TMJ?
- Thread starter AppleMay
- Start date
Sugarhill
Active Member
I had it for a while when I was younger. I made a conscious effort to stop clenching and grinding my teeth and after some time, my jaw stopped locking up. It can be reversible if you want it to be. If you are finding it to be difficult or you are grinding while you are asleep, you can try using a mouth guard at night.
Parker
Member
I had TMJ when I was younger too. I was clenching my jaw in my sleep. I was really stressed out at my job. My doctor sent me to a specialist for a night guard. She told me to quit my job. The specialist did fit me for a guard and also told me to quit my job. Two months later, I quit that job. No more TMJ or headaches.
dashboardc33
Member
Yes, I have TMJ. My dentist actually referred me over to a physical therapist. The therapist had me do some exercises with my jaw. I haven't noticed that it helped too much, however I am really bad at making sure I do my exercises everyday. I really have to start doing this daily again.
Sugarhill
Active Member
Sometimes, I'll do something as simple as making a little space in between my teeth, top and bottom. When I feel like that isn't enough, I'll actually open up completely and move my jaw around to loosen it up and relax the entire area. I never did anything beyond that. I'm not suggesting that you don't do the exercises, but that's what I did.
xenon
Member
Yes I've had it and can say, boy it's a pain. I first went to see a doctor who prescribed anti inflammatories. They didn't work. So I went to my dentist who prescribed a muscle relaxant called Temaze and it worked. It's also used for insomnia and your doctor can prescribe it for that. My TMJ was cured rather quickly but I still keep some on hand just in case it happens again. One thing I can advise is never chew gum.
difrancprod
Member
I have a friend who just suffered from it and she was advised to get some botox. I'm not sure about that though but apparently it helped her!
freshfoodie
Member
I have had TMJ pretty much all my life. It runs in my family pretty severely. In this generation, my cousin and I both ended up with it. Our only option was to have the surgery to break and realign the jawbone. I elected to just deal with it and she elected to have the surgery. I would talk to your dentist to see if this is what you have and what options are open to you.
I have had severe TMJ since I was twelve years old. I was actually the subject of a physical therapist's journal article about possible treatments. I have had multiple splints, surgery twice, phsical therapy off and on, and a multitude of pain pills. For myself, I have never found that "one thing" that would cure it. I have learned to live with it, but it does get much worse in times of extreme stress.
Sugarhill
Active Member
Did they say it was something that you were born with or did they attribute any learned behaviors to the symptoms? You yourself said that it gets worse during stress, so are you doing things with your teeth or jaw during those times that increase the pain? I can see being more susceptible to it with how one's jaw is shaped, but just having TMJ without doing something to trigger it, still sounds far fetched to me, so now I'm curious about it all.
I have a neuralgia problem which mimics TMJ as one of it's symptons. I no longer chew gum and can't use electric toothbrushes. If you have one try switching to a manual, there's something about the vibrations that sets it off. Sensitive teeth can cause jaw pain so you might want to switch to toothpaste made for sensitive teeth.
leyash
Member
What is your neuralgia problem that mimics TMJ if you don't mind me asking?
wickerbaskets
New Member
There are a lot of symptoms for TMJ and it is quite common. A lot of people experience pain in their jaws and they don't even realize that they have TMJ. I think the best thing is to go to a doctor to have it professionally diagnosed.