Finally, TMJ relief!

A girlfriend of mine who is a physician's assistant and a triathlete was talking to me a couple weeks ago about a book called the Roll Model by Jill Miller and Dr. Kelly Starrett.  All of us Crossfitters know who Kelly Starrett is.  He was where I originally learned to foam roll.  I've been "rolling" on foam rollers and lacrosse balls etc. for almost 8 years.  What she was talking about seemed interesting though and different than what I had originally learned.  Always wanting to expand my knowledge, I looked it up.  When I looked at the therapy self massage link, I was drawn to these 3 little letters; TMJ.  I have pretty severe TMJ and when I saw that, I ordered it immediately.  TMJ is temporomandibular joint dysfunction and is defined as "pain and compromised movement of the jaw joint and the surrounding muscles."  This has been a thorn in my side since I got braces in the 7th grade.  The tension in my traps, neck and jaws cause migraines. 

Chiropractor adjustments always help, but recently by the next day it's been going back because those muscles wouldn't relax.  This always requires weekly massages to stay on top of it so it doesn't get out of hand.  Lately, though I haven't been able to get massages as often due to my schedule.  Thank goodness for Amazon Prime!  I hopped on there and got the Massage Therapy Kit with the balls and the 2 DVDs.

The first night, I did the floor sequence.  It was amazing!  It also made me feel relaxed and sleepy.  What a great benefit before bed!  I began doing it every other night.  It's not going to be comfortable, but the discomfort is so worth it in the end.  When I got to the jaw, it was hard to stay there and complete the sequence.  I continued though.  I've worn night guards for years and honestly, they may have helped some, but I can bite through them after a little while.  Sometimes I think it's worse with them in.  Who knows.  This... works!  About a week in, I had another epiphany at my Aroma Touch Technique certification.  We were discussing each of the oils in the technique and talked about Aroma Touch essential oil acts like a muscle relaxer.  After I got done rolling one night, I applied the Aroma Touch to my jaw joint and the surrounding muscles.  The next morning, there was very little tension in my jaws!  I've been so excited about this.  Something that finally works for TMJ!  I still roll every other night, but I apply the Aroma Touch every night.  And it's going to save me quite a bit of money in the massage department.  Hopefully, as the tension lessens, I won't have to roll as often.  If you have TMJ, please try this technique.  Happy rolling!

To order doTerra Aroma Touch at 25% off click here.