Hi TenaciousE,
You are NOT alone. TMJ is a nightmare
that too many of us have to face everyday.
For whatever reason, we have a hard time
believing that the jaw joint could cause
all the muscular pains that it does. And
doctors don't seem to be aware of anything
TMJ. They slough it off as "just dental,"
which means we end up with large medical
bills and no pain relief.
After 27 years I think I finally
understand the "why," but it doesn't make
having TMJ any easier. It basically has
to do with balance. There are so many
different things that can go wrong or that
can happen to us that throws this balance
off kilter or downright damages it. Our
bodies do a marvelous job in adapting but
sometimes it just can't take it anymore.
Oh, it is also "normal" for only one side
of the head/neck/body to hurt with TMJ.
Have you been doing any of the self-help
methods that are posted here sometimes?
The list is a little long but they really
do help. Following is some of the basic
self-help information:
Use lots of moist heat and/or ice.
Use ibuprofen, IF you can, for pain and to
reduce any swelling. Use up to 800 mg if
you feel the need. Do not take
Motrin/ibuprofen on an empty stomach and
even though I don't know the exact amount,
I wouldn't take more than 1600 mg a day.
Certain supplements are also very
beneficial. Chelated magnesium (or just
the regular stuff) can be very helpful if
you are clenching and/or grinding your
teeth at night. Try it even if you don't
think you have night-time bruxism. Up to
1200 mg a day. Super vitamin B complex is
another great one (for repairing, etc.).
You might even try glucosamine, fish oil,
calcium and vitamin d.
Anti-depressants can be very helpful for
TMJ pain. It sounds crazy, but it does. If
you don't want to find an anti-d that
works for you (not all will), you might
try St. John's Wort. It's supposed to be a
"natural" anti-d.
ALWAYS check with your doctor about any
vitamins and supplements that you plan on
trying before you start taking them.
Stress. Poor Posture. These are TMJ's
biggest enemies. Please believe me. I've
gone through this for 27 years and
rejected the stress and posture theories
when I first heard about them. What a
transformation when I finally made the
changes. Even with all the damage done to
my joints, the pain is now very
manageable. Seriously!! Use any method to
de-stress or relax that you can - hot tub,
exercises, Yoga, massage therapy, etc.
Diet - liquid or softer foods for a few
weeks (or months). No gum chewing, hard,
chewy or gooey foods. Treat your mouth
like it has been sprained (like a knee).
Baby it. Rest it and that does mean to
talk as little as possible.
Be careful about opening your mouth wide
for a long period of time. Sometimes even
yawning can cause the jaw to "catch."
I have to go back to posture as this is so
very important with the computer age now.
Evaluate how you are sitting in front of a
computer or desk. Your back should be
reasonably straight, shoulders back and
down, neck and head over body with the
chin down (not too far down). Be very
careful to not thrust your neck/head/chin
up or out towards the computer to see the
screen better (or any other reason). No
slouching. Go to
www.nismat.org/ptcor/tmj website for more directions on proper
posture and good basic info on tmj.
Get enough good sleep (like that's an easy
one). 
Don't give up on bite splints. A good one
is worth it's weight in gold. Sometimes a
splint will be purposely made to change a
bite (repositioning splints) but in these
cases, there should be a "next step" to
fix the bite permanently but only AFTER
you have no more pain and your bite feels
stable with the splint in your mouth.
I hope and pray that the TMJ Specialist
will be able to help you. There are some
newer treatments that sound very
promising. It usually a matter of finding
the "perfect" specialist.
God bless you,
Carol
