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Can vitamin C help TMJ?
I know what you are thinking, everybody knows vitamin C helps treat the common cold. You probably even remember historically it was used for preventing and treating scurvy.
The benefits of vitamin C may include protection against immune system deficiencies, cardiovascular disease, prenatal health problems, eye disease and even skin wrinkling according to webmd.com.
Most experts recommend getting your vitamin C from fruits and vegetables, especially citrus fruits. I know sometimes that is hard to do or to get enough vitamin C.
Let me tell you my personal experience with vitamin C. I was diagnosed with TMJ (temporomandibular joint disorder) many years ago. My dentist sent me to a specialist who wanted to make a mouth guard. I didn’t have insurance to cover it, so I declined the mouth guard.
My TMJ became worse, I couldn’t chew gum anymore, because my jaw would ache and pop. I couldn’t eat hamburgers or big sandwiches, because I physically could not open my mouth wide enough.
Then one day I read an article in a magazine that taking 1000 milligrams of vitamin C per day would help prevent UTIs (urinary tract infections). I thought, “Who doesn’t want to avoid UTIs?”. I am not sure if the vitamin C actually prevented UTIs. I didn’t get them that often but, after taking vitamin C for a while I noticed my jaw didn’t ache and pop as much anymore. I could chew gum again and take bigger bites, like eating a hamburger!
Just to test this theory I stopped taking vitamin C for a couple of days and my jaw started to pop again. Now I make sure to take 1000 milligrams of vitamin C every night.
I am not a doctor and I don’t play one on TV. So in all seriousness please check with your doctor before you take vitamin C or other supplements. See my disclaimer page for more information. Also check out the side effects & safety of vitamin C from webmd.com.
This is some great information! I suffer from TMJ as well and have the (very expensive) mouth guard. 2 1/2 years ago I was in a car accident where I suffered whiplash from a rear-end collision. I did several rounds of physical therapy to alleviate the pain from this and some of the exercises actually relieved my TMJ. Who knew!!!
Glad to hear you are doing better! I haven’t tried any exercises, but good to know. Right now Vitamin C is keeping the pain and jaw popping away!!!