Are You Traveling a Lot During the Winter? Tips for People Suffering from TMJ

With the holidays behind us, you may be ready to hit the road and go on a ski vacation somewhere. Even though you may think that traveling will help alleviate your TMJ symptoms because you’ll be relaxing, cold temperatures can actually exacerbate TMJ symptoms. To help you prevent a flare up, we have created a list of a few things that you can do.

Bring Your Own Pillow

You may not realize this but the pressure of your pillow can either help TMJ symptoms or make them worse. If you have found a pillow that gives you the right amount of support and helps alleviate your symptoms, then make sure you bring it with you on your trip.

Pack the Right Clothing

Did you know that cold weather can make TMJ symptoms worse? For instance, you may start to notice that you get earaches, muscle spasms, and even headaches. Some things to pack with you include:

● Hooded jackets

● A scarf to put around your neck and jaw

● A Hat to keep your ears covered

● Cold weather clothing for snowboarding, hiking, biking, and skiing

Have Someone Else Drive

If there’s one thing to know about driving— especially if you have kids—it’s that it can be stressful. Stress isn’t just bad for your blood pressure but it’s also a TMJ trigger as well. To help lighten your stress load while you’re traveling, get someone else to travel— that way you can sit back and relax a little bit more.

Use the tips in this article to avoid having a TMJ flare-up during your winter vacation. To learn more, contact our Phoenix office at 602.957.9643.