Tmj Ouch!!!

[Yvette84]

ugh, my TMJ is soo bad now! I have headaches/ear pain & can't eat ANYTHING Anyways...so I called a neuromuscular dentist and they said they'd charge 6,000 dollars for treatment!!! Anyone ever tried anything that helped?????

[rose2summer]

Just in case other posters don't know what TMJ is, it's Temporo-Mandibular Joint, the joint where the mandible (the lower jaw) joins the temporal bone of the skull, immediately in front of the ear on each side of your head.

 

Here's what you can do

Rest the muscles and joints by eating soft foods.

Do not chew gum.

Avoid clenching or tensing.

Relax muscles with moist heat (1/2 hour at least twice daily).

 

Here's some diet/exercise treatment

link removed

 

Hope you feel better soon.

 

Hugs, Rose

[CarnelianButterfly]

Have you taken any Anti-inflammatory pain medications (such as advil or tylenol)? Eat soft foods like jello or stuff pureed in a food precessor, baby food is good too and has a lot of nutrients.

 

Have you looked into to getting a pain med injected into the joint. I've had that done on my hands and it was very helpful and the pain went away.

[Yvette84]

I've taken Ibuprohen. WHat kind of shot did u get? was it a steroid/cortizone shot?

[CarnelianButterfly]

was it a steroid/cortizone shot?

I had 3, two in my left hand one in my right.

[Shadows Light]

My dentist told me to stay away from chewing gum. Eating bagels or hard foods. He also made me a dental appliance, much like football guys wear an the field so that i don't grind my teeth in my sleep. It helps.

 

Appliance cost me $50... insurance covered most of it. I don't think it was anywhere near 6K you are talking about. What exactly do you get for that 6K???

[Ians Mommy]

I have it... It's actually gotten a lot better but I had a lot of complications with it a few months ago and I couldn't do the normal regimens I had done in the past.

 

In the past, they put me on Ibprofen 800's as an anti-inflammatory, muscle relaxers, and a few other medications that I can't remember the names of. Usually within a few days it starts loosening up. It took awhile the last time I had a flare up because of being pregnant, I couldn't take the medications.

[babypink61]

My mom was diagnosed with TMJ and my dentist gave her this mouth guard that she wears. I don't think it was too costly. She was basically asked to wear it as much as possible and she said it has helped a lot with the headaches she experienced.