TMJ Blog

Meet Katie Pudhorodsky, LMT, TMJ Massage Specialist

TJz™ is proud to partner with Katie Pudhorodsky, LMT, a licensed structural massage therapist with 18 years of experience practicing in Austin, Texas. Katie is most enthusiastic about helping those with head, neck and jaw problems and is one of the most passionate TMJ massage therapists in the country.  After TMJ and headache management became her niche she developed an online course to offer advice to reach beyond her immediate community. 

NATURAL TMJ PAIN RELIEF REMEDIES

Non-invasive and natural self-care practices are important for long term TMJ pain relief and stress reduction. Stress is a major cause of bruxism--teeth grinding and clenching—often occurring during sleep when one is unaware of these behaviors.  Waking up with jaw pain, neck pain and TMJ headaches are signs of bruxism and TMJ disorders, often attributed to emotional stress. Incorporating stress-reduction activities into your schedule will help diminish the effects of difficulties in daily life and improve negative emotions that may be the underlying cause of jaw problems.

Desk Posture for TMJ Pain Relief

Did you know that poor posture (while sitting or standing) can cause TMJ jaw pain?

Poor posture can be the result of slumping over your laptop, computer tablet, or smart phone. As screen time increases, so does the severity of how poor posture impacts the alignment of your neck, head and jaw. When the head leans forward, muscles along the neck become overly tight, stretched and weakened. Forward neck posture can lead to muscle and joint tension in the head, neck and shoulders. All of this throws off the mechanics of your temporomandibular joint (TMJ), resulting in symptoms of TMJ disorder. Symptoms may include TMJ jaw pain, TMJ headaches, TMJ neck and ear pain, and jaw popping and clicking.

TMJ Diet: Yogurt Pumpkin Parfait

Make pumpkin a staple on the menu all year long--even as part of your breakfast! Pumpkin is in the squash family and is native to North America. When the fall season is over for fresh whole pumpkins, delicious pumpkin puree is always available canned, boxed or frozen. For those on a soft food diet, suffering with TMJ pain or general jaw pain, pumpkin puree is a perfect low-calorie ingredient, providing both taste and nutrition.

Jaw Pain Relief Checklist

Jaw Pain Relief Checklist

Do you have trouble falling asleep at night due to jaw problems like teeth grinding, clenching and neck tension? Do you wake up in the morning with jaw pain from grinding your teeth and clenching your jaw? Lifestyle changes can help mitigate joint and muscle tension and jaw pain.