What to Do When Your Doctor Doesn’t Believe Your Pain
One of the most maddening things you could ever hear as a patient is, “I don’t know what’s wrong with you, maybe it’s all in your head.” Putting aside the obvious (and really tired) joke that, yes, it IS in my head, there is nothing funny about that statement. When you are struggling with…
You’ve Been Told You May Need Surgery…. Now What???

I remember the doctor appointment like it was yesterday… I was sitting in the dental chair with my legs swung over to the side, facing my surgeon. He had “that look” on his face – you might know the one….a mixture of concern and, “I don’t really want to tell you this, but…” It was…
Join Us for September’s Feel Better Challenge!
Click the status update below to read and join our Feel Better Challenge on Facebook! 🙂 Post by TMJ Hope.
5 Tips Every TMJD Patient Needs to Know About Insurance (Plus a free download!)

Recently I decided I wanted to do something a little different, and announced on our Facebook page that I was doing free 30 minute calls for people who are considering TMJ surgery. I’ve now had most of these calls, and was really interested to see what the common threads were among the patients I talked…
Finding a Safe Dental Practice
Patient safety must be an essential component of high quality oral health care, but how do you know that your dentist is providing an environment that decreases your risk of injury or harm during the delivery of that care? It is important to look for “Red flags”. The more red flags you notice, the higher the…
Reiki For TMJ Disorder
How Reiki Can Help Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMD) By Lisa Foster, Reiki Master Reiki is a Japanese stress reduction & relaxation technique that uses your own bodies energy to help to heal itself. Reiki is a subtle, yet powerful modality that can help alleviate Stress, Pain and Balance the bodies energy. Reiki is a simple,…
How to Find a TMJ Dentist
It is important to remember when searching for a dentist to treat your TMD that according to the NIH “there are no certifications in dentistry or any other medical field specifically to specialize in TMJ”. What that means is the title of “TMJ Specialist” is a self proclaimed title rather than one that…
Tips For Friends and Family….from a TMD Patient
Learn all you can about TMJ Disorder, including treatments and proper terminology. You will gain a better understanding of what I am going through. Be a good compassionate listener, never be dismissive or patronizing. Let me vent frustrations, I’m not mad at you, I am mad at TMJ Disorder. Be encouraging. TMJ disorder is pretty…
TMJ Disorder Reading List
TMJ Healing Plan Drawing on >20 years as a physical therapist, training in head, neck and jaw pain, and work with dental and medical experts, Cynthia Peterson explains a 10-step process that addresses the root causes and contributing factors of TMJ disorders. Her simple practices and exercises allow you to replace hurtful habits with…
TMJ Hope Best of 2012
TMJ Hope Blog Posts TMJ Disorder Timeline http://www.tmjhope.org/tmj-disorder-timeline/ The Trigeminal Nerve Explained http://www.tmjhope.org/the-trigeminal-nerve/ MRI VS CT Scan, a Comparison http://www.tmjhope.org/mri-vs-ct-scan/ Science and Research Stem Cells and Bio Engineering http://news.columbia.edu/record/1729 Gender Bias In Pain Management http://www.tmjhope.org/gender-bias-pain-management/ OPPERA Study ll http://www.dentistry.unc.edu/news/2012/2012-09-18_RCND.cfm Nutrition 30 Days of Smoothies http://www.tmjhope.org/smoothie-recipes/ 75 Healthiest Foods For Women http://www.tmjhope.org/76-healthiest-foods-for-women/ Why I Choose…