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The TMJ Healing Plan: Ten Steps to Relieving Headaches, Neck Pain and Jaw Disorders
Your Symptoms Won't Change Unless You Do! This book is the ONLY one on the market that will help you with all 10 steps to identify and eliminate common causes and contributors to headaches, neck pain and jaw disorders commonly known as TMJ. Physical therapist, Cynthia Peterson, wants to help you avoid costly and irreversible treatments and teaches you healthy habits for self-care and prevention, offering tips on posture, tongue placement, and simple physical therapy exercises that can reduce, relieve, and even eliminate many problematic symptoms. She also offers guidance on where to turn when more help is needed. Of all the joints in your body, there are only 2 that most doctors refuse to treat and most insurance companies refuse to cover. If you guessed jaw joints, you are correct . Those jaw joints are technically referred to as your TMJ's and problems with them can include symptoms such as headaches; painful jaw joints; difficulty opening or closing the mouth; clicking or locking jaws; ear pain, stuffiness, or ringing; neck, shoulder, or facial pain; tooth grinding or clenching; and morning jaw aches. Though these complaints are common, the average sufferer sees numerous doctors and undergoes several treatments often with little relief. While there is no one-size-fits-all remedy, this book offers safe, proven tools you can begin using right away to improve your condition. 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 the healthy ones necessary for long-term relief. You learn to
288 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2009
90 people are currently reading
170 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
July 8, 2010
I am still making my way through this book, but as it's been so long since I started, I thought I would add a few thoughts here.
This is a very big approach to fixing TMJ pain. I've had jaw and neck pain for the past 12 years at least. I've been in physical therapy, consulted my dentist, tried massage, and while there's been improvement here and there, the pain is very persistent. At time, I've been unable to eat solid food because my jaw hurt so much. So I am really the target audience for this book.
My initial reaction when I first picked up this book was that I was completely overwhelmed. There is so much in here that I didn't know where to start. It covers all kinds of aspects of your life, from how you sit, how you sleep, your posture, exercises to do, your tongue, teeth, and mouth, and lots more. I had no idea what to do first. After talking about it with my chiropractor, I decided to start with the posture section, and that made a big difference. I didn't realize how much my slump was affecting my jaw. You have to read the book and look at the pictures to understand why, but it was a good place to start. Now I am reading about the mouth and tongue, and we'll see if I can figure that part out.
If you have persistent jaw and neck pain or know someone that does, I recommend this book. It is so hard to get answers, and while this may have too much information for some, it is certainly a good place to start looking for what changes you can make to improve your condition and feel better. I like that the author stresses how important it is to take charge of your own health, and this book will help with that.
This is a very big approach to fixing TMJ pain. I've had jaw and neck pain for the past 12 years at least. I've been in physical therapy, consulted my dentist, tried massage, and while there's been improvement here and there, the pain is very persistent. At time, I've been unable to eat solid food because my jaw hurt so much. So I am really the target audience for this book.
My initial reaction when I first picked up this book was that I was completely overwhelmed. There is so much in here that I didn't know where to start. It covers all kinds of aspects of your life, from how you sit, how you sleep, your posture, exercises to do, your tongue, teeth, and mouth, and lots more. I had no idea what to do first. After talking about it with my chiropractor, I decided to start with the posture section, and that made a big difference. I didn't realize how much my slump was affecting my jaw. You have to read the book and look at the pictures to understand why, but it was a good place to start. Now I am reading about the mouth and tongue, and we'll see if I can figure that part out.
If you have persistent jaw and neck pain or know someone that does, I recommend this book. It is so hard to get answers, and while this may have too much information for some, it is certainly a good place to start looking for what changes you can make to improve your condition and feel better. I like that the author stresses how important it is to take charge of your own health, and this book will help with that.
May 30, 2013
I started suffering from TMJ last year, and didn't recognize it at first because the symptoms weren't what I would have expected, with pain more in my temples and neck than in my jaw. I've tried a variety of solutions, none of which have been a magic bullet, although all of them perhaps help a little. Still, it's an ongoing struggle, and a frustrating one because it involves obscure unpleasant sensations that are hard to describe to doctors and don't yield symptoms that others can see. Count this among the conditions that many are quick to think are just in people's heads.
I found this book more helpful than most of the unexplained remedies suggested by doctors and dentists. It helps explain the full range of conditions that fit in the family of TMJ disorders. It pinpoint the different muscle groups that may be involved (and there are lots of them, which cause problems in different combinations for different sufferers) and how each might refer pain. Solutions for posture and other behaviors that create the problem are given, and I quickly identified several behaviors that are contributing to my problem (getting rid of them is not as quick, but I'm working on it). The book also provides stretches that get at all of these small muscle groups.
I would recommend this to anyone who wants to work on reducing TMJ disorder aggravations without drugs and other expensive remedies that don't provide much help.
I found this book more helpful than most of the unexplained remedies suggested by doctors and dentists. It helps explain the full range of conditions that fit in the family of TMJ disorders. It pinpoint the different muscle groups that may be involved (and there are lots of them, which cause problems in different combinations for different sufferers) and how each might refer pain. Solutions for posture and other behaviors that create the problem are given, and I quickly identified several behaviors that are contributing to my problem (getting rid of them is not as quick, but I'm working on it). The book also provides stretches that get at all of these small muscle groups.
I would recommend this to anyone who wants to work on reducing TMJ disorder aggravations without drugs and other expensive remedies that don't provide much help.
April 3, 2013
brilliant book. i plowed through it in 2 days. the issues she addresses apply directly to me: hypermobility, oversensitive nervous system, low co2, mouth breathing, bad posture, leg length discrepancy, trigger points. i own both this and TAKING CONTROL OF TMJ. i love both books but i definitely prefer this one.
only negative is the actual jaw exercises did not help me that much but perhaps i am doing them incorrectly or maybe its due to my hypermobility. she emphasizes b vitamins but not magnesium, which i find odd. however, all of the other tips were extremely useful, especially regarding tongue behavior.
edit: the tongue pushups work
only negative is the actual jaw exercises did not help me that much but perhaps i am doing them incorrectly or maybe its due to my hypermobility. she emphasizes b vitamins but not magnesium, which i find odd. however, all of the other tips were extremely useful, especially regarding tongue behavior.
edit: the tongue pushups work
April 28, 2018
TMJ Healing Plan - and it's sister website - was very informative and helpful. I've never dealt with TMJ before, and this past Dec/Jan it appeared in my life. WTF?
My dentist was ZERO help: Here's a script for muscle relaxants. Nothing else, at all. Incredible.
Then I saw this book by chance at the library, so why not learn more?
Peterson knows her stuff, does a fine job teaching Why this may be happening, and does urge readers to "go to a specialist if..."
Very fair.
I'm more aware of my posture, including how I sleep, and doing exercises to strengthen the supportive muscles (author is a PT specializing in jaw/neck issues). And things have improved, though I'll likely go see a specialist. But now I'll understand more what's being discussed.
My dentist was ZERO help: Here's a script for muscle relaxants. Nothing else, at all. Incredible.
Then I saw this book by chance at the library, so why not learn more?
Peterson knows her stuff, does a fine job teaching Why this may be happening, and does urge readers to "go to a specialist if..."
Very fair.
I'm more aware of my posture, including how I sleep, and doing exercises to strengthen the supportive muscles (author is a PT specializing in jaw/neck issues). And things have improved, though I'll likely go see a specialist. But now I'll understand more what's being discussed.
February 17, 2013
While she had some good tips on posture that I have been trying to follow, the rest of the book was not very applicable to me. The author was quite repetitive and a majority of her "case focus" sections were on herself. I can see this being a useful book for someone who doesn't really know much about TMJ and how everything is so interconnected. I've been a sufferer for 15 years now so there wasn't much new information or actionable information here for me.
September 12, 2013
I had already dislocated my jaw completely when I was given this book and I wish I would have picked it up before I ruined my jaw. None the less, even in the aftermath it's advice and knowledge helped me manage the pain, become far more comfortable, and unlock a locked jaw. Now with my physical therapist and jaw specialist, the rest will come into place wonderfully and I am well informed as to the why and how of it all.
November 20, 2014
Although I do not have TMJ and I only read certain chapters, I found the author's comments on posture and trigger points enlightening in that bad posture and knotted muscles can lead to pain and other symptoms in other parts of the body. It reinforced my belief that the emphasis modern medicine places on (expensive) drugs and surgery can sometimes be avoided by sitting up straight and doing physical therapy.
March 3, 2012
I have been struggling with daily headaches and jaw pain for almost a year and a half now. This book has helped me sooo much! I am only half way through it, but the things it has taught me so far has really helped me to improve my situation.
April 4, 2012
An excellent addition to the various "owner's manuals" for the body. Really good in terms of preventive maintenance as well as addressing specific ills directly and indirectly related to the jaw and it's joints.
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May 14, 2015Helpful tips and exercises for those who have this problem. Author is a physical therapist who specializes in TMJ/TMD and neck pain.
February 16, 2016
Very helpful and informative!
March 28, 2020
I randomly came across a recommendation for this book from a FOAF saying it was helpful, so I figured it was worth a try. I’ve had a TMJ disorder for over 15 years since my wisdom teeth were extracted, and have clenched my jaw muscles as a stress response for probably the last 5 years. Other than the dental hygienist suggesting I sleep with a mouth guard to avoid grinding my teeth when I clench my jaw in my sleep, and the dentist offering a super expensive jaw expanding/realigning appliance that my current insurance doesn’t cover, I haven’t been given any advice or treatment or hope for relief from the crunching, clicking, soreness, and other weird symptoms. The price of a book for potential relief of a chronic problem is a pretty amazing deal, and I expected to find maybe one area that related to my situation, implement a couple changes, and see a marginal improvement in a few weeks. Bam, money well spent. I start reading and am stunned to find so many areas where I could make changes or improvements. I had absolutely no idea! I have so many contributing factors. My mother worked in early childhood development, my aunt’s whole career was in preschool developmental teaching, and I’ve worked alongside speech therapists for my whole working career, and even still I had some issues that typically start from infancy/toddlerhood that were never caught by anyone in my life at any point along the way. I am in shock! With so many aspects that I can improve, I’m very optimistic that I will experience some relief. Given that I work in a hospital and finished this book during a pandemic with unprecedented stress levels and 1% brain space left to remember to implement the bazillion changes I need to make, it’s going to take awhile. Stress doesn’t help TMJ disorder. I’m leaving the book on the coffee table to remember to implement what I can when I can, and as a gentle reminder to pick up the practice more as I’m able.
January 13, 2022
This book is a great educational guide for anyone with a TMJ disorder. It provides in-depth explanations of the anatomy around TMJ, various hurtful habits that are potential causes of TMJ disorders, their relation to the TMJ, and how to assess and improve various habits. I particularly appreciate that the author provided citations for everything.
Although the book is pretty old and the science might have advanced or changed, I feel that the book provides useful rules of thumb to ensure better TMJ management—without prescription drugs and invasive surgeries.
Some of the arguments made in the book are pretty nebulous. Not everything that is said is true. So beware, do not use this book as a self-help guide. Rather just use it to be aware about the disorder and discuss
specifics with a PT.
I have been on muscle relaxants and pain killers for more than 8 months now. For me, it all started with the constant feeling of stuffed/itchy ears, then an extreme fatigue in the jaw, and then it graduated to difficulty in chewing and opening the jaw. I consulted multiple care providers: nurses (at the student health center), dentist, ENT and Otolaryngology (Head and Neck Surgery), Oral surgeon, and finally a Physical therapist (PT) last week. In a week with PT, I have learnt more about the jaw movement and TMJ management than I did in 7 months with other specialists. I added about 2 cms to my jaw opening and feel much more confident about my pain management.
Although the book is pretty old and the science might have advanced or changed, I feel that the book provides useful rules of thumb to ensure better TMJ management—without prescription drugs and invasive surgeries.
Some of the arguments made in the book are pretty nebulous. Not everything that is said is true. So beware, do not use this book as a self-help guide. Rather just use it to be aware about the disorder and discuss
specifics with a PT.
I have been on muscle relaxants and pain killers for more than 8 months now. For me, it all started with the constant feeling of stuffed/itchy ears, then an extreme fatigue in the jaw, and then it graduated to difficulty in chewing and opening the jaw. I consulted multiple care providers: nurses (at the student health center), dentist, ENT and Otolaryngology (Head and Neck Surgery), Oral surgeon, and finally a Physical therapist (PT) last week. In a week with PT, I have learnt more about the jaw movement and TMJ management than I did in 7 months with other specialists. I added about 2 cms to my jaw opening and feel much more confident about my pain management.
August 6, 2024
Some helpful information. I like how it's laid out, with each chapter being about a specific thing that might be causing jaw pain. I learned that even things like leg length discrepancies can affect how your head and jaw feel. Overall, it's helpful if you tips for adjusting your posture or other basics. However, if you need more in-depth help with muscular or connective tissue problems, this book would be better used with the help of a physical therapist with experience with TMJ. Unfortunately, those aren't always easy to find if you don't live in a location with ready access to medical care or if your insurance doesn't cover them. Ultimately that isn't the fault of the book, but it does mean that the joint/connective tissue chapter in particular feels very lacking.
Could I have gotten more from a book like this? Yes. But, at the end of the day, I did find some tips for that have helped ease some of the irritation after nearly 20 years of dealing with it, and that's not too shabby for a book I got for $10.
Could I have gotten more from a book like this? Yes. But, at the end of the day, I did find some tips for that have helped ease some of the irritation after nearly 20 years of dealing with it, and that's not too shabby for a book I got for $10.
October 5, 2021
Provides pretty good general advice for improving your lifestyle to help your jaw. It also provides good background information on how your jaw works. For me, I did not find enough to help me resolve my jaw issue on its own and I'm am still getting appliances to help realign my jaw. However, the book gave me far more information than my doctor did. One negative of the book was that it sometimes did not provide context into which solutions applied or were more important. I think it would be too onerous to do everything listed, so it would have been nice to have some things that said, if you really have these symptoms, this is more important or less important. However, overall pleased with the book.
December 9, 2020
This book does contain a lot of useful information, but it lost a star because of the many referrals to the author's website for specifics that did not exist. The website is either unfinished or obsolete, but either way it was incredibly frustrating to be referred there for important information, of which there was no trace. I also found the overreliance on the very cumbersome PoTSB TLC acronym to be annoying. Good points though included the breakdown of the muscle groups of the head, neck, and shoulders and their associated trigger points and pain patterns, along with the specific jaw and neck exercises.
April 20, 2018
This has some excellent ideas for dealing with jaw pain. The most useful parts for me were the chapters on tongue and jaw posture and trigger points. I feel empowered to hopefully correct some lifelong poor habits in while working with a great biological dentist (who recommended this book).
September 6, 2018
Great information and action plans for those suffering from tmj diseases and disorders. The author clearly cares about her patients and reader-patients and I'd very sincere in her commitment to helping them.
March 10, 2021
A lot of good exercises and tips I wish I had years ago.
June 13, 2022
Very helpful information when you suffer from TMJ. Easy reading and I learned a lot.
June 14, 2022
Excellent read. I have suffered with TMJ for about 10 years now, and have tried everything! She gave me some new ideas to try. I would highly recommend this book.
April 30, 2017
Very valuable, detailed self-help book for those suffering with TMJ disorders. Highly recommend it to other readers who are motivated to help themselves via home therapy. This book has helped me more than my dentist, orthodontist, and maxillofacial specialist!
Want to read
September 22, 2014concise chapter 8 on myofascia and muscle care
December 9, 2015
Very user-friendly
Helpful for my own pain as well as educating others in simple safe tools to self manage tmd related pain.
Helpful for my own pain as well as educating others in simple safe tools to self manage tmd related pain.
January 9, 2016
Informative and helpful
July 29, 2018
Help your kids avoid problems in the future. And ... Good for anyone suffering from jaw, neck, shoulder or head pain, or tongue thrust.
October 29, 2015
I have a background in Alexander Technique so this book is hilarious reading for me.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews