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TMJ Mystery Pain Won't Go Away! Help!
by Havraha, Sep 28, 2009 08:44PM
All of this started about 2 years ago when my jaw got tight once and it popped, explosively. It did that 2 or 3 more times during the course of a week before I realized the jaw "clicked" out of place permenatly whenever I opened wide. I later found out this disc displacement with reduction.
About 8 months ago, I was really wondering what it was and how to fix it. When I found out it was perminate, I got so terrified (because my pet peeve is "broken things"), that I started to press on the joint to try and see if I could find out what exactly was making the noise. Big mistake. The joint was immflamed for about a week. By the time it started to die down, the OTHER joint popped and became inflammed, and stayed that way for a week. From there, I started to get better, but I began noticing crackling in my jaw joints that I didn't remember noticing before.
I realized I could "flex" my jaw in a certain way that caused this crackling, and for a split second felt like a relief of tension, so I continued to do it. I did it so long that my jaw started to hurt again. From then on all hell broke loose -- the joints inflammed and popped left and right, some times one side would hurt and then the other .... it went on like this for 3 months and I became terrified that it would never quit. After a while, I began to realize that the "flexing" I was doing the muscles in the side of my neck that was causing the crackling noise that felt like tension release might have actually been causing the problems, so I made a concious effort to stop it. My symptoms improved dramatically, but they didn't stop. So at that point I made a concious effort to refrain from unnecessary SWALLOWING, and this time, it seemed to do the trick. I wasn't 100% healed, but it felt like 95%.
My dentist, during the first week I started having these pains, acted so confident that my problems would go away in about a week that he essentially handed me a sheet of paper about TMJ management and said see ya later. Well obviously that didn't work out. However, I had gone previously for tooth aches, and he deduced that I was grinding my teeth at night and perscribed me a mouth guard. So when my jaw finally settled down after 3 months, I came back to get the mouthguard, told him everything was fine.... though it took forever .... and we went on our merry way.
Then, when i took up a stressful job, I felt the tension going to my neck. I "flexed" my neck in the same way that hurt my jaw a few times, to relieve the tension, and it flared back up again.... and has been flared up sense.
I don't understand what's causing this! The side that's hurting is NOT that side that has the displaced disc! And if the disc was displaced without reduction, I'd have some limit in jaw opening, but I don't! I DO have Myofascial Pain Syndrome, I'm sure of it, but what does this have to do with my flexing? Did I overstretch a ligament or something? How does this heal? CAN it heal?
when I swallow, I hear a TON of crepitus in that side of my ear. Moreso than the other side. And when the crepitus happens, it sometimes feels like its been pushed on from the inside out. Like an air bubble has pressed outward or something. I don't know, its a terrible feeling because sometimes I imagine like ... cartilage has deteriorated away and been replaced by pockets of air or something. Can you tell my horror has gone to my head?
I understand there's people in far worse TMJ problems than I have, but it doesn't mean my suffering is any less detrimental to my productivity. Nor are my fears any less frightening. After 8 months of nearly constant pain, what's wrong? What am I supposed to do? I'm desperate.
About 8 months ago, I was really wondering what it was and how to fix it. When I found out it was perminate, I got so terrified (because my pet peeve is "broken things"), that I started to press on the joint to try and see if I could find out what exactly was making the noise. Big mistake. The joint was immflamed for about a week. By the time it started to die down, the OTHER joint popped and became inflammed, and stayed that way for a week. From there, I started to get better, but I began noticing crackling in my jaw joints that I didn't remember noticing before.
I realized I could "flex" my jaw in a certain way that caused this crackling, and for a split second felt like a relief of tension, so I continued to do it. I did it so long that my jaw started to hurt again. From then on all hell broke loose -- the joints inflammed and popped left and right, some times one side would hurt and then the other .... it went on like this for 3 months and I became terrified that it would never quit. After a while, I began to realize that the "flexing" I was doing the muscles in the side of my neck that was causing the crackling noise that felt like tension release might have actually been causing the problems, so I made a concious effort to stop it. My symptoms improved dramatically, but they didn't stop. So at that point I made a concious effort to refrain from unnecessary SWALLOWING, and this time, it seemed to do the trick. I wasn't 100% healed, but it felt like 95%.
My dentist, during the first week I started having these pains, acted so confident that my problems would go away in about a week that he essentially handed me a sheet of paper about TMJ management and said see ya later. Well obviously that didn't work out. However, I had gone previously for tooth aches, and he deduced that I was grinding my teeth at night and perscribed me a mouth guard. So when my jaw finally settled down after 3 months, I came back to get the mouthguard, told him everything was fine.... though it took forever .... and we went on our merry way.
Then, when i took up a stressful job, I felt the tension going to my neck. I "flexed" my neck in the same way that hurt my jaw a few times, to relieve the tension, and it flared back up again.... and has been flared up sense.
I don't understand what's causing this! The side that's hurting is NOT that side that has the displaced disc! And if the disc was displaced without reduction, I'd have some limit in jaw opening, but I don't! I DO have Myofascial Pain Syndrome, I'm sure of it, but what does this have to do with my flexing? Did I overstretch a ligament or something? How does this heal? CAN it heal?
when I swallow, I hear a TON of crepitus in that side of my ear. Moreso than the other side. And when the crepitus happens, it sometimes feels like its been pushed on from the inside out. Like an air bubble has pressed outward or something. I don't know, its a terrible feeling because sometimes I imagine like ... cartilage has deteriorated away and been replaced by pockets of air or something. Can you tell my horror has gone to my head?
I understand there's people in far worse TMJ problems than I have, but it doesn't mean my suffering is any less detrimental to my productivity. Nor are my fears any less frightening. After 8 months of nearly constant pain, what's wrong? What am I supposed to do? I'm desperate.
Member Comments (2)
by missy126, Sep 29, 2009 05:19PM
Please try to hang-in, but it's hard to do someday's,& the horror will go to your head. I have TMJD for for 29 years now. The doctor & dentist will never tell you bad things are going to happen. You know from this you will probably get arthritis and that loves you, so it starts eating away. They you get neck pain to the shoulder pain to the fingers on what fun. You are probably thinking I am crazy. You have to know they were just doing the 1st surgeries then, that's why they do not like to do the whole joint replaces now. All I know I would love a doctor or dentist (which I do not go to anymore dentist) to give me a straight answer. I had one great dentist & he passed away. They told me years ago I need my right side replaced, I want to wait till they had to do booth. Why am I on me, sorry. You need to find away to relax,it's hard, the only thing I can do is to take deep deep breaths. I hope you have a wonderful family to listen, but they get tried to. This is why I'm single. Really you'll will make it.You are welcome to be my friend, if you want to talk to a crazy woman. missy126.
by Havraha, Sep 29, 2009 09:07PM
Thank you for the reply! Does anyone else know what might be going on in my jaw? Any similar issues?
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