Questions about TMJ!

[marc_ging]

Hi all!

Two weeks ago, I started hearing a 'thumping' sound (like a spasm of the eardrum) every other day in my right ear along with light pain. Went to my GP and he saw nothing wrong with my ear or eardrum, except maybe slight redness. We talked about other possibilities, and we came across TMJ because of some of my bad buccal habits: clenching my teeth(maybe even in my sleep?) + bitting my nails and lips on/off for the last few months. Also, my ears click/pop whenI open my mouth and chew foods and I noticed some cheek bone sensitivity.

While awaiting for a dental appointment, I've stopped my bad habits and started massaging my jaw muscles. The 'thumping' stopped for 3 days! but it came back when I woke up this morning (managed to reduce it through massages, not stop it entirely).

Searching medical websites, I've found a lot of interesting and sound articles, but some things still confuse me. I'm also a little bit afraid that I have TTTS, due to sharing some of the symptoms. I hope someone can shed a bit of light on the following questions:
1) Can it be TMJ without pain?
2) Can it be TMJ even though there's no other apparent muscle spasm? (could the ear drum spasm be the result of tired/overused jaw muscles?)
3) How long do TMJ symptoms last after stopping the aforementioned bad habits?
4) Although similar, would TMJ and TTTS react to the same treatment(s) (i.e., massages, stopping bad habits, etc.)?

Thanks all!!!