A friend and fellow chocolate lover recently told me of a new discovery of his - eating a Snickers bar, fresh from the freezer.

His wife, however, does not.  This is because she suffers from TMJ, or Temporomandibular Joint syndrome.  The cold of the frozen candy is a trigger for symptoms.  Always interested in the ailments of people and how to cure them, I asked my friend's wife to provide more detail about her condition.

Most of the symptoms she described were expected, as I have performed much research on the condition in order to be able to create my TMJ program.  Since everyone is different, though, she had a few symptoms which were surprising.

TMJ refers to the temporomandibular joint, and is not a condition in and of itself but rather a disorder of the temporomandibular joint.

The TMJ is what allows us to talk, chew and yawn.  Located on either side in front of the ears, TMJs are made up of blood vessels, muscles, nerves and bones.

You can find the joint by placing a finger in front of your ear and then by opening and closing the mouth.  The jawbones actions are to open and close the mouth, act in a gliding action which allows the mouth to open wide and for acting as a hinge.

TMJ disorder occurs when the joint becomes eroded and slides out of alignment.  Certain medical conditions can also cause damage to the cartilage in the joint.  A trauma or injury can also cause a disorder.

TMJ disorders are also caused when overusing the joint.  This is another reason your dentist may tell you not to grind or clench your teeth, in addition to tooth erosion.  Sometimes people are born with this condition.  The joint is irregular in development.

Triggers include:  lack of sleep, stress, exposure to air-conditioning on the face, eating or drinking cold food and drinks, clenching the teeth repeatedly and leaning forward to view a computer screen causing poor posture.

TMJ syndrome affects women more than men.  Experts say 5-15% of the population but agree the number is likely higher due to misdiagnosis.

Some common symptoms include:  Headache (most sufferers complain of this), pain or tenderness in the jaw, earache, pain in the face, clicking sound when opening or closing the mouth accompanied by pain (a clicking sound without pain does not necessarily mean you have TMJ), neck pain and difficulty opening and closing the mouth.

The comforting news is that in most cases, no surgery is required.  If the cause is something you can correct (i.e., teeth grinding or poor neck posture) you and your doctor/dentist can take steps to correct the problem.

With my friend's wife, cold air and eating/drinking cold foods and drink brought on symptoms.  I suggested that she try my TMJ program and guess what - it worked!  She can now lead a life free of joint pain.

Overwhelming good reviews of my all natural programs such as the aforementioned TMJ program and my Migraine and Headache program has really impressed upon me the need that so many have to find a solution which doesn't involve medication.  If this is the case with you, please try my program!

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