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navy2
07-04-2003, 02:21 PM
Hi Diane!

Happy 4th of July! I'm back on the boards freaking out with a bunch of questions again today. ha

Anyway, I couldn't find your post about crepitus. What did your neuro tell you about that again? Also, what happened when you took your sonography test? Did they say anything about the noises in your joints? What did the test results mean? Where there other tests that showed the joint health?

I don't understand how the oral surgeon said my pano's were fine, but, the sonography is picking up all the crepitus sounds. The pano would show the bone and if I was bone to bone or had disc space. My Pano's were taken in Match and everything looked fine then.

I hope you are enjoying your weekend. We did fireworks last night and today we are doing the kitchen remodeling. We ar trying to get everythig back to normal so that we can go on vacation in 2 weeks.

I have been thrown for a loop about the crepitus, possible arthritis. Shouldn't there have been some signs before it got to this stage? I would think popping and clicking of the joint or something. Not even a money tree could make me happy right now.

Navy

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DianeTMJ
07-04-2003, 07:26 PM
Happy 4th Navy -
Oh Navy, I do not remember what he said about the sonogram, I have an appt on Friday at the crack of dawn, we will need to be up by 5am to make this 8 AM appt. :0(
The creptius, does not mean arthritis, do not worry, he said it very treatable, it could be fluids from swelling, I am not concerned about it. It is almost completely gone. Do not fret, it will all be fine. I would just enjoy the holiday, creptius can be several things, and mine is under control now.
Later
Diane

[This message has been edited by DianeTMJ (edited 10-30-2003).]

navy2
07-04-2003, 08:29 PM
Hi Diane!

I must have missed something. You had crepitus? Did the neuro find it during the exam or during one of the tests? Was yours a CRACKLING noise? Where did you have it! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let it be that yours was the crackling noise in your joint and you are fine. Everywhere I read on the internet says that crackling (not popping or clicking) is when the joint has worn down all 3 layers of cartillage and is now bone to bone degenerating arthritis which can progressively get worse and may need surgery. Diane, I thought you had no joint noises and yours was all muscular. I definately must have missed something.

Happy 4th of July to you too!
Navy....Anchors away!

DianeTMJ
07-04-2003, 09:04 PM
Hi Navy -
Oh no, I had major crackling - MAJOR! It was awful, anything I did, I sounded like rice krispies cereal. Yike! :eek: :eek:
Okay, and I know it is not bone on bone. I have not cartildge between my foot bone and big toe bone in my right foot, that is bone on bone, it is just awful, awful pain. AWFUL pain when I walk wrong. No no no, the pain is completely different then the pain I was having in my jaw, head, neck. No, no no, not arthritis or bone on bone, I live with that one everyday, when I walk wrong. My crepitus is sooooo much better. It was embarrassing! but it is way calmed down now.
It'll be okay. When is your appt Navy?
later
Diane

[This message has been edited by DianeTMJ (edited 07-04-2003).]

navy2
07-05-2003, 01:55 AM
Hi Diane!

My appointment is next week.

I have major crackling too. It started at least 6 months ago and it has gotten louder. I crackle A LOT when I move my neck and head. When I swallow, without moving my head I crackle too. The crackling also sounds like it is in my ears. Sometimes my ear hurts for awhile and I get a headache like pain that shoots up the side of my head, then it goes away, I have a lot of phantom TMJ pains.

So, what made your crackling go away? Was it something the neuro did. I was thinking that I was stuck with this for the rest of my life. Nothing I've done so far has helped it. Sometimes, after a massage it seems like it's not as bad, then it starts up again. How long did your crackling last before it went away?

My husband said the same thing you did, If it was bone to bone, he says I'd be in major pain and probably making all sorts of noises that I could hear.
Just like I hear my displaced disc popping. He thinks I'm going to get better and wants me to go to whoever can help me. My husband does not understand TMJ and wonders why I'm still in pain after going to all the doctors. He cannot believe that someone hasn't been able to help me, when I spend so much time getting treated and going to doctors visits. I think it's hard watching someone you love suffer. Maybe I do have arthritis though. I could see it in my neck, but, my TMJ joint? After 4 foot surgeries, I have arthritis in my big toe ...but, outside of a little scar tissue ..it's liveable. Nothing that $525 orthotics couldn't take care of. I pick those up next week. It's a good thing that my husband wuvs me a whole bunch! Maintaining me is getting expensive. Gosh, the good old days when maintaining me meant trips to the day spa ..now I go for tmj massages and PT. Makes me wonder what my 50's will bring!

TMJ can make a person crazy ...ha ..or are we the sane ones and the wanna be tmj specialists the crazy ones?

I've been thinking that my right tmj is fused bone to bone and all day long that side of my face has been aching and tight. Do you ever get the feeling that your jaw is about to pop and your mouth is too small for your teeth? I wonder if that's the muscles pulling?

Right now there is a war going on between my teeth and muscles, The jaw is an innocent bystander, who's being pulled in all directions.

Well Diane, Al and cute little doggie ...Enjoy the rest of your 4th of July weekend. Sell a lot to the tourists too. Gosh, I miss my shop. After i sold it, I would have to go by it everyday when I took my son to school. It took my awhile before I stopped checking out the display window!

Take care!
Navy

RobynRose
07-05-2003, 09:49 AM
Hi Navy...
I know you have been concerned about the "crepitus" - or noises that your tmj is making. I thought it might help to know that another possible reason for a cracking/cradkling/popping/clunking joint may be lax ligaments.

I for one, have this problem in multiple places (neck,sacroiliac joints, hips, knees, shoulders, jaw). I have a very noisy body - and suffer much pain --- but I Don't have any major arthritic changes!! If you put your hand on my right shoulder and I move my arm...you can hear and feel the clunk/crack/clunk!!! Even the rheumatologist I saw was sure I had arthritis in that shoulder when he experienced hearing and feeling the sounds. Scans revealed there was zero arthritis in that joint. The explanation seems to be that I have overly loose ligaments -- they don't hold the joint in place well at all - then I "sublux" - or slightly dislocate with simple movement. The muscles are quick to try to "stablize" me - but then the tend to work TOO hard, and spasm - holding the joint in sometimes an abnormal positon - causing even more cracking with movmement.

I wanted to share that with you, just to explain another possible reason why you may be picking up so much noise. It's not always arthritis that produces the sounds..muscles and ligaments are a big piece of the puzzle too. The only place I am showing some "boney" changes with all this noise is my facet joints in the lumbar spine. I have a disc which is herniated and dehydrated there (l5s1)...and from years and years of the bones moving - there is what they call hypertrophy on the joint.

Other than that - no arthritis in any popping joint. The ligament laxity is a tough one to solve -- but it's real... and causes these types of pain and functional problems. Someone with ligamentous laxity in the tmj area will not have difficulty with locking, or openning wide ..... but will have all kinds of noise - deviation of the joint - and pain.

Hope that helped some... you take good care.
RobynR

navy2
07-05-2003, 10:06 AM
Hi RobynR,

I have a lot of crackling, but, absolutely no pain in my neck. It started about 6 months ago. I've been told lots of reasons for it. My Chiro says it's because I lost so uch weight and my body is making changes. Also, I have a lot of mobility in it, which is good ...no stiffness or pain. The PT said that I have great movement from being adjusted, but, I need to do strengthening exercises for the muscles. Then I read about the lack of synovial fluid and glucosamine helping. So, I started back on glucosamine pills and even ordered the liquid form (which is suppsed to be better) this morning on-line. I don't seem to be subluxing and i hold my adjustments pretty well. I've cut back on my Chiro to about once a week recently. I'm told the crackling could cler up with the glucosamine. I hope so. I also notice that after a massage the noise isn't as bad. Also, diet has a lot to do with it. The arthritis diet is great for anything to do with the joints. Also, i read about a study on tmj joints. Supposedly glucosamine is supposed to do wonders for joint noises and tmj joint health.

How long have you had these problems with the lax ligaments? My crackling started 6 months ago.

Thanks for responding RobynR!

Have a great day!
Navy





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