I was diagnosed, by 3 differant Docs, with severe Fibromyalgia and by 2 Docs with Myofacial Myalgia. Even my Chiropractor was beginning to agree with the diagnosis after treating me for over two years with no real results. Over this time period he sent me to several other Chiropractic specialists who were unable to achieve anything more than 1-2 day relief. Massage therapy helped but, again, was short lived between sessions.
I am thankfull that my Chiropractor was not completly convienced though, as he encouraged me to seek out other opinions, eliminate other possibilities with blood tests and MRI's and even do my own research on the internet. I stumbled upon a few websites that mentioned the kind of muscle pain I was having, but they were usualy full of vague symptom discriptions. Since most conditions effect everyone a bit differently, I found what I was looking for on this and other message boards. I found the cause of my problem.
After speaking to my current Doc, Chiro, Massage therapist and consulting an oral surgeon; they were also convienced. I have a severe TMJ problem - not Fibromyalgia. I couldn't believe it! Who would think that one little joint and the connecting muscles could cause so many problems in so many places, but it can and does. I would encourage anyone here to look at the TMJ posts and read some of the symptoms that TMJ sufferers are experiancing. A lot of the symptoms are the same, but treatment options can be very differant.
This may not help anyone, but it is worth mentioning if there is one more person out there like me. I have started getting more relief now that I'm using therapies for the right condition. Not much of the therapy I was using for Fibromyalgia was helping my TMJ at all. This can also be a chronic condition, but I'll be more comfortable now dealing with it. Please reply if you have any questions?
i am so happy for that you found a dx. it is really hard when you are in pain and you just want to know what is the matter so you can get some sort of relief.
unfortunatly sometime like in my case they go hand and hand, i have both.
when my jaw is killing me is causes the worst h/a's and neck pain.
i hope that you are able to get some sort of relief now that you have been able to find out what is hurting. i know that sometimes surgury can really help so at least that is an option.
robin
I was dx with TMJ, and my face, ear, neck and headaches went with it. These muscles seem to be all connected moving the pain all around.
My right arm is useless, it feels like an ice pick is stuck in it everyday, all day, even wakes me up when it took me 4 hours to fall asleep. My point is, is when I tell my Rheumy and strongly insist he fix it, he treated it with about a dozen sots from my shoulder to my thums, treated it as carpel tunnel & tendonitus and it never got better, in fact worse. Here's the strange way our bodies re-act......everytime he'd squeeze my arm, I will get shooting pains in my LEG.
Boy, do I have him befuddled. He tried so hard to fix it. I go back again the 29th.
Can't wait to see his next trick.
So, I believe the TMJ muscles can go to the back of your neck & move around from there.
It's food for thought, anyway. The strangest things my body has demonstrated is unreal.
