What can be done to relieve pain caused by tmj? are there alternatives to medicinal therapy for long term relief?

Depends: There are many alternatives depending upon what your specific situation is. There are bite appliances, hot and cold compresses, physical therapy, and restorative dental work in addition to medications. It depends upon your specific situation which would be determined following an exam and appropriate x-rays.

Many things can help: Depending on exactly what the problem is, a combination of cold or heat, occlusal (bite) analysis and possible modification, splint therapy, exercise, massage, sleep posture and getting past a period of high stress can all impact how you feel. Go to an experienced tmd oriented dentist for an evaluation and discussion of alternatives.

Can be complicated.: Tmj disorder can be complicated, and i agree with the other doctors' answers. I will add a couple of things. I have advanced training from the university of michigan concerning tmd. You should certainly stick with a soft diet, with no chewing gum. Try to massage the affected joint. Take Ibuprofen to lessen the pain and reduce inflammation. See a dentist for an x-ray and overall evaluation.

TMJ Relief: One thing that might help is to get an athletic mouth guard (the heat & form kind you can get at most any department store) and wear that at night. If wearing it a few nights relieves your symptoms you may then want to have your dentist make a special mouth guard to wear. Tmj pain is a combination of grinding, stress, and pain all leading to more of the other and can be reduced at any point.

YES: Meds are generally not the answer to treating tmj/tmd. I often see new patients in my office that are already heavily medicated with no results. I ethically do not tell them to ditch the meds, but i offer other alternatives like physical therapy, exercises and mouthpieces, which tend to treat the source of the problem, not mask it as meds often do.

A few things: Depends on symptoms, and cause of symptoms. 3 signs of TMJ dysfunction: joint noises, joint pain & limited oral opening. Self treat with soft diet, jaw exercises, massage, heat/cold, OTC pain meds. A splint or physical therapy would be next. Occasionally muscle relaxants, biofeedback. Xrays are done for diagnosis. Surgery usually reserved for serious symptoms not responsive to other treatments.