Any TMJ sufferers here?

[girlcat36]

Have you been treated for TMJ? Did treatment help? Is there anything I can to at home to help relieve this condition?

[Teacherbear]

<raises hand>

I have been diagnosed with TMJ for 26 years. I've had two surgeries: 1 discectomy and one total joint implant, both on my left TMJ. I also had another surgery to "tighten the tendons," or something like that, to the right TMJ when I had the discectomy.

I wish I had known more about alternative therapies prior to either surgery. The only alternative was massage (no much info on types of massage or how/why it works) and biofeedback. So . . . surgery was the solution.

I HIGHLY recommend alternative therapies. I'd start with some trigger point therapy(eta: pressure points, not injections) or myofascial release (http://www.myofascialrelease.com/home.asp?). I'd also look into accupuncture. Craniosacral work (http://upledger.com/) might be very helpful, too!

The bite places (I've owned 3, I think) didn't do much for me. They didn't really stablize my jaw. They *might* have reduced how much I was clenching and gringing my teeth at night. I had a major issue with my insurance company when trying to get my most recent bite place/night guard. They refused to cover it (even though I have TMJ and have had TWO surgeries). I won't go into details, but I did have a few really good arguments, none of which they validated.

Anyway, I'm just home from work and settling in. I'm sure I'll have more to say later, but wanted to say YES. I have TMJ and have had surgeries AND highly recommend alternative therapies before resorting to surgeries.

:flowers:

eta: links to modalities and one item added, but noted

[Caldonia Sun]

I've had TMJ for many a year. It got worse after having my wisdom teeth pulled. I had a custom night guard and it did help. Unfortunately, it's worsening again because I had a molar pulled last year and all my teeth seem to be shifting forward, producing overcrowding and discomfort.

Massage, chiropractic and hot compresses help. Tylenol when it's really painful. Too much caffeine makes it worse; I can actually feel the muscles tightening from caffeine ... and stress.

[missy]

I also have been diagnosed with it but cant really afford to do anything about it. Well I have had it lock up and I had to go to the Dr then and it was weeks before I could even open it enough to get food in. That happened to me that bad once before and I was told my bite was off and I had to many teeth so they pulled some and I wore braces for a while. That actually did seem to help it for a few years. It has been pretty bad again lately Im scared it is going to dislocate again. It feels tight and has been aching some. I have told my Dr about it but she just makes me open my jaw and says oh I see it does seem stiff. I guess she knows I am poor so she knows I cant do anything about it.

[manderly]

Yup, right here.....

I have a splint made by my dentist which helps to keep me from clenching my teeth and stressing my jaw. It's great to wear when sleeping or I pop it in when I feel a tension headache coming on.

I can feel a knot in my left jaw, which I assume is a muscle knot, and I occasionally try to massage it out, but it's incredibly tight and I get sore and fatigued from doing it, so I've never managed to massage it out.

[Nightshade]

Count me in, though mine has thankfuly tapered down a bit lately, except when I'm stressed. So this week my jaw is acting up.

Anyway, I had gotten a bite splint and that helped a bit, but I think the best low-cost change I made was to get a contoured Memory Foam pillow. The shape cradles your face and neck and puts less tension and strain on your jaw when you sleep. And warm compresses ftw!

[happylynngilmer]

I've had it since high school, but was properly diagnosed last October (finally have dental insurance!). I get headaches, nearly daily, but they are not bad-2 tylenol usually clears it right up. It affects me most of I'm clenching my jaw-(I do this especially at night) or if I chew my lip.
That's what got me in the whole mess-I constantly chewed my inner lip from middle school to high school, and sometimes still find myself doing it. I don't even know half the time that I'm biting it. I had a psych professor a few semesters ago ask me "Do you know you bite your lip nearly the entire time in class?" "I do?" "Yes. I once had a patient who gave herself lip cancer because she would bite her lips to the point they were no longer recognizable, just bloody scabby things!." "O God, no! I don't want to get that bad! I need to get help!" She shared with me some stress coping techniques which helped, and I also asked Dh to tap my lips every time he noticed I was doing it. He *still* does this for me! I was able to figure out what set it off that way. Boredom, the need for concentration (deep thinking), stress. It only takes a few seconds of me biting my lip (my jaw gets out of whack when I do, now) and I get a headache.

I also stopped chewing gum and crunchy things (I do have the occasional chip though LOL) cause it just aggrivates it. Right before I was diagnosed, I was eating chips and my jaw got stuck. I couldn't open it until I figured out how to unlock my jaw and move it (and when I yawn without unlocking it first, I hear a POP followed get a terrible pain). My dentist was going to print up some options my insurance covered the next time I came in, but I havn't been back yet-they want the portion your insurance doesn't cover THAT DAY or they won't see you.
So basically, for me, the best "home remedy" was to quit biting my lips and setting it out of whack in the first place!

[missy]

I use to chew the inside of my lip to and I had to have a big thing remove there that wouldnt go away. I dont do that any more! The last time my jaw went out I was yawning and it didnt get better for months. I would have to cut stuff up really really tiny and squish things down.

I have been feeling alot of tension lately and its so scary I definately dont open my mouth really big when I yawn any more. I cant really just bite into an apple either because that puts tension on my jaw.

[girlcat36]

Okay --thanks for the replies.. I guess I've pretty much known I've had this for a long time, but I didn't do anything about it. Since I was treated for cancer last year, I see doctors and dentists on a regular basis. They all told me I was grinding my teeth(who knew?), and my ENT said my joints were way out of whack. My dental hygienist said I have to get a bite splint, because the radiation treatment I had on my neck destroyed my salivary glands, and between grinding my teeth and having no saliva she said my teeth will quickly decay. Yikes!!
I already have trouble sleeping at night---are the bite splints terribly uncomfortable? I am also a stomach sleeper, which is the worst thing for a TMJ sufferer, so I ordered a new pillow that is supposed to force me to sleep on my back.
Teacherbear--my ENT said whatever you do, not let them do surgery on you! So that is apparantly your opinion as well.
Missy and Happylynn---beware of chewing your lips. Frequent irritation to the same spot on the is known to cause oral cancer!

[Anje]

Count me in. I didn't realize I was having problems (besides a bit of clicking) until my jaw decided to lock shut on the right side for about 6 months. Not totally shut, but I couldn't get my teeth a full inch apart.

Oral surgeon put me on an antiinflammatory called "tolmetin sodium" (never heard of it before or since) for about 6-8 months, and it worked miracles on my body. My feet have never been better, the swimmer's shoulders quieted down, and my jaw opened up again. He removed my wisdom teeth, but my insurance stopped covering him after that, which was OK with me because he was pushing hard for a surgical remedy for the TMJ troubles and I wasn't interested.

Haven't had any treatment for it since, and it still gets sore and clicks sometimes, but not enough to be bothersome most of the time. If it gets worse, I suppose I'll have to look at getting it fixed.

[happylynngilmer]

Missy and Happylynn---beware of chewing your lips. Frequent irritation to the same spot on the is known to cause oral cancer!

I know, that's the main reason I quit doing it! Crazy to think biting lips causes cancer. Geesh, everything does nowadays. Then I realized it was the start of my TMJ torubles. Killed to birds with one stone heh heh

[Teacherbear]

Teacherbear--my ENT said whatever you do, not let them do surgery on you! So that is apparantly your opinion as well.
I wouldn't say "never" but I would try all other possibilities. If the pain is horrid and nothing is helping, then surgery is probably indicated. I *can* tell you that once you have surgery it limits the possibile treatments in the future. I'll see if I can grab some links and put them into my original post in this thread. I HIGHLY recommend MFR and CS thereapy. Trigger point is pretty dern helpful, too!

Bite splints/plates - they aren't uncomfortable but they do take a bit of adjustment. They are similar to retainers (post-orthodontia work) but thicker. I always cleaned mine by dropping it into a denture cleaner box with an efferdent type tablet. It worked pretty well.

I stopped chewing gum long ago. Sometimes I'll chew it, but I always pay for it for a day or two. :( I also don't eat chewy foods. I do ok with chips and nuts, but I guess I don't go overboard on those, either.
'

eta: links added to my first post in this thread

[cscheck]

I started "popping" my jaw out when I was fourteen or so, and learned not long after I had TMJ. I learned quickly to just massage it back in place and then wait a bit before chewing or opening my mouth hard. Not long later I got a kinda of mouth guard. In my case it's basically a retainer with a very thick section on the bottom so I can't clench my teeth. I remember my orthodontist saying that in many cases just sticking something between the teeth will do wonders. It has for me. I actually don't wear the night guard as much as I should anymore. Unfortunately, that sometimes makes for a very sore mouth. But when that happens I start wearing it again and all is well.

[manderly]

My bite splint isn't uncomfortable, but it did take some getting used to. It significantly changes my bite by stretching my over-tensed jaw muscles, so if I go for a period of wearing it all the time and remove it to eat, it feels weird because my teeth don't line up the way I'm used to them feeling. It eventually feels normal again.

My splint looks like a lower retainer except it sits on top my lower teeth creating a space. Mine is quite huge according to my dentist.

I talk a little lispy when I wear it so I pop it out when I am on the phone or have to do a lot of talking (I don't hardly wear it anymore, only when I'm feeling my jaw over-tensing now).

[quidscribis]

I had a night guard, which I'm guessing is probably the same thing as y'all are calling bite splints. :) I wore it at night, and while it took a bit of getting used to, it helped tremendously. After a year or so of using it, I no longer ground my teeth at all, so stopped using it, and haven't had a problem with grinding my teeth since. That was about 15 years ago. :)

[Delila]

My sister's been recently diagnosed after her jaw sorta stuck in place. (She'd just taken a bite of food, but luckily managed not to panic.) Turns out, she'd been coping with it for years and years.

Anyhoo, she's got a night guard, that's what her doctor recommended, instead of surgery. She was on muscle relaxers and anti inflammatories for a while, but I think it's better now.