TMJ

[courtney251]

Hi,

I have been depressed recently about four months now. Two weeks ago I started getting pain at the back of my head and neck. Since then I have had severe jaw pain and ear pain as well as my jaw clicking. I have been diagnosed with tmj. I'm in alot of pain. I have been prescribed strong pain killers. Just wanted some reassurance I guess that it is manageable and other peoples experiences. Trying to make sure I'm not clenching my jaw and trying to relax but finding it hard.

Anybody?

I get this now and again. Place the tip of your tongue behind your teeth on the roof of your mouth. Now, keeping your tongue in contact with the roof of your mouth, move it as far back in your mouth as you can. Lower your bottom jaw as far as it'll go whilst still touching the roof of your mouth with your tongue. Hold for 10 seconds. Try this 5 times in a row, several times a day, I saw a huge improvement. Hope I've explained that OK x

Have you talked to your dentist about it? You can get a mouth guard or splint if you are grinding or clenching at night as the cause.

Thank you for your replies.

I've been Googling some exercises
and trying them to release some tension in my jaw and I've got a dentist appointment for the morning so hopefully they can help. The pain is so bad I've never experienced pain like it. I know it's stress related but even harder to de stress when you're in so much pain.

These look helpful:

www.ouh.nhs.uk/patient-guide/leaflets/files/12128Ptmj.pdf

www.pat.nhs.uk/gps-and-partners/Joint%20Pain%20Leaflet.pdf

This is really good on relaxing and reducing stress when you have pain. It includes a CD to get you started.

www.wob.com/en-gb/books/vidyamala-burch/mindfulness-for-health/9780749959241

More reviews here: www.amazon.co.uk/Mindfulness-Health-practical-relieving-restoring/dp/074995924X/ref=asc_df_074995924X/?hvlocphy=1007120&linkCode=df0&hvptwo&psc=1&psc=1&hvnetw=g&hvadid=310823491886&hvpone&hvlocint&th=1&hvpos&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl&hvqmt&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&hvtargid=pla-466245171833&hvrand=5031760164954741803

My DD gets this when she’s stressed.

I get similar, through jaw clenching my top teeth can be really painful at times, also by the end of the week I could guarantee I would have a headache all day Saturday, I’m WFH all week still, my jaw clenching happens when I’m concentrating not necessarily at night unless I’m super stressed and because I’m WFH there’s no one about to pass time of day with, smile at etc, I’ve started chewing gum and it’s really helping, last couple of weekends I’ve had no headaches.

Just come to say that make sure you get an X-ray of your teeth tomorrow. Mine looked okay and was diagnosed with TMJ but in fact it was a tooth which needed to be removed which was only apparent on a later X-ray

Thank you so much @SparklingLime for taking the time to send me that. Definitely going to be doing the stretches and checking out the book x

You’re welcome, Courtney. I have TMJ issues too (from shit orthodontistry) but it hasn’t got too bad so far 🤞

Can’t recommend that book enough, I got fed up of trying mindfulness, but that got through to me.

I know this is an old thread but I was searching for advice the other day for TMJ as I was so uncomfortable and this exercise helped me enormously! So, thank you so much! I had been trying various jaw exercises with not much improvement but this one helped immediately.

@courtney251 how are you now did you find a cure