Hi new to the board and a TMJ sufferer looking for help, tips and advice... in TMJ SUPPORT Forum

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Hi new to the board and a TMJ sufferer looking for help, tips and advice...

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Leesa uk	Hi new to the board and a TMJ sufferer looking for help, tips and advice...	Lead	[-]
Member Posts: 2 (10/22/08 13:13:45) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Tags : None I'd have a photographic memory but it was never developed. Remove this ad Hi everyone, I am new, i just found this website today and boy am i glad i have found some people who know what i am going through and dont think i'm insanse!! I am 27 and from the UK and was diagnosed with TMJ 2 years ago after having both my lower wisdom teeth removed under IV sedation. I also had fixed braces for 4 years in my teens, i've had crowns, composites and alagam (silver) fillings - several of them, but the TMJ was spotted and problems started after the wisdom teeth extraction I had 6 weeks of electrotheraphy sessions on my jaw after, but recently i have found it getting worse. For the last 2 months i have suffered from severe ear pain, tighness and pains in my jaw and neck, constant ear popping, jaw clicking, you name it!...it's getting me so down, of course it's at it's worse in the mornings and recently i have been very stressed out and a bit depressed which does not help. Anyone had swollen lym nodes in the neck due to the ear pain / jaw / neck pain?? I was at the doctor today just to get my ears checked and suprise suprise there is no infection/fluid/discharge, one doctor i seen even told me that TMJ does not cause or effect ears / ear pain!! - idiots!! I am only just starting to read more about TMJ and what i can do to help. I have a soft splint to wear at night time as i am a teeth grinder as well. If anyone has any recommendations or tips to help ease the ear pain and the TMJ etc i woud be so grateful. currently just taking pain killers (paracetamol and ibuprofen) to ease the pain. I am thinking of having some private physio sessions, i can only get reffered for electrotheraphy sessions though my dentist and it takes ages!... Leesa xx Last Edited By: Leesa uk 10/22/08 14:29:28. Edited 1 time.
lu jones		#1	[-]
Posts: 3153 (10/22/08 18:14:58) Senior Member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Welcome Leesa, Sorry you had to find us. This is a great group of caring people. I find heat helps my sore jaw and neck the most. Some like to use ice. I know we have some others from the UK here. Finding a good Dr is the most important thing. Stay away from surgery if at all possible. I don't have the ear pain you write about. Several on here do and I'm sure you will hear from them. Keep in touch. We do all care!!!! Lu
Leesa uk		#2	[-]
Member Posts: 2 (10/23/08 03:45:20) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Hi Lu, Thanks for the kind welcome. Yeah i am now trying this heat thing, it seems to help. I have also just bought a book to read called 'taking control of your TMJ by Dr Robert Uggard?' - i dont know if it is any good at all, but i am willing to try anything to be honest!. My ear pain feels much better this morning, i had a decent nights sleep with some painkiller and my spint i guess. I defo dont want to go down the surgery route. I am actually in Scotland and it is very cold here just now, and as you probably know the cold weather really doesnt help, i tend to clench and chitter if i'm very cold, so i'm making sure i am wrapped up warm with a nice cosy scarf around my neck and jaw. Leesa xx
ginnic		#3	[-]
Posts: 460 (10/23/08 19:28:47) Member I Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Leesa, I live in Wisconsin in the US and we can have very cold winters too. I agree, being in cold weather DOES NOT help at all! I used to love going for walks and stuff, but more and more, find myself being tense/tight muscled when it is cold out.....it wreaks havoc on my whole body/muscle wise, not just my jaw. I got myself some things to put on the bottom of my boots to not slide around (my biggest fear) if it is icy outside. Plus, the cold and esp damp seems to rev up the arthritis I have in my jaw/thumb/etc. I should go live in a tropical climate <G> but my friends and kids and grandkids are all here! Ginni in WI
lu jones		#4	[-]
Posts: 3153 (10/23/08 19:35:42) Senior Member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Ginni, On cold walks here in Ohio. I wear a warm face mask to keep the cold wind off my face. Cold does do a number on my sore jaw.Lu
ginnic		#5	[-]
Posts: 460 (10/24/08 15:12:50) Member I Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I'd have a photographic memory but it was never developed. Remove this ad Lu and Leesa, Funny, as cold weather does a number on my jaw for sure (esp DAMP and cold!) but for pain relief I NORMALLY find ice on the jaw more soothing than heat. Possibly? because it can cut down on swelling and inflammation and I can get that from jaw related stuff. ANY MD or dentist who would tell a patient that jaws "do not affect ears" needs THEIR head examined IMnotsoHO!!!!!!! DUH! Look at the structure of our bodies/heads! What lays next to what, eh?! And as anyone who has had jaw surgery can attest, be it post tooth extraction upper jaw, facial sinus infections or jaw surgery itself, IT DOES affect your ears! We get jaw patients where I work occasionally and I KNOW they are told they may have ear noise/pain etc postop and we put ice on them immediately postop. I have had several jaw surgeries and I KNOW my ears/hearing were temporarily affected by swelling! Ginni
maureen	hello leesa	#6	[-]
Member Posts: 11 (11/06/08 18:56:26) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	HI leesa, I to live in the uk, not a good place for treatment for tmj, there are only a few dentists who are specalists over here, the best one in devon, web is under jaw ache, but there are a number of dentists bsos.co.uk, who do occlusion study,and fit a removable orthotic on your teeth, which can stabalize your bite, and stop you clenching. Also bowen therapy can help relax the jaw, and myio fascial therapy can help to.Tmj does affect the ears, i have had pressure and pain in my ears for 26 years from this, so your doc is really ignorant not to know this, I wish you lots of luck in your search for relief from your pain, mabey tacky from the uk, who uses this forum can give you more advice. Best wishes maureen
tackley		#7	[-]
Posts: 112 (11/12/08 07:00:29) Member I Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Hi, Kevin from Oxford UK. I have been there,tried it, done it !!!!!! If you want any advice please contact me direct on 'elliottdempsey@aol.com'. This is my son's email address. I use it, aswell. Good luck Kevin
Michelle Denise		#8	[-]
Posts: 6580 (11/12/08 11:32:19) Senior Member * Moderator * Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Hi Leesa, I just wanted to welcome you to the board. We also have a search feature on the board to look up prior questions other members have had. Best wishes, Michelle
mumssie		#9	[-]
Posts: 1007 (11/15/08 11:16:51) Senior Member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Hi Leesa, I have had severe ear pain for 4 years now. It goes from just a dull achy pain to someone jabbing me in the ear with an ice pick. I've been to many doctors. Like you, when I first got this it was after having my upper wisdom teeth out. The ear pain would wake me up in my sleep night after night, so I went to an ENT. He said.."You are fine, nothing wrong with your ears!" I kept thinking, he must be wrong, I've never had such a bad ear infection!!! So I called another ENT, he checked me out and then pronounced I had TMJ, in which he referred me to a TMJ doctor. So, I went to him...had many! trigger point injectons and an upper and lower splint made. After a year with him, my ear pain was still there. He basically told me.."I'm sorry I can't do anything more for you, I can't understand why you still have so much ear pain!?" UGHHHH I wanted to cry and scream at the same time. I then just did nothing for a year, but decided I couldn't keep living like this. A lady from my church bought me a book called "TMJ and it's many faces" by Dr. Shankland in Ohio. I read it, then called his office and made an appointment. Sorry to say after many numerous shots and yet another splint $3,000 dollars later, still nothing worked on the ear pain. So that was last year. This year I went to a Neurologist and he put me on Tegretol and Lyrica. I took the Tegretol for 6 months but didn't like the side affects of forgetting things....not good when you have 3 kids' schedules to stay on top of!! ha ha As of right now, I'm taking Lyrica and Flexeril everyday. The Lyrica helps, but I think most of all is keeping my ears covered when I'm outside. Any wind at all in my ear(it is my right ear that hurts) just sets it off!! I will say the Tegretol did help the ear pain!! I wish that it didn't affect me so negatively. I hope this helps you just a little. If anyone else has a better ear pain solution I too would LOVE to hear about it. Leesa, I grind and chomp at night (so my husband tells me), it is probably stress. Welcome to the board. Everyone here is wonderful!!!! Love and hugs to you! Becky
tackley		#10	[-]
Posts: 112 (11/16/08 04:10:46) Member I Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I'd have a photographic memory but it was never developed. Remove this ad From Kevin (Oxford UK). From reading various threads you will note that many, if not all suffer from ear symptoms. I have various ear problems, tickling,pain,feeling blocked, an echo ( I get an echo triggered by loud noise), etc.etc. Most of my symptoms have now gone, (touch wood). I still get the occassional symptom, but not too often. I had 5 or 6 different splints, all proved useless. It wasn't until I had my bite restructured by having some teeth removed and sentures fitted that most of my TMJ problems went. There are numeous so called TMJ specialists in the UK, but I would suggest that you have a look at the Munro-Hall website. Graham Munro-Hall is situated just outside Milton Keynes. Although he adjusted my bite in 2006 I still visit him every 4-5 months for a slight adjustment. He will help with your amalgams. Kevin

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Hi new to the board and a TMJ sufferer looking for help, tips and advice...

Hi new to the board and a TMJ sufferer looking for help, tips and advice...