Stupid Stupid Stupid Stupid Tmj!

[Beauty]

UGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH my jaws are driving me crazy, I open my mouth they pop, I eat they pop, I talk they pop! I have a constant headache (although not bad just pressure) and there is NOTHING that can be done besides surgery which isn't happening...............but I'm still whining!

I hate TMJ! I hate it!!! I will never ever ever play co-ed softball again.....no wait, maybe I should, then someone can hit me in the mouth with a ball again and knock my jaw back the way its SUPPOSED TO BE!!!!!!!!!

 

[Stepharoonie!]

TMJ?

 

[gshoemate]

Sorry....I to have suffered from TMJ for about 6 years now...thanks to a dentist that put braces on my top teeth but not my bottom. Are you sure surgery is the only option. I have a really great book about TMJ, it might be worth picking up. It's called Taking Control of TMJ by Robert O. Uppgaard, D.D.S. I have learned to do trigger realease on my jaw and it helps with the pain. I also use moist heat.....the easy way. I bought a bag of rice (not minute rice) and then put it in a sock (I would recommend a new one ), tie the sock and then microwave it for a minute or 2, depending on how hot you want it, and then put on the painful area. It usually helps my pain.

 

[Beauty]

Ginger,

It is possible that something else could be done, I just live in such an awful town that I honestly think most Drs. here don't know the difference between daylight and dark. I was told that my jaw would have to be broken and put back in place via surgery!

Well even though its annoying as heck I'm not going through THAT!

I'm going to Amazon to check out that book! I also haven't tried the heat!! Thanks!

New sock huh, yep thats a good idea

 

[gottaluvPluto]

I have TMJ and I had surgery. Do not do surgery it did not work for me. I still have pain, bad headaches, lots of popping and I had to have my mouth wired shut for 8 weeks.

I too am going to get a copy of that book. Thanks

 

[crz4mm2]

Don't chew gum.
Did you ever try a bite plate to wear at night? Some people grind their teeth at night which doesn't help.
Find a different doc to see if there is something else that can be done.
Mine is much better after braces and now I wear a retainer every night.
I no longer chew gum either.
Best of luck to you.

 

[Jenn Lynn]

I know I sound like a broken record when I say this ( ), but try a Chiropractor. DH treats a lot of people with TMJ.

I would try anything before surgery!

 

[Brer_Papa]

Well...i am going to sound crazy....but here is what a dentist told me when my DD had TMJ problems...

NOTE...it is for temporary relief...

Have your DH take his thumb and forefinger and press down on the "webbing" between your thumb and forefinger...

press down and hold it until the pain/headache go away....

it worked for DD...

 

[sha_lyn]

There are several options that a dentist can provide

Night guard... Sis has a demo of a new one in her office. Too bad ti cmae out right after I got mine. The new one is a combination of the hard and soft ones. The exterior is hard, but the bite surface is soft

Braces

Grinding down of teeth surfaces ( I belive this only works in mild cases)



I agree that a DC works wonders too.

Trigger release works well on mine.

The way I do it is to place the tips of 2 fingers vertically in front of my ear just below the top part of the joint. Using as much pressure as I can stand I rotate my fingers 1/4 turn until they are pointing up

Another spot is right where the bottom or the earlobe is attached to your head. . Place a finger behnd the ear and feel around until you find a sore spot. Massage that spot

 

[gshoemate]

I have heard bad things about surgery. I was having terrible migraines. So bad that I would take excedrin like it was like candy. This in turn cause rebound headaches. I went to a great clinic in Ann Arbor Michigan that actually treats headaches. I think most doctors would tell you to take a few tylenol and that will take care of it. I went to the clinic for a very long time. It was a slow process to actually find out what was causing the problem. First they had to get me off the excedrin, then I spent 6 months in physical thearapy (alot of trigger release), the migraines disappeared but I still had daily headaches. The neurologist finally decided the underlying factor was TMJ. I went to a dentist who confirmed it and made me a splint to where at night but it didn't work right and she never did any followup. So I finally took matters into my own hand and did the research. The book helped me out so much. There are so many differant factors that go into TMJ. Posture is a big one.

Do you know what caused your TMJ? If a doctor wants to do surgery on you they should be able to tell you what is causing it. Another thing you could try...it could make it worse or better though. Go to the store and buy one of the mouth pieces that football players where. If you are grinding your teeth at night and putting extra pressure on your jaw, this could relieve some of it. And try to avoid the triggers, gum chewing, chewing hard items, anything that requires you to open your mouth wide (hamburgers, sandwiches that are really tall).

I really think the book is worth the cost. It has execises for TMJ, how stress affects TMJ, posture and TMJ....all kinds of good stuff.

Good luck and I hope the heat helps.

 

[piglet too]

Wow, I was wondering what TMJ was, and I think that is what I might have. For the past year now I often have my jaw "pop" when I open it. It feels and looks like it goes over and than back. I notice that if I chew gum or eat hard candy it gets worse and hurts too. There are times when I have to apply pressure to my jaw to be able to open my mouth. I also notice it bothers me if I eat something that I have to open my mouth big for. Wow, this problem may actually have a name. I am going to have to mention it to my dentist next week when I go in to see him.

I am sorry to hear you are having a bad spell Beauty. Hope you can get some relief soon!

 

[Pooh_Friend#1]

I had TMJ and my dentist wanted me to go through the surgery and I thought no way. So I went to get a second opinion from my orthodontist and he told me that I probably grind my teeth pretty bad when I sleep and that is what is aggravating the TMJ.

He gave me a special retainer for night and I have bitten through 4 of them and had to get new ones, fortunately it is well worth the money because those retainers have severly reduced my TMJ pain and my jaw hardly ever pops anymore, although my migraines haven't gone away!!!

 

[Dan Murphy]

Do hope you feel better, Beth, and all the others here too. What a pain for sure.