I'm in so much pain and nothing seems to be helping..

[mumatron]

I have tmj and am having a really bad flare up :(

My whole face is agony, I can't open my mouth more than a few cm and no pain killers are helping. it is shooting right into my eye and down my throat. It feels like someone is digging into my back teeth with a spoon.

I'm currently on Naproxene 500mg and co-cocodamol 500mg, I also have a hot water bottle permanently stuck to my face.

any suggestions as I am seriously about to start crying :(

anyone?

Hi mumatron i am an acupuncturist who treated a lady with this whilst i was at uni. She got some very good results and it may be worth a try for you. I know not everyone likes this kind of therapy but if you are in so much pain it might be worth a try.

It is not cheap to get acupuncture however if that is an issue dont be put off, some doctors can refer and if you look on the internet you may find a local practitioner who has a pricing scale that fits your situation. I personally charge less for OAPs students, single mums, any one who needs it [softy emoticon]

To find a good practitioner in your area contact the british acupuncture council bacc and they will help. If you want any further info i would be happy to answer any questions if i can.

(ps if you are a needle phobic - they really aren't that bad i promise)

I hope this is of some help, if not good luck with finding some relief.

Thank you mistress I will take a look at that link when I can get on the laptop. I have always been wary of it tbh, no idea why just get a bit freaked at the needles

Right now I will try anything to get rid of this pain.

I do get the needle thing but they are nothing like the ones used in injections
they are about the width of a hair and bend to the touch. I wont say it is pain free but my ex needs pinning down by several burly nurses for a flu jab but begs for acupuncture (it is very relaxing believe it or not!)

I hope things get better for you soon.

Yes, a friend of mine goes quite often and she sometimes falls asleep!

Any idea how long it would take to work? Or is it different for every one?

I'm desperate for some respite from this pain. Painkillers barely even take the edge off the pain and I haven't eaten properly for days :(

Regarding accupuncture- does your local or regional hospital have a pain clinic? Ours does and offers this as one of it's many treatments for acute or chronic pain.

We do have a pain clinic but my dr has never mentioned referring me. I'm waiting to see a specialist about 'other treatments' but god knows how long that will take.

I've been waiting since dec so far.

My only other option is to take Diazapam but I really want to avoid that as long as possible. I've used it for a bad flare up before and it did not agree with me.

Some people get quicker results than others with acupuncture. It depends on the individual and the specifics of their condition. After a consultation and an initial treatment you have a fuller picture and have seen how the patient reacts to needling. It is then easier to gauge how long it may take to see results.

In my experience patients experience relief from acute pain fairly quickly. The patient i treated for TMJ at uni reported that the day after her initial treatment the pain had lessened as had the stiffness. It was not an overnight cure and she had a number of follow up treatments but the acute pain became manageable within a few treatments.

There's a few places nearby so I may have a look at a few tomorrow.

Thanks

Speak to your GP and tell him that you wish to be referred to the pain clinic. You have the right to be referred. And any treatment will not cost you.

nursenic I will thank you.

I'm in bed waiting for this pill to kick in. Hopefully a good night sleep will ease it a bit tomorrow.

Thank you for keeping me company tonight :)

I wish you well. My dear friend has TMJ and goes to a pain clinic run by a consultant anaesthetist. She was saved by it and it's inter-disciplinary, multi-approach methodology. She sees a combination of physio's, anaesthetists, her own Gp, Alexander techniques guy and an accupuncturist.