Temporomandibular joint disorder relief?

Vaila

Hello,I have TMJ (cant be bothered typing out its full name) and am hoping that after I have my wisdom teeth removed the constant earache,jaw "clicking" neck pain and all the other pain in the behinds that come with it will ease a little.
Just wondering if anyone else suffers from this and what mse pain relief they use?Especially for pain around the jaw and ear

littlestar1981

I just wanted to say I hope you get advice soon.

I grit my teeth (unwittingly) through stress and now have constant neckache, earache, achy jaw, achy top gums and blinding daily headaches and would welcome any advice.

EssexHebridean

littlestar1981 wrote: »

I just wanted to say I hope you get advice soon.

I grit my teeth (unwittingly) through stress and now have constant neckache, earache, achy jaw, achy top gums and blinding daily headaches and would welcome any advice.

For gritting teeth when you're stressed - first try to sort out what is causing the stress.....! Obvious I know but you sometimes don't see what is under your nose! The grinding is probably a habit you've got into as much as anything - some people bite their nails or pick at the skin around them when they are stressed - and the key is to break the habit. Might be worth trying chewing gum? Means your jaws are already busy and it's going to be far more noticeable if you start grinding your teeth as it's going to feel "odd". Good luck getting it sorted.

Also, I hope someone comes along with some good advice or at least a support network for you soon OP.

Vaila

Thankyou for commenting,out of all of the symptoms of TMJ I fortunately dont grind my teeth.Ive heard of dentists offering plate guards (I think thats what they are called),so maybe you could ask your dentist or doctor about them?

Mayflower10cat

Don't know if this is any help at all, but I visited an Osteopath for upper back pain in the autumn. Whilst she was examining me and finding out all my other little niggly aches and pains, I happened to mention I'd always had a very clicky jaw and my neck makes horrible grating, clicking noises. (I used to be a toothgrinder, too and I know it was linked to the migraines I used to get). She said she'd see if she could make any improvements for me. After three sessions, and faithfully doing the small, gentle exercises she showed me at home, I noticed a major improvement in mobility, distinctly less pain and the 'dry grinding/crunching' I could feel has now abated so I still have a slight 'clicky-ness' but it feels softer and smoother now, not so dry and crackly.

If anyone is interested in the exercises for the neck/jaw, please do PM me. They are based on resistance and are very straightforward and you can sit watching the TV doing them.

Vaila

Id love to know those exercises mayflower10cat!

Thankyou to the poster who pm'ed me about the Bowen technique.I found massage to be extremely beneficial but couldnt afford to get it done frequently.I have ordered a book on the technique as unfortunately my local therapist charges £40 a session !!

RoseFairy

hi. i have this too. i got a mouth shield to wear at night to prevent any teeth grinding - which i wasn't aware i may be doing. this helped create a gap between the upper and lower teeth while sleeping. i used this for a couple of months and have not had to use it for nearly 8 months now. some other advice i was given was to be careful not to eat certain foods that would mean chewing too much. eg avoiding chewing gum, hard fruits and nuts and chewy foods, to cut up my food smaller so that i would not need to open my jaws as much. and an exercise technique which i still do should i feel that need, is: as the mouth is closed to touch the back of my palette or throat with the tip of my tongue, then holding that position to open my mouth as wide as possible and to hold that position for a few seconds, then gently close and relax. to do this several times for a minute. also for pain on the jaw or ear i use a warm compress - i have those wheat bags that you warm in the MW and then apply that to relax the muscle pains.

i still sometimes get tmj pain along with headache and sinus like pains around the eyes and i have to take ibuprofen and/or paracetemol but no other drugs.

hth.

Mayflower10cat

arran_m wrote: »

Id love to know those exercises mayflower10cat!

I'll type them up and PM you. No probs.
Osteo charged me £40 for the first longer session which included a very comprehensive health survey, then subsequent sessions £30.

lostinrates

A friend had an operation for this a few years ago and lived on soup and smoothies for a summer. she said it helped. Good luck finding a less dramatic solution.:)

jugglebug

I can't see that having your wisdom teeth out will help your jaw clicks unless the problem with your bite is related to these specific teeth.
Have a google around the British Society of Occlusal Studies if after the extractions you have no improvement. They hold a list of Dentists who have demonstrated a particular amount of training with this sort of problem (You only get full membership if you can show you have done the training)
I don't appear there as I have only begun the work :cool:

jugglebug

Oh and the exercises mentioned elsewhere are useful though, as long as they are the ones I am thinking of.
Basically resistance to force. So pushing in one direction with your jaw whilst pushing back with your hand so the jaw doesn't actually move.
Difficult to describe them all. I usually demonstrate them in surgery.