Tmj

[Pnut Weeny]

Where to begin......

I have TMJ that kind of comes and goes and currently it is "coming". My jaw always clicks/pops when I chew, doesn't hurt really though. What I really hate is when my jaw/tendons get all "locked up" and I can't open my mouth until I move my jaw in aobut a thousand different positions to get it to open.

Anywho, about a year ago, my dentist made a bite split for my upper teeth that was supposed to keep me from grinding my teeth at night. (I admit also, I often find myself clenching my teeth when driving and even during non stressful things.) That thing really doesn't help so I didn't wear it for quite a while. Last few nights I have worn it and last night I "locked up" I think from wearing it. Needless to say, I don't think the thing's helping a bit.

I guess what I'm getting at is that I don't really want to have surgery to correct it if I can help it. Does anyone else have TMJ? What have you done to help it? Did you have success with mouth pieces from your dentist? Any information on what you have done/are doing to control it would be helpful.
Thanks

[Thalia]

I have had it on and off for over 10 years. I initially had it like you have, with the mouth not even opening. My muscles got so tight that I couldn't eat propoerly. The splint did work.

Recently, my dentist wanted me to get another made bc she felt popping, and my jaw was feeling sore. But I declined. I researched on the web. There wasn't much info, but some of the bad things about splints include- increased risk of tooth decay, and possibly making your muscles shorten.

I read that if you can get out of the habit of grinding during the day you will stop doing it at night. I don't know that I don't grind at night, but I have stopped grinding during the day and my jaw hurts less. Maybe that yoga tape you eventually get will reduce stress and help out.

[Pnut Weeny]

Yes, asking about the yoga tapes was partly because of the TMJ. Relaxing for a period each day would be good for me anyway.

I did find some things on the internet that suggested connection of tight body muscles aggrivating tmj and a possible lack of magnesium aggrivating it as well. I'm going to try to give myself, or have hubby, give me a quick massage before bed each night to un-tense all muscles. Also, while I do it already, address any stress I might be feeling about anything and deal with it.

I still welcome anyone else with personal experinces stories with TMJ.
Thanks

[LadyFaile]

sorry for my ignorance but what does tmj stand for exactly? i can't remember.

i grind and clench my teeth a lot, more so lately. the past couple of weeks i've been stressed and i've gotten to the point of actually waking up in the middle of the night because i was clenching my jaw so tightly that my teeth really hurt. it's just getting worse and worse. i try not to clench in the day but it's something i forget about and don't notice i'm doing until my teeth start to hurt or i get a headache from doing it!

a year or so ago my jaw locked up really badly. it hurt soooo bad and i could barely open my mouth at all. when i tried i felt a grinding feeling in the joint on the right side and a feeling like it was about to pop but never actually would. it lasted for a couple of weeks but i was quite broke and couldn't afford a dentist visit, so i waited to see if it would clear up on it's own. it did eventually, but it really freaked me out, and makes me wonder if grinding and clenching is really doing some permanent damage. that wasn't the first time my jaw locked up, it was just the worst time.
my jaw cracks a lot when i open my mouth too and i can always feel a cracking and grinding in the joints. blech. doesn't hurt but it's a wierd feeling.
is this something related directly to clenching or is it a joint problem in general? since i was a kid my elbows have locked up almost every day, i have to stretch them as hard as i can while rotating them to get the joints to pop and it sometimes really hurts, and i have similar problems with my knees, along with pain in my knees if i run or sometimes walking up stairs.
i really hope it's not something serious that will get worse, i have enough to manage with my thyroid

oh, also, a friend of mine had problems with her jaw from grinding her teeth and she got one of those plastic mouthguards from the dentist to wear to bed. she tried it for a while but it didn't help because she always had to take it out during the night because it would make her gag!

[LadyFaile]

here's something to help relax your muscles before going to sleep, takes only a few seconds.

extremely quick and easy relaxation trick to do in bed:

lie comfortably and close your eyes. inhale deeply through your nose, slowly, and exhale slowly through your mouth. each time you exhale consciously relax your muscles, starting with the legs and working your way up. as you do this say the word "release" in your head and imagine all of your pain, worries, fears, stress, negative energy, and thoughts being released.
so with each exhale you relax your muscles and say "release". keep doing it, as you become more relaxed the word will get quieter and quieter in your head until it fades alltogether. you should be left with peace and quiet and will probably fall asleep right away.

it works really well if you remember to do it, i keep forgetting but am trying to make it a habit. let me know if you try it and if it works for you

[Pnut Weeny]

TMJ stands for Temporomanibular Joint Syndrom. I never knew the whole name either, it's quicker to say TMJ. lol

I found a good website that seems to suggest tjm and other joint problems might be connected. (LF, it might be worth a look if those joints of yours bother you alot.)

www.mindspring.com/~sandysimmons/tmj.html

[LadyFaile]

thanks

going through the site, i remember a girl i knew in college who had fibromyalgia and used to get terrible pain from carrying her bookbag, from the pressure placed on the shoulders from the straps. she was told by a doctor that she couldn't carry a backpack anymore without doing serious damage to her body and she ended up getting one of the bags with wheels and a handle so you can drag it along behind you, and her pain was gone rather quickly. i guess it was probably a problem like tmj that was causing her pain

it's amazing to see how certain medical conditions are all inter-related like this. this is why i'm always on the lookout and really have been paying attention to my body lately. i know i seem like a hypochondriac but i'm starting to learn that with a thyroid condition you can never be too cautious and aware.
i imagine it's much the same with things like fibromyalgia

[Pnut Weeny]

Originally posted by LadyFaile
it's amazing to see how certain medical conditions are all inter-related like this. this is why i'm always on the lookout and really have been paying attention to my body lately. i know i seem like a hypochondriac but i'm starting to learn that with a thyroid condition you can never be too cautious and aware.
i imagine it's much the same with things like fibromyalgia

It sure is amazing! To me, it makes Western medicine's way of just throwing medication at a problem without looking at the whole person seem so archaic. You just have to look at the whole picture! And to think, holistic practioners are looked at as odd!

[LadyFaile]

so is the condition worse during your pregnancy?i would imagine it would be because there's the added weight up front pulling all the muscles and tissue downward.

give my above technique a try whenever your muscles feel tense or strained, it works really well for me

[Pnut Weeny]

Suprisingly, it hasn't been worse during pregnancy, just during the last 2 weeks or so. My shoulders, feet and back have felt it during this time though! I can't complain though as I've been blessed with a very uneventful pregnancy.

Only 2 more weeks (give or take)!