Temporomandibular pain disorder (TMD)

If you are suffering from a temporomandibular pain disorder (TMD), you know how difficult it is to have any activity involving jaw movements. Flare-ups occur when you are eating. To minimize the discomfort, you are recommended to choose soft, processed food that does not require you to move your jaws too much (chewing).

A few simple techniques can allow you to eat the food you love while minimizing the uncomfortable pain. Here are a few tips that can make mealtime less stressful and painful during your flare-ups.

1. Cut your food into manageable bite sizes. You can take extra time to prepare your food beforehand, and it will make a big difference to enjoy your food while your jaw is not overexerting to chew. Remove any hard shells or thick skin that will typically take longer or harder to chew.
2. It will help if you use any stock broth to soften your food. Specifically, when food isn’t moist in the first place, you can add liquid to them to soften and make it easier to chew. For example, you can add gravy or marinating liquids to help ease tough food to reduce tender, moist texture.
3. Take your time with your meals. The strategy is to minimize the jaw movement and use as little force as much as possible. Limit your jaw from opening to a comfortable degree to take small bites and chew slowly.

Managing a jaw joint disorder is something that needs to be taken care of with time and patience. It is an ongoing process that you must control to regain back conformability. When you practice these techniques and other treatments such as medication and therapy, it will make life with TMD easier.