long healed at the original site of injury. Consider how these changes may be affecting you and your condition right now. When someone experiences pain in their jaw from chewing on something too hard or chewy, an inflammatory process can erupt at that location of tissue irritation. If this conditions goes on without additional intervention and does not resolve on its own, our body and brain begin to adapt into that pain. The pain then begins to spread to surrounding areas such as the ear, cheek, temples, and neck. At this point, pain is more difficulty to manage with the wait and see method. Additional interventions may be necessary.

What can be done when jaw pain becomes chronic?

·         Start small and simple as to not overwhelm yourself.

·         Go on walks, often, to stimulate your body and promote blood flow and relaxation to the muscles and stimulate feel good hormones.

·         Stay hydrated, your muscles depend on fluids to function normally.

·         Implement mindful eating which includes smaller bites, chewing your food up completely before swallowing, and avoiding excessively large, hard, or chewy foods to note overstrain the jaw.

·         Apply gentle massage techniques on the outside and inside of the cheeks where the soreness or pain are located.

·         Get good sleep. Many people don’t appreciate the effect sleep has on our bodies. It can make or break how you feel the next day. Prioritize it.

When things aren’t helping

When self management may have given some relief, but not quite getting you back to feeling better, it is time to reach out to your TMJ PT specialist or myofunctional therapist. They can help pin point what the source of your problem is and develop a plan of care to address any deficits still present.