Sleep posture

"Tiff!  My jaw hurts!  What do I do?!?!"
Ever since I wrote this blog, many people have been messaging me about their jaw pain.  I even get messages from strangers.  Most people start to panic because they don't want their pain level to turn into mine.  Their jaw starts to pop when they eat.  They experience headaches and have tightness on their jaw muscles.  Since I am not a TMJ specialist, I can't say what is the best treatment.  I tried wearing a splint in my mouth for 2 years, and it ruined my jaw but worked for like 85% of the population.  I'm wearing braces and feel better, yet 90% of my TMJ specialist objected to braces because it was so aggressive on my TMJ.  I might suggest a friend to see a TMJ specialist, but I'm not sure if they are seeing a good one.  One TMJ specialist down the street might have a completely different recommendation down the other street.  The good TMJ specialists are the most expensive ones such as UCLA Dental ($375 consultation).  I don't think friends who are developing TMJ will pay that much especially if the pain does not affect their lives on a daily basis.  

So what do I do?  How do I help my friends who are experiencing jaw pain?

Sleep on your back
I always suggest friends to sleep on their back instead of their stomach or side to relieve pressure off their jaw.  If there was one thing I could go back and change, it would be the way I sleep.  I truly believe that part of the reason why I have a severe jaw problems is due to my sleep position.  I've been sleeping on my left side (the most damaged side) on a thick stuffed animal since I was six years old.  Just think about all that pressure my huge stuffed animal put on my lower jaw for years.  My left shoulder is significantly lower than my right, and my left hip is turned inward and is currently experiencing pain.  My body is breaking down and I'm only 23! Sleeping on you stomach or side is will cause dysfunction to your muscles and bones especially because you are in that hurtful position for 1/3 of the day.  My cousin and mom are also experiencing horrible shoulder pain because they are side sleepers.  My cousin slept on her back for a week and felt better (she's young).  Don't wait to change your habits when you're old and the damage has been done.

I started taking posture seriously after I read the book The TMJ Healing Plan by Cynthia Peterson.  I became more aware of my posture and how it was related to my pain and it has made a huge difference. In this video, I'm demonstrating the sleep posture section of the TMJ Healing Plan. 

Remember, sleeping on your back is not for everyone.  Some people with medical conditions have to sleep on their side.  Everybody has different needs, so please consult with a medical professional :) 

Sleep Posture Video
Special thanks to Ly Hoang for helping me film & Leon for encouraging me to go through with this video and actually post it online.  It's pretty embarrassing...I look ridiculous, but I hope you can all learn something and live a healthier life.  All these little things like sleep posture contribute to your overall well-being.  This video is also inspired by what I call the "Michelle Phan style" of editing.  Love her or hate her, you can't deny how successful and entertaining her video tutorials are on YouTube.com. Let me know if this video is helpful...I will try to make more.

Enjoy & sorry if I creep you out! ^_-

Comments

  1. Paul ShuebrookJuly 10, 2016 at 4:47 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. Paul ShuebrookJuly 10, 2016 at 4:50 AM

    Thanks for this article and for the video. Both are very helpful!!

    ReplyDelete

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