I found out that I have TMJ Disorder 6 months ago from my ENT doctor. I've been going back and fourth from seeing my doctor, an allergist, ENT doctor and a neurologist. Last year in March my ears starting driving me nuts. They were driving me nuts by throbbing and it was keeping me up at night. So I went in to see my doctor and he said it was some kind of ear infection so I got some antibotics to take. They helped a little bit but the throbbing didn't go away. Also around this same time my jaw was acting weird. My mouth was having a hard time opening and it hurt a little bit. I ignored it because I was concerned about my ears. So I went and saw an ENT doctor. He first thought that there was something wrong with my teeth. So I went and saw a dentist and he said my teeth and gums were fine and he thought that it was my sinuses. So I went back to see my ENT doctor and said that I have TMJ Disorder. So for the treatment of TMJ all I have to do is wear a mouth piece at night and during the day if I don't go anywhere. And then take 4 ibprofen every 6 hours for the pain. I have been doing that but my ears still drive me nut and my neck and shoulders hurt. Also I've been getting these horrible migraines aswell. So this one time I went in to see my ENT doctor because I thought I had a sinus infection he recommended me to go see a neurologist. So I saw a neurologist for my migraines and she gave me some medications to take to help prevent them and for the pain.
My ears are still driving me nuts so I looked up on the internet throbbing ears and it came up with pulsatile tinnitus. I read a lot about it and figure this is what I have. I showed the paper to my ENT doctor yesterday and he said that tmj can have tinnitus or it can triger tinnitus or something like that. And my doctor told me that there is nothing he can really do for the tinnitus really. But he said that if it doesn't get any better to come back in to see him. So when I got home from the doctor yesterday I looked up TMJ Disorder Systoms and TMJ Disorder Treatment. Here is what the sysmtoms of TMJ Disorder are:
Eye Pain and Eye Problems:
Bloodshot eyes
Blurring of vision X
Eye pain above, below and behind eye
Pressure behind eyes
Light sensitivity X
Watering of the eyes X
Head Pain, Headache Problems, Facial Pain:
Migraines X
Forehead pain X
Cluster headaches X
"Sinus Type" headache X
Hair and/or scalp painful or sensitive to touch
Headaches at the back of the head, with or without shooting pain X
Teeth and Gum Problems:
Clenching during the day or at night X
Grinding teeth at night (bruxism) X
Tooth pain X
Sensitive teeth X
Mouth, Face, Cheek, and Chin Problems:
Discomfort or pain to any of these areas X
Pain in cheek muscles X
Uncontrollable tongue movements
Jaw and Jaw Joint Problems X
Limited opening X
Inability to open the jaw smoothly or evenly X
Jaw deviates to one side when opening
Inability to find the correct bite with teeth
Clicking or popping jaw joints
Uncontrollable jaw movements
Ear Pain, Ear Problems:
Hissing, buzzing, ringing, or roaring sounds X
Diminished hearing
Clogged, "stuffy", itchy ears X
Feeling of fullness X
Ear pain without infection X
Balance problems, vertigo, dizziness X
Throat Problems:
Swallowing difficulties X
Tightness of throat
Sore throat with no infection X
Voice fluctuations
Laryngitis
Tongue Pain
Neck and Shoulder Problems:
Neck pain X
Tired, sore neck problems X
Shoulder aches X
Back pain (upper and lower) X
Arm and finger tingling, numbness, and/or pain
Stiffness X
I put an X by all the systoms that I have. So I now truely know that I do have TMJ Disorder. So I've been thinking on what other ways I can treat TMJ Disorder. I was thinking about doing physical therapy again, getting a massage done or seeing a chiroprator. I"m thinking about seeing a chiroprator. What do all of you think I should do? And where I feel the pain the most is in my neck, shoulders and in migraines. This one time my neck was hurting really bad and I threw up from the pain. I have never threw up from a migraine before and that migraine that I had in my neck was the worst. So hopfully when I go see a chiropractor it will help my TMJ to go away and maybe it was also help my chronic sinus infections to go away too. If not then I will be moving to Australia. Please let me know if I should do physical therapy, massage or go see a chiroprator. Thanks a million!!!
6 comments:
I know you posted this a few months ago, but I came across this blog post and felt I should comment.
I have TMJ disorder too. I feel your pain. It's a nightmare. I see a TMJ specialist and have seen a lot of improvement. If you have one in your area, make an appointment and see if they can help.
My TMJ doc gave me a special retainer that corrected my jaw and helped the headaches and sore everything. He also had me get massages which helped as well.
It's a long road back to feeling good again, but it's possible.
I hope this helps!
My mom also has TMJ. She ignored her biting or chewing difficulty (which is one of the symptoms of TMJ) until it led to TMJ. She struggled with the facial pain for almost 2 months. I decided to set an appointment to Knoxville orthodontist to check my mom's health and find a right treatment for TMJ. Now, she is undergoing treatment with her orthodontist (Knoxville-based).
Thank you both so much for the comments. I have been getting treated for tmj disorder for a while now. I did see a tmj specialist/dentist for my treatment. He recommended me to do physical therapy for it and I did. And he also made me a special retainer to help. It has been helping but the pain is still bad. I saw a new ENT doctor for my sinuses and he couldn't help me. He recommended me to go see a facial pain specialist. So, on Tuesday I went and saw my doctor because I was sick and found out that I have a sinus infection. So I asked my doctor about seeing a facial pain specialist and recommended me to see one who is also a tmj specialist. So I'm going to make an appointment with him sometime next week. At the end of October I did get a massage done and it felt great. I'm going to try and get another massage sometime this month or sometime next month. I figured out how I got tmj disorder and it's from chewing a lot of gum. I think I was got it due to stress too. I'm so glad that there are other people in this world who have it too and knows actually how I am feeling. Thanks again for the comments and for the advice. It really means a lot to me.
Hi . In Washington is a doctor who treat tmj disorders and craniofacial pain. It's a good doctor. Dr. Alpher has been treating craniofacial pain disorders with conservative, non-invasive methods for over 30 years.
For many years, I have suffered from a condition called TMJ. My pain came and went through the years as so did many doctors and dentists who were unable to help. Fortunately, Dr. Elliott Alpher was recommended to me by my regular dentist for my severe problem. As with yet "another doctor," I was skeptical but out of sheer desperation made an appointment about two years ago.
From my very first visit, I knew I was good hands. Dr. Alpher, Roxanne, and his staff are the most knowledgeable people that I have found in the field of TMJ. Not only are they knowledgaable and confident in their help, their kindness, understanding, and compassion are beyond compare.
I have finally found relief at a time when I was almost suicidal with the constant pain, headaches, and discomfort that I was experiencing every single day. It was interfering with my whole life. To start, I had many different types of treatment from Dr. Alpher and his assistant, Roxanne. The relief was extraordinary!!! I now wear appliances during the day and night which are putting me on theroad to recovery.
There is so very much that I could say about Dr. Alpher, Roxanne, and his staff. I will never be able to repay them for their genuine concern for me and for the relief that they have given me. God bless them all for their wonderful work and compassion for a condition which is often misunderstood and not treated correctly.
I highly recommend them to all who are experiencing the many aspects of TMJ.
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