SkiBone
01-28-2007, 10:59 PM
I can surely sympathize with all of you. My story starts a year ago, I had minor ear pain w/no infection. ENT found nothing/MRI Brain - negative. In the following months I just got worse and worse with no real treatment or explanation. I had every symptom imaginable, ear pain, headaches, pain behind my eyes, bloodshot eyes, misshaped eyelid, drooping eyelid, spasms in my mouth, teeth throbbing, pain in teeth, roof of mouth numb, unable to lay on the sides of my head, cannot hold a phone to the sides of my face with out pain, painful tmj joint, pain in my jaw line, absolutely no range of motion - neck froze, tremendous pain in trapezoids - non stop spasms - they're rocks, pain in atlas/axis, pain and spasms in mid back, pain up the back of my head, temples in spasms, swollen face, sensitive scalp, inability to find comfortable bite, dizziness, feeling something stuck in my throat, tender upper body, and upper back, I think the list just goes on. And in the middle of all this an emergency route canal that sent electrical shock pain into the left side of my temples. Dentist said tooth was fine - if it weren't for the endontist finding a crack and cavity I think I'd be dead. I was out of work for three months because I literally couldn't move!!!
In that time I saw a neurologist, 3 oral surgeons, a tmj specialist, orthopedic, 2 spinal surgeons, pain mgmt. specialist administered two rounds of trigger point injections, 3 months of physical therapy including trigger point tmj physical therapy in my mouth, 3 bite plates that were hard as hell to wear. Medication that made me a zombie - horrible.
In Sept. I started to see a chiropractor that is unbelievable and has helped me tremendously with the pain through physical therapy, nutrition and cervical adjustments. My atlas and axis are misaligned; I don't have the normal curve in my neck. She has helped tremendously with most of my symptoms, but I find without constant care they reoccur and are flaring up once again. Making me believe I have not gotten to the cause of the problem.
Through my chiropractors recommendation, I am currently seeing a dentist who believes in the "Gelb Appliance" and says I have many non-working contacts so I am due to have my teeth re-equilibrated and a new Gelb Appliance made. I do have my wisdom teeth, but have been told that they present well on an x-ray and don't need to come out by 2 of the 3 oral surgeons. My first oral surgeon was contemplating removing them. Has anyone used this Gelb Appliance? I have researched it and the inventor Michael Gelb and he is a leading "jaw man" in Manhattan, who doesn't accept any insurance and is very expensive. But at this point I've spent so much . . . any input would be greatly appreciated and any TMJ Doctor recommendations in Nassau, NY or any surrounding areas would al be greatly appreciated. Although I know things would be worse I am so tired of living in constant pain. I don't know if I'll ever be normal again!!!!
In that time I saw a neurologist, 3 oral surgeons, a tmj specialist, orthopedic, 2 spinal surgeons, pain mgmt. specialist administered two rounds of trigger point injections, 3 months of physical therapy including trigger point tmj physical therapy in my mouth, 3 bite plates that were hard as hell to wear. Medication that made me a zombie - horrible.
In Sept. I started to see a chiropractor that is unbelievable and has helped me tremendously with the pain through physical therapy, nutrition and cervical adjustments. My atlas and axis are misaligned; I don't have the normal curve in my neck. She has helped tremendously with most of my symptoms, but I find without constant care they reoccur and are flaring up once again. Making me believe I have not gotten to the cause of the problem.
Through my chiropractors recommendation, I am currently seeing a dentist who believes in the "Gelb Appliance" and says I have many non-working contacts so I am due to have my teeth re-equilibrated and a new Gelb Appliance made. I do have my wisdom teeth, but have been told that they present well on an x-ray and don't need to come out by 2 of the 3 oral surgeons. My first oral surgeon was contemplating removing them. Has anyone used this Gelb Appliance? I have researched it and the inventor Michael Gelb and he is a leading "jaw man" in Manhattan, who doesn't accept any insurance and is very expensive. But at this point I've spent so much . . . any input would be greatly appreciated and any TMJ Doctor recommendations in Nassau, NY or any surrounding areas would al be greatly appreciated. Although I know things would be worse I am so tired of living in constant pain. I don't know if I'll ever be normal again!!!!
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Thelma-Louise
01-29-2007, 12:22 AM
You may want to check the Great TMJ Doctor thread posted at the top of this foum for a dr in your area. I went to Michael Gelb and really did not have much success although his office did work with my insurance co to get most of his fee reimbursed to me - obviously they want payment up front. You can search for prior posts regarding Dr Gelb as I know some of us have been to him. He treated my problem with trigger point injections but he didn't seem to take it too seriously. He took some notes and told me to come back once a month for injections - the affects of the injections wore off by the time I got back home and he made me a one piece upper/lower mouth guard that caused even moe pain so I never returned. But the splint theory his father worked on can be applied by any trained tmj dentist.
Suzq222
01-29-2007, 04:00 PM
Hi Skibone,
Your story is similiar to mine which started 4 years ago. I went through all the crazy symtoms and also had a root canal, which made my problem even worse. I have also seen every type of "tmj specialist" and have gone through treatments like you with the same results, the pain and muscle spasms always returned. I am now in braces (invisalign) because the ortho thinks the problem is due to the structure of my jaw and teeth.
You mentioned that you were going to have your teeth re-equilibrated. Are you talking about having them shaved and reshaped? If so, please think twice about that, once it's done there's no going back. I had it done and regret it and I've seen others on this board who say the same.
Your story is similiar to mine which started 4 years ago. I went through all the crazy symtoms and also had a root canal, which made my problem even worse. I have also seen every type of "tmj specialist" and have gone through treatments like you with the same results, the pain and muscle spasms always returned. I am now in braces (invisalign) because the ortho thinks the problem is due to the structure of my jaw and teeth.
You mentioned that you were going to have your teeth re-equilibrated. Are you talking about having them shaved and reshaped? If so, please think twice about that, once it's done there's no going back. I had it done and regret it and I've seen others on this board who say the same.
GoodThings
01-29-2007, 11:18 PM
Hello,
You should reconsider doing re-equilibration. It will cause you to lose vertical dimension. Why can't the doc give you a splint without having to re-equilibrate your teeth?
GT
You should reconsider doing re-equilibration. It will cause you to lose vertical dimension. Why can't the doc give you a splint without having to re-equilibrate your teeth?
GT