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Anyone w/ TMJ?

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Posted 5/7/2008 3:01 PM (GMT 0)
I've got really bad TMJ in my left jaw and all my doctors have ever given me for it is Naproxen(pre-crohn's diagnosis) and obviously I can't take that! For those of you have this problem or know someone that does, could you reccomend something to help? Thanks!
Posted 5/7/2008 3:12 PM (GMT 0)
are you getting the headaches with it? because with my TMJ causes migraines and I use the razatriptan (sp) for pain....
Posted 5/7/2008 4:13 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, I've had it since I was a teenager. I recently had problems with it, my jaw was getting stuck and popping. Ouch! I really only took Tylenolol and used a heating pad. Ate soft foods for a few days and tried to not over use it. Not fun!
Posted 5/7/2008 5:55 PM (GMT 0)

I have it too, nothing seemed to help...I was on flexeril and naproxen and vicodin, ice and heat didn't really help either.  I had to go to physical therapy and have them stretch my jaw and un-spaz the muscles of my neck, everything had seized up so bad only physical therapy and muscle manipulation could help.

I have to do these exercises now, you put your tongue against the top of your mouth and open your jaw a few times, that keeps my jaw from getting useless again, and I have to rub my neck and shoulder a couple times a day too.  I still get the popping and clicking and pain, but at least I can eat again.  I know that probably doesn't sound too awesome but it's better than being in constant agony from the pain...maybe if you can still use your jaw to some degree the stretching stuff can help you.

Posted 5/7/2008 6:15 PM (GMT 0)
get a mouth guard for sleeping. they help a lot. I have had this for years. massage and accupunture help, too. yp
Posted 5/7/2008 6:24 PM (GMT 0)
I have had it since a car accident in 79. I wore the mouth piece for two years and it really helped, but wow back then my dentist charged me $500 every time I needed a new one. I still to this day use one at night. Susie
Posted 5/7/2008 10:40 PM (GMT 0)
I have it in my left jaw also and basiclly just live with the pain it causes. When it gets real bad I alternate warm and cold on it. I tried mouth guards but spit them out when sleeping,
Posted 5/7/2008 11:10 PM (GMT 0)
Get trigger point injections. They relieve the inflamation and pain in the joint. Then I agree you should also use a mouth gaurd.
Sj
Posted 5/7/2008 11:19 PM (GMT 0)
I had it too. Mine was from a ski injury. I had scar tissue in my neck muscles making it worse. A bunch of trips to the chiropractor really helped. My dentist actually recommended it.
Posted 5/8/2008 5:35 AM (GMT 0)
My jaw has collapsed on both sides so I often, often get TMJ...it is excrutiating. thankfully it doesn't happen on both sides at once. No pain meds can touch it....so my doctor suggested massage, ice and heat...neck excersises.
Posted 5/20/2008 1:59 AM (GMT 0)
I have TMJ as well and I use a night guard, called the NTI. The idea behind this night guard is it reduces the amount of pressure you clench with as well as making it impossible to grind your teeth. This has really helped me with reducing TMJ pain and associated migraine headaches from it.

When I do end up with TMJ pain, I take tylenol and use a heating pad. Sometimes even taking a hot shower and letting the water run down that side of my face helps as well.
Posted 5/20/2008 5:04 AM (GMT 0)
Night guards work wonders.  I don't have TMJ but grind my teeth and have pain from it.  If I don't wear my night guard I wake up with a lot of pain and discomfort, sometimes even from a nap.  It is not the most attractive look but really helps a lot.
Posted 5/20/2008 6:46 AM (GMT 0)
Okay peeps, time to give props to my profession...osteopathic manipulative medicine. Works like a charm on TMJ disorders. If it's done properly.
Posted 5/20/2008 11:46 AM (GMT 0)
Definitely the mouth guard.  I had pain and even my hearing in the right ear was effected.  Wore the mouth guard a few times and hated it but then one morning woke up and the pain was gone and even my ear felt better. Now I only use mine when I feel pain coming or when I am stressed, but it definitely worked for me.

Posted 5/20/2008 2:14 PM (GMT 0)
I have it too. I recently could not take it anymore and went to an orthodontist. I was fitted with a night guard appliance. I had used the NTI (a smaller one) in the past but could never get used to it. I'd apparently take it out during the night and throw it across the room. Now I am wearing that other night guard. I am supposed to wear it all day and night, but I teach and it would be impossible for the students to understand me very well with it in. I am supposed to get physical therapy, but it is such a difficult thing to fit into my schedule.

Sarita, you have me completely interested... what is osteopathetic manipulative medicine? And where do I sign up?
Posted 5/20/2008 10:39 PM (GMT 0)
Potato, a little background: D.O.s are doctors of osteopathic medicine, which was founded in the 1800's when "modern" medicine was making people sicker than the illnesses themselves. In the current era of medicine, D.O.s have equivalent educations of their M.D. (doctor of allopathic medicine) counterparts, i.e. 4 years of college, 4 years of medical school, residency, boards, etc. The major difference is that D.O. students in medical school are given hundreds of hours of additional training in this therapy called osteopathic manipulation, which is essentially specialized musculoskeletal treatment. Some of the stuff I have learned this year is a bit "iffy" (not evidence-based, kind of bizarre, etc.) but there's a lot of support and peer-reviewed research in OMM as a treatment for certain disorders such as migraines, asthma, IBS, temperomandibular joint disorders ("TMJ"), lower back pain, etc. I am becoming quite a fan of it for patients with musculoskeletal injuries especially.

One of my faculty members is a "OMM guru" and I had extremely painful TMJ problems for about a month during my first semester of school. After a month of eating applesauce and milkshakes (I couldn't chew anything), he treated me with OMM for 30 minutes. I kid you not, within 48 hours my jaw was completely functional again. Now I'm a skeptic by nature - but this stuff can work for people in certain situations, and it's worth a shot. The relief is often immediate and doesn't require constant "sessions" like some chiropractors would have you believe.

You can check out osteopathic.org, I would recommend that you find a specialty OMM (or "OMT") clinic if possible...or call to make sure that the doc specializes in doing OMM, because it takes a lot of upkeep to maintain the skills...
Posted 5/20/2008 10:55 PM (GMT 0)
I have TMJ on the ride side of my jaw. I don't take any medicine for it, but instead meditate, do yoga, and get massages (it helps, trust me).
Posted 5/21/2008 4:14 AM (GMT 0)
Sarita thank you so much for all that great information. I will absolutely look into it!
Posted 6/7/2008 2:59 AM (GMT 0)
I have tmj as well.. My jaw has dislocated itself 3xs in 2 weeks.  I have a night gaurd already but mine doesn't help as much as it should... I am taking flexeril that has helped my muscle spasms, but what really has worked or helped me is physical therapy.. I go three times a week.. I just had an MRI done I don't know what the results are but I have an appointment to see the the oral surgeons on Sept 4 (soonest the could get me in)  I wish you luck with finding the treatment that works for you!
Posted 6/7/2008 5:10 PM (GMT 0)
I have TMJ and had it really bad earlier last month. When my flares there is nothing that takes it away except a a couple of antihistimines (releave the swelling) and then one each day for a while. I get migranes from mine and they are so frustrating.

Shoshanna
Posted 6/8/2008 12:59 AM (GMT 0)
They can also do surgery (similar to joint replacement that fixes the problem if it has gotten to the point you cant tolerate it anymore.
Posted 6/10/2008 12:34 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Malibou05,

Wearing a night guard definitely helps with jaw pain and migraines associated with TMJ. I have a soft night guard that I wear at bedtime, and I clench less when I wear it. Even those times when I still clench with it, I have less pain and it protects my teeth from cracking.
Posted 6/10/2008 3:33 AM (GMT 0)
I have TJM syptoms each time I intially bite down on the first bite of my food. Then it goes away. I have always had this. I am a teeth grinder under stress so the night guard sounds like a good option. I also have an impacted wisdom tooth on this side which the oral surgeon wants to remove. I'm trying to stay off the pred for a year and pray the darn thing doesn't get infected before he removes it.

My concern is while extracting wisdom teeth there is always the possibility of nerve damage. Oh, Yeah! Do you think if I suffer nerve damage from the extraction that possibly it will make the TJM symptoms worse? I haven't discussed the TJM with the dentist because it has not been a constant pain for me. I assumed surgery to fix the TJM was to break the jaw and realign it....which NO WAY would I consider this under the Humira & Imuran! Can you imagine how long it would take to heal! I like to eat too much!
Posted 6/10/2008 3:49 AM (GMT 0)
Do the CVS night guards work? I can't imagine why one from the dentist costs $500+ when they sell them at CVS for $20. I haven't bought one yet because I always used my retainer to keep me from grinding too much. But then my dog ate my retainer. I was fitted for a new one but haven't picked it up yet.
Posted 6/10/2008 7:19 PM (GMT 0)

Hi FitzyK23,

Are the CVS night guards the ones that you buy OTC at the drug store?  If so, I tried that once, but had great difficulty forming it properly and just couldn't get it to fight right----so it was $25 down the drain.  Fortunately, my dentist made a soft night guard for me and I think it cost about $150.  I believe that the costly ones ($500) are the hard ones made specially by an orthodontist.

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