Ways to Treat And Prevent Jaw Pain After Getting Punched

Jaw injuries in the sport of boxing come in many shapes and forms – sometimes it’s just the jaw, other it’s also the ear, or even the side you haven’t been punched in!

Surprisingly, it can also appear from not getting punched at all – usually the cause of this problem is because you either clench your mouthguard more than needed, or breathe too heavy.

Anyways, it’s clear that it can happen to any fighter at any session, so down below i wrote some tips on how to deal with this troublesome pain.

Rest

The most important thing you can do towards reducing the pain and healing of the injury (if it’s not serious) is resting, that is, not sparring at all. You can feel when it’s getting better, as just moving the jaw muscles will probably tell you how painful it is.

It’s hard to say exactly how long it takes to heal fully, but you can expect it to get better after about three days, although some of the ache might still linger for about a month.

If you want to, you can still hit the heavy bag, mitts, shadowbox, do cardio, though some movements might still cause some discomfort in the jaw area, and if that happens, you should probably not do exactly that.

If it hurts more

In case that the jaw causes a lot of pain or it doesn’t relieve after about a week you should consult your doctor. There are numerous other things besides regular straining that could happen to your jaw after getting cracked with a solid shot, like dislocation or even breaking, so it should be pretty clear that the pain can signify a serious injury.

In the mean time, take some anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen to manage the ache. Apply cold compress if needed.

Tips to reduce the likelihood of jaw pain happening again

When fighting

Keep in mind to tighten your jaw, but not too hard, when you take shots as that is usually the most important thing to do in order to prevent any jaw injuries.

It might sound obvious, but the less you get hit the less of a chance there is to injure your jaw, so make sure to always keep your hands up and dodge those strikes as much as you can.

You’d probably be surprised to know that many injuries happen to fighters who spar beginners. What happens is they go too hard, and from the habit of sparring other advanced fighters you don’t anticipate the same wild haymakers, you get punched, and the rest is history.

If you spar a first timer, take note whether or not he understands the meaning of “sparring”; in case that it seems that he wants to take your head off, stop and tell him to calm himself down.

Mouthguard

The mouthguard you use in your sparring or fighting sessions is probably of single type, but you might consider getting a double.

Now i know that they’re mainly harder to breathe through, but if you already injured your jaw, had let it heal and want to get back into the martial art, it might be a good idea to get one. Double mouthguards also build the habit of always keeping your jaw shut, as that’s the only way to keep it in your mouth.

Getting a custom built mouthguard is usually the best thing you can do, be it you want to use a single or double. They usually fit and keep in your mouth better, and in general can provide better protection.

Getting in the habit of keeping your chin tucked

Tightening your jaw when getting hit is sure important, but so is tucking your jaw in. Get a tennis ball, small towel or anything you can keep under your chin and do shadowboxing with the goal of not letting the item fall off.

Headgear

Having good quality headgear can also reduce the chance of getting the same type of injury in the future – normally those with chin protection work the best.

Work on your cardio

Having little amount of stamina is usually the reason why you keep your jaw wide open during a fight for breathing, and as we know, that’s one sure way to injure it.

Focus on doing more running, jumping rope, roadwork to increase to increase your stamina and try to get in the habit of always keeping it closed.