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What does this sound like???

About 5 months ago I woke up one morning with a bad neck ache towards the corner of my jaw beneath my ear on the left side. It got better during the day, but i had a nagging pain on the muscle that runs down the left side of my neck for the next month or two. It felt like a constant crick in my neck. It finally went away. But it has came back once for about a week only to be more my left shoulder than neck. The pain is barely bothersome now and it seems like it has gradually gotten better but its always slightly there. If thats a good explanation. Thing is that it radiates, sometimes its worse in my upper neck on the muscle where my jaw and neck meet, sometimes its worse on the back side of my shoulder and sometimes on the front side of my shoulder around the clavicle area. Sometimes its all the shoulder, sometimes the shoulder blade. And sometimes even sightly makes the other side of my neck and MINOR bit painful. The pain seemed like it started in my upper neck and now is mainly the shoulder and where the neck and shoulder meet. ALL of this pain goes away after hot showers or when heat is applied, by the way.

My doctor thought is was a pinched nerve in my neck, and my dentist thinks its TMJ. I have a big impacted upper wisdom tooth on the side of the pain also. The right side upper wisdom tooth was removed two years ago. My bottom bite is misaligned. And sometimes the area of my sideburn in front of the ear on that left side is painful. But that pain isnt as bad. The dentist tells me that TMJ can cause all that. I rarely get headaches from this pain. And when i dont get headaches they are minor left side headaches with pain behind the eye. They only come when watching tv or sitting in front of computer slouched over.

So what could all this pain be. My blood work and complete eye exam were all normal.

I have somewhat of a poor posture as well. Also a bit overweight. I have started exercising a working out again to see if it betters the situation. The shoulder pain doesnt get worse when lifting weights, suprisingly.

Over the past 5 months the pain has definately gotten gradually better.

Any advice as to what could be going on????

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Avatar universal
I was typing so fast that i mispelled a lot of words in the last post.

But I also want to add that I can make my jaw pop on both sides and if I tried to hold my mouth wide open it would produce a bad cramping pain in my jaw.
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Avatar universal
I dont truly feel like its anything with my spine. The pain started around my jaw and down the center of the left side of my neck. Around that big muscle that runs down the center of the neck. I have 2 lymph nodes that I can feel and move around in that same area. Both have been the same for over a year and neither are bigger than a pea. The doctor called them shotty lymph nodes. My bloodwork was normal and I have no other symptoms that led him to consider byopsing them.

I have always thought it was something dental, even when it first started. I have a wisdom tooth in that area only, the others have already been pulled.

Bottom line is that the pain has always been worse behind my ear, beneath my skill and the bottom corner of my jaw. And it always seems like it starts in the jaw joint, wisdom tooth area. And sometimes identical pain happens on my right side but it is so SLIGHT, and i stress that. Its more a real slight discomfort that pain. And my bottom bite is misaligned as well. So I want to believe its TMJ.
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Avatar universal
TMJ can produce your symptoms and is treatable with many different options.  A web site that has been developed by and for individuals who have been dealing with this condition can be found at www.tmj.org.  This might give you additional information that will help you and your dentist determine the avenues you might need to pursue for effective relief.
Since your neck x-rays were nonspecific for any problems, the only other test that could show any cervical spine problems would be an MRI and can also be a consideration if you are not feeling that TMJ is the definite diagnosis.
Keep us informed of your progress as it could be helpful for others faced with this condition.
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Avatar universal
Yeah i left that out, i did have x-rays of my neck and they were all normal. The pain is always at its worse on the side of my neck at the corner of my jaw. The pain is more on the side of my neck, not down the middle on the spine. I thought it was that wisdom tooth for the longest time. And like i said dentist thinks its TMJ.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Have you had x-rays done of your cervical spine?  Pain that is located in the neck and radiating to the shoulder area can be related to a possible disc problem in your neck.
The fact that the pain has gradually gotten better with exercise is a good indication that you are strengthening the muscles associated with neck movement etc.
It would be beneficial to see if x-rays identify any other related problems.
Best wishes ---
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