More than 10 million people are estimated to suffer from TMJ-related jaw pain the United States alone.
Surgery and splints can cost in the thousands of dollars with irreversible effects. Meanwhile, studies show that "self-care", consisting of massage, jaw exercises and other simple changes in behavior can reduce jaw pain by nearly 50%.
Clenched will walk you through three pillars of TMJ exercises.
First, we will break the bad habits. This involves learning proper "jaw" position, as well as correcting bad posture in the head, neck, and shoulders.
Second, we will relax the jaw. You may not realize it, but you are housing a lot of tension! This prepares you for the third step.
Finally, we will retrain the jaw. Through a series of guided exercises, we see to strengthen the surrounding muscles, helping to share the weight load assumed by the joint!
Clenched guides you through 10 exercises intended to help alleviate your jaw pain. The adjacent video demonstrates a sample exercise from the app.
These exercises are largely based on research by Dr. Mariano Rocabado, an article on Home Exercises in the Journal of Clinical Management, and recommendations from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofascial Research.
Even armed with the appropriate knowledge, many patients find that compliance is difficult! Clenched reminds you to perform your exercises (two times per day or as you indicate).
