I stumbled across TMJ when I needed treat a literal pain in the
neck that would not go away. It seemed that the pain in my neck came
from my jaws. "TMJ" refers to disorders of the jaw muscles and of the
temporomandibular joint, the hinge at the side of the head that joins
the lower jaw, mandible, to the temporal bone of the skull. TMJ expert
John Taddey, D.D.S. states that one the most common symptoms of TMJ is a
dull, aching pain around the ears which can radiate to the neck,
shoulders, and back of the head. These symptoms may be coupled with
tenderness of the jaw muscles and a headache.
While the causes of
TMJ are many, the condition is usually the result of a collective
malfunctioning of the chewing muscles, the teeth, and the
temporomandibular joint. The face and jaw muscles may go into spasm or
cramp and lead to tissue damage, pain and tenderness. The level of
damage and pain varies.
Diaganosing TMJ can be elusive.
Recognizing TMJ requires a thorough understanding of the two-inch area
just in front of the ears that houses the temporomandibular joint,
sinuses, glands, the middle and inner ears, throat tissues, brain
tissue, muscles, ligaments, nerves blood vessels, lymphatic tissues,
bones and teeth. TMJ can mask itself with a "referred pain". This
occurs when pain felt in one area of the body originated from another
source. For example, you may visit your doctor with an earache and find
your ear is healthy, while a decayed tooth or TMJ is the root cause of
the earache.
TMJ can arise form trauma, whiplash, stress,
teeth-grinding and clenching, misaligned teeth, missing or sore teeth,
muscle abuse, infection, diseases of the joints such as arthritis, and
cancer.
Your family dentist should be able to recognize TMJ.
Depending on your condition, she may treat the TMJ herself or refer you
to a physician, orthodontist, chiropractor, psychologist or oral
surgeon for more specialized treatment.
