I have had TMJ for more than 13 years. I
have had a lot of pain and problems from
it and I also have fibromyalgia. One month
ago I had a massage and he used very deep
tissue massage on the knots in my
shoulders as well as my neck and my TMJ
area on my face! Since then I have had
vertigo, dizziness, chronic facial and
neck pain on the left side, swelling,
headache, sore throat, pain behind eye,
etc. I have been on a soft food diet for
one month. I am not getting any better at
all. When I open my mouth, the left jaw
area pops out - you can actually see it
and the area around my temple also pops
out.
I went to a TMJ specialist dentist very
far from me and very expensive and he
wants an MRI of my neck and my TMJ area.
He said that my disk is out of place and I
may be a candidate for surgery but he
won't know until later. I can't keep going
that far away and paying that much money
to him as I do not have dental insurance.
I will be starting physical therapy again
today. I have had it in the past and it
helped but I have never been this bad and
I am afraid of the ultrasound and massage
she will do will send me over the edge in
more pain. The dentist I saw would not
specify what type of physical therapy I
should have when I asked but told me to
go. He told me he wants the MRI films sent
to him not just the report. That means I
would HAVE to go back to him and pay so
much again and I just can't.
Unfortunately, there is no MEDICAL doctor
that can treat your TMJ-syndrome. This
condition can be treated only by a DENTAL
doctor. A medical doctor can only give you
painkillers. It doesn’t seem likely to
me that physical therapy (massage and
ultrasound) worsened or will worsen your
condition in the future. You may want to
consult a physiotherapist until you get
enough money for proper diagnostics and
treatment.
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