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Making recovery from jaw surgery less miserable - what actually helped?
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Had TMJ surgery a few weeks ago and wow, the first few days were rougher than I thought they’d be. Couldn’t sleep, face felt like I’d lost a boxing match, and the ice packs basically became my new best friends. I tried propping myself up with pillows and sipping smoothies but honestly, comfort was hard to come by. Anyone else been through this? What little things made you feel better during recovery?
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I totally get what you mean about the ice packs - I basically lived with one glued to each side of my face for days. Did you have trouble with jaw stiffness too? I found gentle jaw stretches (once my surgeon gave the okay) helped a bit, but honestly, I was hesitant at first. Also, did you use any special pillow or wedge for sleeping upright? I tried a few setups but never found one that was actually comfortable... curious if anyone’s cracked that code.
I’ve gotta say, I actually found the jaw stretches made my stiffness worse at first - maybe I jumped in too soon, but it just felt like it set me back a bit. Did your surgeon give you a timeline for starting those? As for sleeping upright, honestly, I gave up on all the fancy pillows and just stacked regular ones. Still wasn’t comfy, but at least it didn’t cost extra. Anyone else feel like all those “miracle” wedges are kind of overhyped?
Did your surgeon give you a timeline for starting those? As for sleeping upright, honestly, I gave up on all the fancy pillows and just stacked regular ones.
I actually had the opposite experience with the jaw stretches. My surgeon was super specific - he said to wait until week 3, and starting too early could cause more swelling or pain. Maybe that’s why it felt rough at first for you? I totally get being eager, though.
About the pillows, I tried the wedge and honestly...it was a waste of money for me. Kept sliding down anyway. Regular pillows stacked up worked just as well, even if it looked ridiculous.
Maybe that’s why it felt rough at first for you? I totally get being eager, though.
I hear you on the wedge pillow - mine ended up collecting dust in the corner after a few nights. I stacked three regular pillows and sort of wedged myself into a cocoon, which looked ridiculous but at least kept my head up enough to help with swelling. Still woke up with a stiff neck most mornings, though.
About the jaw stretches, yeah, my surgeon was pretty strict about not starting too soon either. He said waiting until week 3 would lower the risk of messing up the stitches or causing more inflammation. I was itching to get some movement back, but honestly, I think waiting paid off - I had less pain than a friend who started earlier (she had to go back for extra checkups because of swelling).
One thing that helped me more than I expected: using a humidifier at night. My mouth got insanely dry from breathing through it, and that made everything feel worse. The humidifier didn’t fix everything, but it took the edge off. Also, I switched to a baby toothbrush for those first couple weeks - it was soft enough that brushing didn’t feel like torture.
I do wonder if anyone actually found those cold gel masks helpful? I tried one and it just felt awkward compared to old-school ice packs wrapped in a towel. Maybe I just never figured out how to wear it right...
Anyway, recovery is such a weird mix of trial and error. Some days even tiny wins - like managing to eat something besides yogurt - felt huge.
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