HealthBoards - View Single Post - Dizziness a Feeling Sensation of Dropping or falling

loudawg · 03-15-2008, 04:11 PM

Hi Laurin1,
I can pretty much match you symptom for symptom. I remember having a couple of panic attacks early on thinking "what is happening to me". I get the lightheaded / off balance feeling - its not vertigo, more like a wooziness. I also have had the sudden dropping feeling though less often now.

From what I've read / learned the dizziness is either due to dysfunction (trigger points, spasm) in the muscles that help position our head and orient us in space or due to the muscles close to the ear (jaw sits close here) being in spasm / dysfunction. The TMJ being off / bite imbalanced can cause all this muscle dysfunction or vice versa. Some of the key muscles to investigate are the splenius (back of neck) and sternocleidomastoid (side of neck). An oral splint as well as other alternative therapies can help balance your bite and help alleviate the muscle dysfunction. Be forewarned though, splint therapy and TMJ treatment in general seems more Art than Science. I'm on my second splint which I feel is less effective than my first splint in some regards. Each dentist claims it puts my jaw in the perfect position bite, but they are radically different from each other. Be meticulous in choosing your dentist - others on this board have given good advice as to how to evaluate your dentist.

I hate TMJ - it has set my life back... though I am in a better place than a year ago.

G'luck,
Loudawg.

03-15-2008, 04:11 PM	#4
loudawg Senior Member (male) Join Date: May 2007 Location: mountain view, ca Posts: 109	Re: Dizziness a Feeling Sensation of Dropping or falling Hi Laurin1, I can pretty much match you symptom for symptom. I remember having a couple of panic attacks early on thinking "what is happening to me". I get the lightheaded / off balance feeling - its not vertigo, more like a wooziness. I also have had the sudden dropping feeling though less often now. From what I've read / learned the dizziness is either due to dysfunction (trigger points, spasm) in the muscles that help position our head and orient us in space or due to the muscles close to the ear (jaw sits close here) being in spasm / dysfunction. The TMJ being off / bite imbalanced can cause all this muscle dysfunction or vice versa. Some of the key muscles to investigate are the splenius (back of neck) and sternocleidomastoid (side of neck). An oral splint as well as other alternative therapies can help balance your bite and help alleviate the muscle dysfunction. Be forewarned though, splint therapy and TMJ treatment in general seems more Art than Science. I'm on my second splint which I feel is less effective than my first splint in some regards. Each dentist claims it puts my jaw in the perfect position bite, but they are radically different from each other. Be meticulous in choosing your dentist - others on this board have given good advice as to how to evaluate your dentist. I hate TMJ - it has set my life back... though I am in a better place than a year ago. G'luck, Loudawg.