Help! TMJ sufferer seeking relief!

[TINKFAN3]

Can anyone advise me on severe TMJ pain relief?

 

[nativetxn]

I don't suffer with this and I really don't know much more about it except that is very uncomfortable.

I'm going to move this to the community board for you.

Katholyn

 

[Melrosgirl]

When I first was diagnosed with this (3 years ago), the pain was very bad. Nothing really made it go away, so I have changed my eating habits. (No more chewy things - no gum, no hard candy, hard breads, etc.)

I rarely have any pain any longer. I still have awful jaw popping, but I'm so used to that now, it's no longer a big deal.

I did get a muscle relaxer once from my dentist and that helped a bit.

HTH

 

[shelle94]

I had to change my diet also. Gum is definately out. I also can't eat a big portion of tough or chewy meat. I stick mostly to mac and cheese, pasta, chicken, that kind of thing. When I was first diagnosed I also had to take muscle relaxers the first couple of days because the pain was so bad it was making me nauseous. It wasn't hard for me to prevent the pain once I figured out how. I deal with quite a bit of pain in my wrist and hands at work and I found out I was clenching my teeth for most of the day. Now I catch myself doing it and correct it before I can cause alot of pain. I guess I am lucky that I am not one of the sufferers that clench at night. That is not as easy to prevent.

Good luck with it.

Michelle

 

[Boo'sMom]

I've suffered from TMJ for a number of years....hmmmm....before I got married...so at least 12......the only thing that really helps is 600 mg of ibuprofen and a prescription muscle relaxant (most recently Robaxin).
Also of help has a bite splint to wear at night, as most of my "episodes" are caused by grinding my teeth in my sleep.
My best recommendation is to seek out a qualified oral surgeon who can properly diagnose and treat the severity of your condition

 

[TINKFAN3]

Thanks!
I went to the dr. for a reoccuring earache and she told me its tmj! Pain is intense .

I have to see a specialist...will the pain get better?

 

[luvdzny]

I had TMJ surgery in Sept. and I am so glad I did. A lot of people told me not to do it, but I was in CONSTANT pain, & could barely open my mouth. The only thing I regret about the surgery is that my insurance company did not pay for it. It cost me almost $20,000 (that is a lot of Disney trip money ) Have you talked to your dentist? I had a splint that I wore at night that helped at first. If you have any questions feel free to PM me.

 

[Tiiiigergirl]

I've tried surgery, pain clinics, muscle relaxers, splints and most lately accupuncture. None of them are a "cure" but I agree that finding a good oral surgeon is the key. Luckily I really only have problems when I visit the dentist. Good luck!

 

[Fire14]

for me I've found wearing my retainer, not chewing gum, not big chewy meals has helped. I also seemed to have most problems when I'm tired, been chewing a lot of gum or visting dentist.

 

[grinningghost]

Years ago I had a splint made by an orthodontist, and quite honestly, it was a huge waste of money. It didn't do anything at all. For a long time, the pain wasn't bothering me anymore, just lots of popping and clicking - I could live with that. But just in the last month, the pain has returned. I can barely chew on the left side without causing severe pain. I've found that a couple Aleve work best - but even they don't knock out the pain entirely. TMJ is a real "pain in the jaw". I hope you find relief - if you do, post it - I'd like to hear what worked for you.

 

[bobcat]

My pain is usually brought on by stress and I had to learn how to manage that better. Ibuprofen and relaxing the facial muscles usually helps. Finding out the cause of my pain was a huge relief. This winter has been bad though because I have had a sinus infection that keeps coming back.

 

[TLinden16]

One of the things that my doctor recommended that has helped with the pain when I was diagnosed with TMJ is putting a heating pad on my face every night for about 20 minutes. It has to be a dry heat. I've also found that massaging my jaw helps as well.

Good luck.

Karen

 

[crazymomof4]

I was diagnosed w/ TMJ 16 years ago. That first acute period was my worst ever! Since then I've only had "flare-ups" that I've learned to manage. So in my answer to your question, "will the pain get better?" I would answer yes.
Here are some things that cause my flare-ups: 1. Chewing gum (I don't anymore) 2. Talking too much (esp. with the phone propped between my jaw and shoulder.) My husband says TMJ stands for Too Much Jabbering- In a way I guess he's right! 3. A cold--you may not realize it but you clench your jaw muscles when you sneeze, cough or blow your nose! 4. Propping my chin in my hand, like when sitting at a desk for a long time. This puts pressure on the TM joint. 5. Childbirth--clenching during labor!
6. Any kind of extended stress.
Here's what I do to manage the pain during the flare-ups:
Ibuprofen, as has already been mentioned. A heat pack- I made my own by sewing uncooked rice into a canvas bag. I heat it in the microwave before use. It conforms nicely to the angles of my jaw. Massage-- over the years I've learned just where to massage my TM joint w/ the tips of my fingers to help relax the muscles. I do this after the heat w/ my mouth open and relaxed (this sort of opens up the joint.) I've heard of exercises to stretch the muscles surrounding the joint, reducing the spasms. But I could never find any specific info on these exercises, so I made up my own. I just open my mouth slowly stretching as wide as it will go, 10X. Then I extend my lower teeth in front of my upper teeth as far as is comfortable, 10X. During a flare-up I do this a couple times a day and follow w/ massage. If anyone knows of "real" TMJ exercises please post them!
Like I said, I've never again had the same debilitating pain of the initial phase. I hope that you can get into "remission" quickly too. I've been on some websites and found that there are many treatments but none are 100% guarenteed to work. Since I can live w/ my TMJ as it is, I chose not to risk worsening it by trying any treatments.
I know what you are going through and wish you the best.

 

[Daisymeo]

Don't give up! It will get better. They key is to find a TMJ specialist who really knows his stuff. If you see someone who is not helping you or you feel you are getting worse instead of better, find someone else. I had a dislocated disc in my jaw. My treatment started with splint therapy to move my jaw into a new position which was comfortable for my jaw muscles. Then I had to have braces to move my teeth into the correct position for my new bite. This all took about two years but I felt results within a few months. I am fine now and can eat anything that I want but I always watch not to eat anything too chewy or do anything that would be stressful to my jaw. I had severe ear pain too and a feeling of stuffiness in my ears that would not go away. It took six months and about 5 doctors to figure out what was wrong with me. This all happened about 10 years ago. Maybe treatment has improved now.