Lockjaw!

[OperaMBA]

I was driving in to work this morning, eating a breakfast bar and my jaw stopped chewing!  It wouldn't move side to side, nor would it open more than 3/4 of an inch for about 5 minutes.   I tried to force it open and it wouldn't budge much.

I know that tetanus causes a lot of neurological symptoms, so I have been looking at that this morning.

Has anyone had this happen to them?

Richard
The artist formerly known as OperaMBA

[Heather3418]

If I had to guess, I would bet that most people would say that they have had this happen to them at least once in their life.  In my case and probably many others, it has happened more than once.

I am of the belief, that it is NOT necessarily caused by something Neurological.  But of course, it can be, in some cases.  It is literally known as "lock jaw."  

When this happened to me, I felt a pop in my jaw and it felt like my jaw went side-ways for a moment.  I was not able to open my jaw.  It felt like a muscle spasm on the side of my face.  It took a couple of moments before, it seemed my jaw popped back into place and I was able to open it freely again.

I believe it was like having TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint)  It all has to do with muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments, bones, connective tissue, and the teeth.  Can it be Neurological?  Of course it can.  Unless it happens on a rather frequent basis, I would suggest to you, that it's just one of those "quirks" we humans have every now and then, that cannot totally be explained.

If it recurs or is particularly painful, I would consult your Primary Care Doctor about this.  You may referred to a dentist first, then possibly to a Neurologist, since you have so many other neurological complaints.

It's kinda scary when this happens, isn't it Richard?  After this has happened to me, I noticed that my jaw seemed kind of sore for a few hours, then the sensation went away.  Hopefully this episode will not reocur.  If it does, give a call to your doctor.  If it happens longer than a few minutes, you may want to call your doctor and let them know what is going on.  If it's totally locked, drive yourself to the Emergency Room.  You will be given muscle relaxants, via an IV, as one of my friends told me.  It worked wonders.

Hope you feel better Richard...really I do.  That stuff hurts........

All the Best,
Heather