Can tmj muscle spasms take a long time to repair themselves once muscles get very tight?

TMJ pain: Yes. The longer time in spasm will require more healing time. Rest and softer diets are a starting point. A few sessions with an experinced physical therapist may be indicated.

Very long possibly: Tmj muscle spasms may get worse without splint therapy or proper dental care. See a dentist who treats tmd.

Muscle are muscles: Muscle tissue is muscle tissue and the muscles of your head and face are no different that the muscles throughout the rest of your body. Rest, moist heat, otc pain medications as advil, motrin, aleve (naproxen) all help. However, removing the cause of spasm, overuse, etc. Will help the most long term. Tmj pain may be temporary or chronic. If chronic, see a dentist who treats has experience in this area.

Depends: Depends on the chronicity of the problem and the treatment used. The longer you've had the problem, usually the longer the recovery. Make sure youre being managed by a TMJ expert.

See OFP specialist: While temporary relief of the symptoms can be attained with drugs (e.g. muscle relaxants and pain killers), only by applying definitive treatment to the problem can we successfully improve symptoms for the long term. See Orofacial pain specialist for evaluation, assessment and management.