Tmj

[Krystal_Ivy]

My TMJ is HORRIBLE! the specialist said I have bone spurs,arthritis and lost tissue in my jaw It really hurts when I chew ANYTHING. They say surgery isn't very successful. I do have a mouth piece....but it doesn't seem to help. Anyone else going through this? or have any tips?

[lthomas215]

OMG! That sounds really painful. I have never heard of that before but maybe you should try seeing another specialist. There has to be something that can be done to help with that condition.

 

Good Luck

[AOX]

I also have TMJ, however now more severe on the left side. I've had in total three arthrocentesis’ one of which proving to be successful. Last October I had the arthroscopy surgery. It was a temporary relief of pain and a slight increase in my range of motion. I say temporary because two months after the surgery my TMJ was fully back (pain, clicking/popping, and locking). I do not recommend it.

 

The mouth guard is mostly helpful for those who grind their teeth during sleep. If it isn't helpful for you it could be you are not grinding your teeth. A major cause of TMJ is stress. I would suggest doing anything you have found to lessen your stress levels. Take an anti-inflammatory medication to reduce some of the pain, use the jaw as minimal as possible, stay away from things that require excessive use of the jaw such as chewing gum, take smaller bites, and also it might be beneficial to look into the arthrocentesis procedure. It’s not surgery, it’s a very simple steroid injection into the joint that did work for my right side.

[FrancisHouseman]

OMG I have episodes of this where its so bad i cant talk, when i do it looks like my bottom jaw is dislocated and it seems to slide all over the place. I remember someone saying to me once "WHAT THE ____ IS UP WITH YOUR MOUTH MAN?!!" like i was some kind of freak.

 

I would boil the kettle and pour the hot water on a towel and then hold it on my face sometimes almost scalding my skin but it eased the pain! after a while I got wise (used my brain! ha ha) and began filling a hot water bottle and wrapping it in a cloth and holding it to my jaw.

 

The thing with TMJ is the pain goes right up the face down the neck and into the shoulder and back (mine did) i couldnt sleep because i would grind my teeth and so lock my jaw, it was agony for months.

 

Hot water bottle variated with ice packs, the heat and the cold both work. I also took STRONG ibruprofen three times a day for about a month and I took some time of work and just didnt use my jaw, i would sip soup and if i yaawned i would put my hand under my chin to prevent my mouth for opening too wide.

 

All you can do is rest it. I havent had any trouble with it for about a year and a half, so I am keeping my fingers crossed.

 

I tend to get it bad when I am stressed. There is no cure you can only treat the symptoms.

 

Im sorry for you, I really know how bad it is. try the things I told you though because they really worked for me.

[Master Sasori]

I think it would be more suitable to redirect you to link removed , as they are the experts when it comes to bone problems. I use glucosamine myself, and that worked wonders for me, vitamine D is also important for strong bones, but its really important that you get advice from a medical expert for treatment on your bones.

[Clementine orange]

Acupunture. I had that same problem (though I guess not as severe) and that really helped. It took a couple of treatments though.

I know some people say it's BS but it worked for me. I say it's at least worthwhile considering.

[coollady1957]

I have TMJ and have been dealing with it off and on for 25 years. The first few years were the most difficult. I had serious bouts of pain where I literally felt I couldn't bear it anymore.

 

I never had the surgery because so many people had it recur afterwards anyway.

 

I have a family member that did have the surgery and it didn't help at all.

 

The main thing I learned was what foods to NOT EAT !!.... Such as hard candy, chewing gum, steak or chewy type meat ,and nuts . I had to learn to not sleep in a position where my jaw would be in a weird position or else I would wake up and not be able to move my jaw joint.

 

For years I alternated between using a heating pad and cold packs to relieve the pain and stiffness in the jaw. AT one point I was in such pain with shooting pains accross my face , cheeks and forehead that I was convinced I was dying from some strange brain tumor or something.

 

For probably 20 years now I have had very little problem from the TMJ other than a few mild episodes of stiffness if I didn't pay attention to the foods I was eating. Ibuprofen was a God send in my situation . It really helped me a lot.

 

I hope you find a plan that works for you.

[Miss Firecracker]

link removed

 

I have a friend whose TMJ completely stop bothering her after her doctor prescribed this.