Lock-jaw - please help!!!

[Jedbartletforpresident]

I have had regular, recurrent episodes of lock-jaw for years and years. (probably 15 years or more that it's been regular) Sometimes it seems to come out of nowhere, other times it seems that I can identify the reason - crying for instance regularly brings it on and I also feel that when I'm stressed it gets worse.

Recently I have had a lot of episodes (crap word I know, can't think what else to call it) which go on for days at a time - this current one started on Wednesday and is still going - the last couple of days I have woken in the morning and felt ok but the minute I eat anything it comes back and is so sore - every bite hurts - even the softest foods, and I can barely open my mouth wide enough to get anything in it.

Has anyone else ever treated this successfully? I don't even know whether I should go to a doctor or dentist about it. I need help from the collective wisdom/experience of MN - please!

Friends DD is being treated at present - no idea of treatment etc Exocet she is regularly taken to A&E

Anyone else? I should also say it's always on the same side - I have tried googling but can't seem to come up with anything. I don't know what causes it - why it's always on one side - is it a physical problem with my jaw that can be fixed, or is it something I just am prone to and have to live with and therefore learn how to manage it rather than cure it?

Botox is used for teeth grinding, could it work for this?

Ooh - I didn't know that! (And am more than a little intrigued and freaked out at the idea!) I do wonder if it's caused by grinding as my mum grinds her teeth really badly (like she's ground them away to nothing over the years) and I grind mine too but nowhere near as badly as she does. She gets lock-jaw too, but not as badly as I do.

I know this is going to sound bananas, but do you also have problems with your feet? I had plantar fasciitis a few years ago and also had horrible jaw pain. There is a theory that problems with your feet can whack your body out of line and manifest in your jaw.

Not sure how helpful this post is, now I've typed it all out!

I saw a repeat of Embarrassing Bodies last night and a lady had jaw surgery because she had difficulty eating and opening her mouth. I didn't pay 100% to it as I was MNing and I don't like scenes of surgery but she was really happy and had no pain afterwards.

Its your TMJ OP. And its very common. Its a doctor route, he'll possibly refer you to the hospital specialist if its interfering with eating etc or very painful (itll be a wait for that appointment as its not an emergency, more a skeletal issue) Certain exercises may help, doc may suggest those first after having a quick look at you.

In the meantime, google TMJ and TMD. Its very very common. HTH.

Yes, TMJ is most likely to be your problem. I was diagnosed with this after several months of pain in one side of my jaw.

Thank you! Good to know that it's a doctor route and not the dentist - I didn't want to waste appointments but really didn't know where to go. I will google TMJ because I don't even know what that stands for and hopefully get somewhere. I have no doubt that a referral will take many months (my family have had enough experience of those waits over the last few years) but it is nice to know there is maybe some hope of being helped.

Oh, and no problems with my feet - how odd that they are often connected! The human body is a weird thing!

Sounds like TMJ. I had this a few years ago, jaw locked for weeks, could not eat, only sipped through straws. I was waiting for a referrral and in desparation tried acupuncture. After two sessions my jaw relaxed. I cried with relief. Worth a try?

I know someone who had this & regularly woke up unable to open his jaw. It turns out the disc-shaped cartilage up in his jaw joint was folded onto itself on one side.

Treatment was a mouthpiece that kept his jaws slightly open at night while he slept, allowing the cartilage to unfold & resume its proper position over time.

HTH. Good luck, OP.

Check with dentist first. Where I am it's a dental referral.

Definitely a referral from your dentist, not GP.

You may need referral to a TMJ clinic; some are based within Dental hospitals & others in the local hospitals which have Oral/Maxillo-Facial Units.

Treatment : Splint therapy +|- physio +/- Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatories (ibuprofen) + soft diet +|- short courses of low dose diazepam are all commonly used in this situation. Try also applying a warm hot water over the affected TMJ.
Do the heat therapy, soft diet & regular Ibuprofen (assuming you have no medical contraindications to?) in the interim until you see your dentist.

Surgery btw is for extremis cases.

I had physio for TMJ and it worked a treat.

I had chiropractic for TMJ,suffered from it for about 8yrs, chiropractic sorted it out. Took a couple of appointments. But not had it since and that was 7yrs ago.

Well I am well acquainted with the maxillo-facial unit at the hospital as my DH has been under their care for the last number of months and will continue to be so for the next 5 years. (Fingers crossed no longer than that) I have a good relationship with my dentist and am due a check up anyway (been holding off as can't go when my jaw won't open properly!) so will ask him when I next go, or if I get a chance will ask someone at the m-f unit - we're there very regularly anyway

Definitely dentist. My jaw would hit the floor if the average GP had had training or experience in TMJ disorder, im open to being challenged!

Google British society of occlusal studies as well, they have a few resources IIRC, you can download jaw exercises online as well. I'm a dentist and fellow sufferer.

Thank you MrsMorton - DH has a bunch of jaw exercises since he got his cancer diagnosis so I was thinking once it eases off again I might try some of those at least to get me started. I will definitely check out that website - this can't go on!!!

1 day ago My Gp told me to go dentist and today My Dentist has told me to go to A and E, Has been 4 days since jaw been locked, don't want to go, but struggling to eat, and very painful, it usually unlocks after a few hours as had in the, morning several times before, need mouth guard, once its unlocked!!2😞😩