Dealing with TMJ Pain: Why We Use Infrared Heat
If you’ve ever felt your jaw “lock up” or dealt with those nagging spasms in your face, you know how frustrating it is. Standard heating pads are okay, but they mostly just warm up your skin. To actually get to the root of the problem, we use infrared (IR) heat. It’s different. Instead of just sitting on the surface, IR heat sinks deep into the soft tissue where the trouble actually starts. How it actually works Think of it as a way to reach the muscles that a normal towel or pad can’t touch—specifically the masseter and temporal muscles. The light waves hit the water molecules in your tissue and turn into heat. This does two big things. First, it gets the blood flowing. Second, it thins out the fluid in your joint so everything moves smoother. When that heat hits the right spot, those tight knots finally let go. That “stuck” feeling you get when you try to open your mouth? It just fades away. The setup We have to be pretty precise with the equipment. It’s all about the distance. If the lamp is too close, you’re going to burn your skin. Too far, and the heat never reaches the joint. We keep a close eye on the positioning to make sure you’re getting the benefit without any of the risk. It’s a delicate balance, but it’s what makes the treatment work. The honest truth Here is the catch: IR therapy is a passive treatment. It feels great and it kills the pain, but it isn’t a “cure” on its own. It clears the path, but it doesn’t fix a jaw that’s physically misaligned. If you just do the heat and nothing else, the pain will eventually come back. That’s why we pair it with active stretching or orthodontic work. Use the heat to loosen things up, then do the actual mechanical work to keep the joint in place. That’s how you get relief that actually lasts.