Alot ofTMJ patients seem to be A type personalities that do grind day and night and aren't even aware of it during the day time hours while awake. If you do the grinding during the day you for sure are doing it at night. DONT chew gum at all and stick to a soft diet during flare ups and learn to relax and stop grinding.
I suffer from TMD, and was quite severe last year, like yourself now. Antidepressants also help with pain levels and also help with sleep (which in turn help with pain) Are you taking it in the morning? I was told that certain antidepressants are better taken in the morning by TMD sufferers because of the muscle movements it can cause if taken before sleep. -- but also some are specifically before bed time as well (check with your pharmacists/doctor).
I have an orthotic pillow, that I bought from my chiropractor that keeps my neck in a neutral position. VERY helpful. My symptoms very similar to sugimenopause... but I can only lie on my back and tilted to the left. Right sided sleep is completely out of the question, as well as directly on the left.
The treatment you've been sent for sounds accurate. I have only found out about NM myself from the same kind fellow that has spoken with you. I'm looking into it myself, as I've been referred for surgery as my last hope. I was also told that 'this splint has worked for everyone' .... everyone except for me. I do not clentch OR grind my teeth, I have been told I'm 'one of a kind' and have found no relief with splint therapy, and actually it caused more pain. All my friends that grind and clentch have had GREAT success with their occlussal splint.
I also highly suggest massage therapy-- you can get internal mouth massage (is painful but can be beneficial), and of your face and neck-- everything is out of whack, and needs to be worked on together, as well as your whole body. Stretching and keeping active and exercising is also essential to help your body and for your general well-being. I also highly recommend you seeking out a psychologist. Its very frustrating to be in pain all the time, and they are able to help you with frustrations as well as help you with relaxation techniques to relax the jaw muscles (biofeedback), identify stressors in your life, and help you sleep at night. We need to take all the tools we can to better ourselves in these situations. You can be pain free with a lot of changes!!!
I started yoga as a way to try to help with pain and it worked!! I suggest it to anyone that is looking for new ways to help. It helps you in every way possible-- where do I start!! I do know for certain that doing nothing, gets you nowhere, in terms of medical and personal benefit. Be your own advocate, get the care you need!! message me if you ever need to vent. I understand your frustrations, likely have similar feelings that I've expressed in my journals. I've yet to meet someone with TMD symptoms that hasn't clenched or grind their teeth. I always wonder what I'd say when I met someone in my shoes...
PS: if you get the prolotherapy-- let me know how that goes. That is the one therapy I was encouraged to try before surgery but there is very few that do it in my area (I'm in canada) and isn't highly promoted here. Good luck!
Simmons Beautyrest pillow is one that contours to you. I hope you can find one, not sure if they are still making them. Fish oil is actually stronger than flaxseed oil capsules, but I didn't like the after taste coming up from fish oil capsules. My hard, flat-planed splint is not the same as those softer night splints they provide for teeth grinders. My splint cost $900.00 (American), which included f/up for adjustments. Hope you are helped by your treatment!
oh also thanks for info bout pilllow, my night spint is only 300?.........i take fish oil, magnesium and about to get happy pillls lol......ie antidepresents to help reduce some stress until i sort this out
thankyou for your help.i know that i clench to as i wake myself up clenching etc.....my dentist has told me that he has so far not had anyone that his splint dosnt work for lol....but this does not give me any hope yet...........im picking it up today is he is rushing it through to be made for me soi will give him credit in being caring.
i alos have pelvis muscualr issues that are making my body alignment hard and are influencing my jaw and neck for sure!!
thanks for the reasurance of a ND to as at least i no that this can be helped now..
I dont live in us in New zealand actually so would have to fly to auckland..the ND there is howvever form amercia.... so i have hope to improve............if the night splint gives me some relief in teh mean time then this will be helpful unti i can get appointments and money!!! to get to auckland.
tahnks heaps i no i will get better eventually!!!
I didn't mention, the maxillofacial doctor told me to put a couple fingers (or something) on my chin when I yawn to keep from going too wide. I can get some big crackings if I don't. I also take flaxseed oil capsules, 1000 mg twice a day, which is good for inflammation.
I am someone who has TMJ problems. I had two extremely severe episodes, the second worse than the first. During these times, I could barely open my mouth and it hurt to talk, let alone chew. I was given cyclic ibuprofen with the second episode for weeks at a time.
I was told I needed to be on a soft diet for the rest of my life. I was told I already had arthritis in my jaws, so they could not do corrective surgery for the bite. I also have been told I have a small hole in the right jaw disc. I have a classic type 2 overbite.
After the first episode, I had paid for splints my dentist ordered that were supposed to change my bite while wearing them, but I was told by a maxillofacial specialist that this was the wrong kind of splint for me. I was told I should have a flat-planed, hard splint that would keep my teeth apart and take pressure off my joints. I am a clencher, and at night I can't work on this problem when I'm sleeping.
It hurts me if I talk for too long, sing for too long, etc.. TMJ problems play into my chronic migraines. It hurts to lay on my sides for very long. I have a soft beautrest Simmons pillow to try to take pressure off and cannot lay on my sides for very long without it giving me a headache.
The flat-planed hard splint that I wear on a nightly basis has been a great help to me. The last time I spent a night not wearing it, I got a horrible migraine and I could tell it was coming from my TMJ problems. It is very expensive (close to a thousand dollars last I got one), but it is something I don't feel I can do without.
Dear Patient,
I am a NM dentist and based on years of treating TMJ patients I can assure you it is a treatment that will help you. If you read my articles on this web it will give you good idea why a "repositioning splint" (orthosis) is a cure for TMJ disorders. Please know that a lot of factors that has to be taken into account when treating TMJ. The primary cause is your bite, but it also can be affected by neck, head, shoulder, pelvis, etc posture.
As far as night guards, it probably wont help you, based on all the patients I have treated. It is an arbitrary position determined by the lab and not by physiology of sounf relaxed musculature. Do not do any grinding on your teeth because this could change the upper and jaw relationship changed for the worse.
I highly recommend flying out to the NM dentist. Or perhaps if you let me know which State you live in I could find you a closer one.