Shooting pains/aches in jaw, neck, and cheeks - TMJ?

[Eddie 14]

I just want to make sure that I'm on the right path.  bout 3 months ago I started to get a dull ache and some light shooting pains in the muscles under my jaw in my neck. Then I started getting some shooting pains in my jaw line. Totally random.  Sometimes at the tip of my jaw, sometims right at the jaw etc.  Moves around with no consistant pattern. It built up over a few months.

4 weeks ago I woke up in the middle of the night with excrusiating jaw and even cheek pain under my eyes. Sometimes even areas of my teeth hurt.

Sometimes the pains now are shooting, sometimes it sticks around for 5-20 minutes. It's relieved short term by really pressing on those areas.  

I went to the dentist and got a bite guard. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to help much after 3 weeks now. The pains just come and go, but are there more often than not now, and usually get worse as the day goes on. When I wake up I'm pretty decent, then it just builds throughout the day.  

I have clicking on one side of my jaw when I open wide.

4 major questions.

1. Do TMJ pains tend to come and go in different locations like mine? Descriptions of TMJ read more like it's a constant pain that doesn't allow you to open up. My pains move around in my face/jaw.

2. I also get a lot of pains and tingling in my upper neck, shoulders and arms - TMJ?  My concern is that with those combined with the jaw points to a disc problem?

3. Other than cardiac (ruled out) any other major causes of face and jaw pain? (I have my wisdom teeth still, but I'm 34 and they havent moved in years).

4. Ice or Heat?

[ihave been i your shoes or your mouth]

sounds like tic de la rue there is a good book out for thsi Sorry I don;t know the name or the author i have a friend that suffers from it

[Jerome Bogin, D.D.S.]

These are all good questions and I will try to address each one. The answer to the first is yes. At times there is no pattern because the pain may be muscular in nature.The second is also yes because the pain can be referred to the neck and shoulder areas.The third is something that should be explored even if you think the third molars didn't move.I would suggest cold on for twenty minutes off for twenty. My last suggestion is that you see a dentist that only specializes in TMJ dysfunction.

[mike1105]

sounds to me like its muscle related.. i would see a good physical therapist to evaluate your posture-- which can affect the tmj mscles and the other muscles you mentioned...