temo

Hello all. This is my first post, although unfortunately I am very familiar with most sites dealing with TMJ problems. I think like most here, I could write a book on my experiences so far with TMJ. I'm posting here to try and briefly explain my situation and also ask a question or two. My TMJ problems started about 6 years ago after some dental work. I guess that combined with job stresses and some bad habits resulted in TMJ symptoms. It was just facial pain at first, then developed to disorientation, sever teeth pain, clogged ears, neck pain, and just feeling ill most of the time. I went from an athletic outgoing person to an introvert who just sat around. After many doctor, dentist, ENT, neurologist and pain management center appointments, I had had enough. I heard one Doctor briefly mention the letters TMJ, and I started to research. I found that this was most likely what I had and i began to look for help. After some real "losers" as far as dentists, I found a great dentist who really cared. He suggested equilibration to fix my bite. It cost a fortune. Unfortunately it did not help. I next found a specialist in South Amboy, NJ. I had many xrays, tests and teeth molds done. I was told I needed to wear a lower splint to pull my jaw slightly forward and down. In addition, I was given weekly sessions of EGS, ultrasound and moist heat therapy along with some other related treatments. Of course most of this was not covered and the basic expense for this specialist was approx $5,000. After 5 weeks, I did not feel any inprovement and the discussions with the specialist started leaning towards nerve block shots. I had these before at pain management and it did not help. One night, still about 5 weeks in to my treatment, the splint was hurting. I thought it probably needed its adjustment. I took it at before bed expecting to call the specialist in the morning to tell him. To my surprise, I woke up feeling pretty good, not 100%, but a big difference. For the first time in 6 years, I did not have a headache and I was wide awake. I'm still not sure why, but I suspect that the splint must have been alleviating the jaw pressure and moved my joints slightly. To sum up, I felt like I had my life back again. This lasted for quite a while until recently. I still had some pain and headaches, but i was able to manage it and it was not constant. After a recent visit to a regular dentist to have a crown put on, all my symptoms returned as bad as before. Im not sure why, but it it must be because of the work that was done. Ok, I know this is a long post. What I'm wondering is if anyone knows of any good specialists in New Jersey. I am not considering surgery, ever. Before I go back to the guy I went to last time, I want to be sure there is not someone else out there who can help me. Any suggestions? I live in Basking Ridge, NJ. I know treatmnts are a combination of things and can be very expensive since insurance coverage is minimal. Choosing the right specialist can make all the difference. Thanks for the time and I hope everyone finds relief soon.