Cure Lockjaw Naturally

Lockjaw is the informal term used when you cannot open or close your mouth fully or have painful muscle spasms of the jaw. True lockjaw (trismus) is an early symptom of tetanus. Tetanus is a serious medical condition caused by a bacterial infection that requires immediate emergency medical treatment. However, many people have experienced a tight, painful or clicking jaw unrelated to tetanus infection, and few probably know how to treat it at home. Fortunately, you may be able to treat mild lockjaw with proper diet, exercises, and other natural remedies.

Steps

Relaxing and Strengthening Your Jaw

1. Do yoga. Stress can worsen or predispose you to lockjaw, and yoga is a great stress-relieving activity. Yoga is an integrated practice, which means it aids the physical and energetic body. When doing yoga you are encouraged to go to the root cause of stress that has caused the muscle spasm of your jaw. Various yoga postures that help in curing lockjaw are as follows:
   • Asanas (yoga postures) such as the "Adho Mukh Svanasana" (Downward Facing Dog) improve the blood flow to the head and jaw. In this asana, the person assumes an inverted ‘V’ pose with the hips facing the ceiling while the heels and hands are on the ground.
   • "Salamba sarvangasana" (Shoulder stand) is a pose in which the shoulders rest on the mat or blanket and the entire body from below the shoulders is perpendicular to the floor. This inversion also increases blood flow to the head. Learn how to do this posture correctly before trying it on your own to prevent injury.
   • "‘Viparita Karani" (Legs-Up-the-Wall-pose) is done by lying on the floor, supporting your lower back with a firm bolster, and stretching your legs upwards using the support of the wall.
   • "Shavasana" (Corpse pose) acts as a muscle relaxant and helps in reducing muscle tension. It is a pose of complete relaxation. Lie flat on the floor face up with your arms at your sides palm up, and consciously relax all the muscles of the body from head to toe.
2. Try seated meditation. Relaxation techniques may improve TMJ. A great pose to start releasing the temporomandibular joint of the jaw is seated meditation. Begin by sitting in a comfortable position for meditation and focus on relaxing your tongue. Often, the tongue will cling to the palate without you even realizing it. Relax your eye, and soften your jaw. Soften the skin at the corners of your mouth.
   • These instructions are the starting steps of "pratyahara," i.e. internalization of sensory awareness. Decompressing the jaw in this manner takes practice but is very useful.
3. Exercise your jaw. Exercises play an important role in the treatment of lockjaw. If done correctly and regularly, they help treat as well as possibly prevent lockjaw. To begin with, relax and lower your shoulders, relax your lower jaw, and relax your tongue. Make sure your teeth are not touching.
   • Warm up the jaw muscles with small up-and-down and side-to-side movement of the jaw. Be sure not to grind your teeth. Open and close your mouth as much as possible without pain or discomfort.
   • Move your jaw as far as possible forward and then back. Make similar movements towards both sides and then relax.
4. Repeat the jaw exercises against the resistance of your hand. Push your fist below your jaw while opening your mouth, and push your thumb against your chin at the time of forward movement and against the right and left side of your chin during side movements. Keep your jaw at the extreme point of movement for a few seconds, holding it there. Open your mouth as wide as possible, then try to close it while resisting this movement by pushing downward against your lower front teeth with your fingers.
   • While looking in the mirror, try to move your lower jaw straight up and down, avoiding any deviations as well as any movements producing clicking or locking of the jaw.
   • Each exercise should be performed for at least 10 counts each day.
5. Consider using the TheraBite System. TheraBite is a portable system devised to treat lockjaw and provide patients with anatomically correct jaw motion. This system usually provides both stretching and passive motion for jaw rehabilitation.
   • Cancer in the head and neck may cause lockjaw, especially if you have radiation therapy. TheraBite exercises may help in this case.

Exploring Natural Remedies

1. Recognize the cause of your jaw tension. Temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMJ, is a common problem with the joint connecting your jaw bone to your skull – and the cause of what many people think of as “lockjaw.” TMJ can cause clicking, tenderness, pain, and aches in the jaw, as well as trouble chewing and a locking sensation. Lockjaw results from toxins made by the tetanus bacteria that cause severe muscle contractions. Infection is caused by a deep wound or one that’s contaminated with dirt or animal feces, and it requires immediate medical attention. Go to the emergency room or call emergency services if you are experiencing lockjaw symptoms.
   • You are most at risk of a tetanus infection if you have not received a tetanus vaccine.
   • If you are injured by a dirty object, clean the wound thoroughly and see your doctor. You may need a tetanus booster if you haven’t had one in the past 5 years. You should not attempt to treat tetanus lockjaw at home.
   • Other symptoms of tetanus, which usually occur about 10 days after the injury, are trouble swallowing, tension in your abdominal muscles, painful body spasms, fever, sweating, and a fast heart rate.
   • ”Lockjaw” from TMJ may be easily treated at home. If your jaw tightness or pain is persistent, worsens over the course of a day, or makes it impossible to open or close your mouth completely, see your doctor.
2. Try mustard oil and garlic. Mustard oil improves blood flow to the area, and garlic is an anti-inflammatory. Garlic also has anti-microbial properties that help to fight infections that might be worsening the condition. A jaw that's neither infected nor inflamed will be a lot easier to move.
   • Boil 2 cloves of garlic in a teaspoon of mustard oil and then let it cool. Massage this oil onto the area 2-3 times a day.
   • Be sure to consult with your doctor, dentist or orthodontist before using any natural remedies.
3. Drink herbal tea. Herbal tea prepared from the following herbs may assist in the treatment of lockjaw:
   • Kava kava: reduces anxiety and aids in relaxation.
   • Passionflower: decreases anxiety, restlessness and discomfort caused by muscle tension and emotional turmoil.
   • Feverfew: diminishes pain and muscle soreness.
   • Chamomile: has a calming effect in adults, and helps reduce muscle pain caused by stress.
   • Peppermint: is calming and reduces pain.
   • Echinacea: decreases pain and swelling.
4. Get more magnesium. Magnesium can aid in relaxing muscles and it calms the firing of the nervous system, which may minimize muscle spasms in your jaw. Add foods rich in magnesium to your diet to help reduce the stress and inflammation of muscles that leads to lockjaw.
   • Good sources of magnesium include almonds, cashews, bananas, avocados, dried apricots, peas, beans, soy, and whole grains like millet and brown rice.
   • The daily requirement for magnesium is 310 to 320mg for women and 400 to 420mg for men. Talk to your doctor about your diet, and consider taking a magnesium supplement if you are not getting your daily requirement from your foods.
5. Load up on calcium. Calcium helps to strengthen your bones, and calcium deficiency leads to spasms of the muscles known as tetany. Consume foods rich in calcium to strengthen the jaw bones and regulate the movement of jaw muscles, preventing spasms that might lead to lockjaw.
   • Rich sources of calcium are milk, yogurt, cheese, green leafy vegetables like kale, fish such as salmon and sardines
   • Adults should get 1000mg of calcium daily.
6. Get more vitamin D. You need vitamin D in your body in order to properly absorb calcium. A deficiency of vitamin D leads to weakening of the bones and possibly pain in the bones, so being low in vitamin D may cause an increased risk of TMJ dysfunction and increase your risk of lockjaw.
   • Fatty fish such as tuna, salmon and mackerel contain vitamin D, as does fish liver oil. Small amounts of vitamin D are found in egg yolks, beef liver and cheese. Other sources include fortified foods like milk, yogurt, orange juice, margarine, and some ready-to-eat cereals.
   • Daily requirement of vitamin D for an average adult is 600 IU (international units).

Adjusting Your Daily Habits

1. Try self-massage. Lightly massage your jaw muscles with your fingertips. Feel up your jaw line to the place where it is sore or clicking, and massage gently in a circular motion for a minute on each side. This may help the muscles and tendons to release.
2. Apply warm and cold packs alternately. Icing the sore area will decrease swelling and inflammation. Heat will ease pain and relax muscles. Use a hot water bag or soaked towel for heat, and a cold pack or a bag of ice wrapped in a towel for cooling. You can also use a heat pack on your neck and shoulders if they are tight and sore.
   • Make sure not to burn or freeze your skin! Use cold for 10 minutes, then warm for 5 minutes. Keep the entire area covered with a cloth or towel to avoid damaging skin.
3. Maintain good posture at all times. It's important to maintain good posture throughout the day, especially when working on a computer, at a desk or just when sitting for a long time. Keeping proper head and neck posture will help in relieving stressed muscles.
4. Avoid grinding your teeth. People who regularly grind their teeth are more likely to get TMJ because of the stress it puts on your jaw joint and muscles. Some people even grind their teeth while they sleep. Cure Bruxism to minimize your chance of lockjaw from TMJ.
5. Eat soft food. When your jaw muscles are tight and painful, you want to give them a rest instead of making them work hard. Eat soft foods like soup, eggs, fish, cottage cheese, smoothies, and cooked vegetables. Take small bites. Avoid hard foods and foods that are sticky or chewy.
   • Do not chew gum.
6. Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water every day. Dehydration can cause muscle cramps and make you more prone to lockjaw. Drink water regularly to help keep your muscles and bones in optimum condition. Drink at least 8 glasses of water daily.

Sources and Citations

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