Tmj And Upper Back Pain Into Shoulders....help!!! Posted: 02-28-06 20:41pm
Hello everyone!!!
This is my first time posting, however I
have been a regular reader of the posts
since I was diagnosed with tmj a month
ago. I have one question I was hoping
someone could answer for me. I have been
getting really bad upper back pain into my
shoulders and upper arms. Its an intense
pain that is only aided by the help of
t3's. Can anyone tell me if this is tmj
related???? I find that the pain is
really bad when my jaw pain is bad. Can
anyone please help me??? Thanks in
advance.
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bmaustin
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 23 Location: Mississippi
Shoulder Pain Posted: 03-01-06 19:29pm
I have shoulder and neck pain. Do you
have it on both sides
or just one side? Mine is on both sides.
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klafontain001
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 01 Mar 2006 Posts: 14
Me Too Posted: 03-01-06 19:38pm
I have neck and shoulder pain too. It's
like the muscles start spasming and then
it spreads from my head down into my neck
and then shoulders/upper back. The only
way I can describe it is I feel like i've
been in a car wreck - my muscles are so
tight and sore. Mine is on both sides as
well.
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crissya_13
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 28 Feb 2006 Posts: 6 Location: Canada
Posted: 03-01-06 20:05pm
Thanks for your replies!!! :)
i get it on both side, more prominently on
my left side though, but it feels like a
huge weight on my upper back, and my
shoulder pain radiates down into my upper
arms and it feels tight and inflammed.
It is awful!! I can kind of feel it in my
armpits too. I am going to see a tmj
specialist next month thank goodness!! I
just got refferred to one today. Do
either of you get the pain in your upper
arm/shoulder area into your armpits?
Hard to explain I guess but thats the
region I feel the most pain in, and my
upper back.
Thanks again for the replies.
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klafontain001
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 01 Mar 2006 Posts: 14
Posted: 03-01-06 20:43pm
No, I don't get it down into my arms or
armpits. You poor thing! That does not
sound fun at all. I just get it in my
upper back/shoulders. The thing that
bothers me the most (besides severe daily
headaches) is the neck pain. I feel like
my head is too heavy for my body and my
neck can barely hold it up. My poor
husband's hand's get so sore from trying
to rub my neck and put pressure in the
right places. Good luck with the tmj
specialist. Let us know how it goes.
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crissya_13
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 28 Feb 2006 Posts: 6 Location: Canada
Posted: 03-01-06 20:45pm
Thanks!!! :) wow your neck pain sounds
awful!!! I sure hope it gets better for
you. I know exactly how you feel though
about your head feeling too heavy for your
body, sometimes it gets to the point where
I feel like im floating, or like im
outside of my body. Its so weird!!! My
shoulder pain is very absurd as well. I
get this tingling inflammed feeling, which
gets worse when I type or move my neck a
lot. I sure hope the tmj specialist can
help me. I will definitely let you know
how it goes. Hope you feel better soon!
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klafontain001
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 01 Mar 2006 Posts: 14
Posted: 03-01-06 21:16pm
You too! Tmj is so frustrating. I feel
like I have tried everything - bite
splint, physical therapy, acupuncture,
surgeries (3), meds, etc. And nothing
seems to help enough to give me real
relief. They always attribute everything
to it......Your headaches are probably
from your tmj. Your muscle tightness is
from tmj, etc. And there's nothing that
can be done about it. I am finally
resorting to a pain management clinic. My
Dr. Is writing up the order and is going
to send it over w/my chart notes and then
they said the pain clinic will call me to
set up an appt. I feel kind of weird
because I think a lot of people with
severe illnesses, etc. Go there but
unless you've experienced tmj you have no
idea how it is to live w/it. This forum
has helped a lot just knowing others are
going through the same thing. Thanks for
your encouragement! :)
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crissya_13
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 28 Feb 2006 Posts: 6 Location: Canada
Posted: 03-01-06 21:49pm
I feel so sorry for you!!!! I agree
though, reading other people's experiences
with tmj has made me feel much better
about what I am going through. You are
right, unless people have actually
experienced tmj, they have no idea the
pain we suffer each and everyday. It
truly takes over your life!!! I can't
even think of a day since after christmas
when I have felt completely fine. I feel
like crap everyday, literally. Some days
I just dont even want to get out of bed.
The tmj makes me feel sluggish, light
headed and my whole body feels out of
whack. Its horrible!!!! I just want to
feel like my old self again. Its
affecting my work, my relationship,
everything!! I am sick of feeling sick
everyday, I have no energy or enthusiasm
for anything anymore and it is having a
negative aspect on every area of my life.
I just want to go back to the days when I
wasnt a tmj sufferer. I hope I can find
some relief soon!!!!! I hope you can
too!!!
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klafontain001
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 01 Mar 2006 Posts: 14
Posted: 03-02-06 00:14am
Hi crissya_13. We can definitely relate
to each other. Let's keep each other
posted. If you want to email me offline
my email is smlafont@
yahoo.Com. Your email made me think
- I am tired all of the time for no
reason. I never connected it to the tmj
but that makes a lot of sense. I know
exactly what you mean - I feel out of
whack every day! Hopefully we'll both
get some relief soon.
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crissya_13
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 28 Feb 2006 Posts: 6 Location: Canada
Posted: 03-02-06 18:31pm
Yes we definitely can relate!!!! I will
email you for sure, it is great to connect
with someone going through something
similar. We will keep in touch. Where
are you from by the way?
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klafontain001
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 01 Mar 2006 Posts: 14
Posted: 03-02-06 19:23pm
I live in vancouver, washington. Where
are you from?
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dinamarie
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 2 Location: Atlanta
Tmj And Sore Back, Neck, Etc Posted: 03-19-06 15:13pm
Hi, i'm new to the forum, but am so happy
to find out i'm not the only one
experiencing this pain and aggravation!
Not that I wish this on anyone.
Apparently, this is quite common. I have
severe upper back pain, neck, and tingling
sensations on my shoulders 24/7. I have
been to a physical therapist, numerous
ent's, etc. I take advil for the pain.
One doctor suggested surgery, so I opted
for chiropractic instead. I have been
going to a massage therapist now in
conjunction with the chiropractor. She's
saved my sanity (well, most of it) I still
have pain, but use ice twice a day, and
see her regularly. And pray alot. I have
good days, and bad days with this. I
started feeling like this in sept. Of 04.
And then got really sick with a sinus
infection, and when I went to the doctor,
that's when I found out I had tmj. I have
a dentist who fitted me with a mouthpiece,
and I guess it's helping.
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matthewharden
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 20 Mar 2006 Posts: 2 Location: Kill Devil Hills, NC
Tmj Posted: 03-20-06 16:45pm
Hello everyone. This is my first post.
I was recently diagnosed with tmj by an
orthodontist in jacksonville, nc. Prior
to that, I had been to the er and several
doctors trying to figure out what was
wrong with me. One day, I was drying the
outside of my ear with a towel, and it
hurt really bad right in front of my ear.
At first, I thought that's what caused
it. A few weeks later, I realized that a
few days prior to my ear hurting, I had
been opening my mouth really wide. This
is going to sound silly, but I was
stretching my mouth open as wide as it
would go, rolling my neck etc. It got
caught open (only for a millisecond); but,
that is surely what aggravated my tmj. A
few years prior to that, I was hit under
the chin with a surfboard, and the
physician's assistant said I would have
tmj problems throughout my life. Well,
he was right.
I was fitted with an acrylic mouthpiece,
which goes on my top teeth. It has two
points that come down in front of the
bottom teeth. This keeps my jaw from
moving from side to side at night when
bruxing my teeth. The temple pain has
gone away, but now I am experiencing neck
and shoulder pain (only on my right side,
which is the jaw I injured). I also am
still experiencing a "sick feeling" from
time to time. I notice this when my
muscles seem very tense. I also get some
minor muscle spasms in my right jaw and
neck.
My orthodontist indicated that it takes a
long time usually for your jaw to get that
way in the first place, so it is going to
take a long time to fix the problem. The
tmj splint is actually repositioning my
bite.
I read somewhere on the internet re a girl
who got fitted with a splint and it took
about three months for symptoms to
completely go away.
I say this because I know many of you
struggle with wanting immediate relief.
I struggle with this everyday as well.
My orthodontist indicated to me that the
minimum amount of time for splint therapy
is 6 months!
We have to realize that the tm joint's
ligaments heal very slowly (as all
ligaments do).
Let me know if anyone out there has
experienced any relief from there
symptoms. And, I won't leave you guys
hanging as so many others do. Often,
people get help and never come back to the
site to post.
