Kelly, questions.... - TMJ Disorder -TemporoMandibular Joint Message Board

RobynRose · 04-25-2003, 08:28 AM

Hi Kelly,
I've been reading your posts with a ton of interest.
I'm so glad you and your son are on a good path.

I wondered...you mentioned in anothe post that the jaw is really one's "center of gravity". I have a pretty complicated history of pain that started 9 years ago with headache. The headaches were 24/7 - and severe.

Oddly, a chiropractor was able to temporarily relieve the head pain with adjustment of my Sacroiliac joints (lumbar spine).

Before I knew it I had wicked back pain (never had any prior)...and instablity, herniated disc - and a locking back.

To make a long story short...I had always had a jaw that "clunked" when I openned my mouth - and was told I had TMJ syndrome as a child (I'm 39)... Never had true jaw pain though..so did nothing about the jaw clunking. Also have never had a "curve" on xrays of my cervical spine.

2 Years ago I had a myelogram test for the spine pain - and this resulted in massive headache (like I've never known before). It was a vise-like headache --awful pressure into into the sinus...fullness in the ear (under water feeling)...and periodic migraine "attacks". My face got hot (burning)... and the jaw was even painful. Also eyie stabbing etc - and many of the classic tmj symptoms.

Wasn't till this past September that I actually associated the jaw with my ongoing post-mylogram symptoms. The jaw at this time began to completely deviate to the left -- clunk --- and neck/shoulderblade pain came on strong. At this point there is no doubt that I'm dealing with a tmj problem...just not sure if it's the chicken or the egg!!

Here's my question. I can feel the lumbar spine lock up and the tmj goes into overdrive when this happens. I try desperately to adjust my vertebrae by openning my mouth and twisting my lumbar??!!! I make odd faces - with an instinct that the jaw and spine are totally connected.

Do you think that the jaw issue that have existed since childhood (mostly asymptomatically) - could have predisposed me to the spinal alignment problems??

I keep remembering that before my spine pain...I had 3 months of severe headache. It's almost as though the myelogram (spinal leak) --- damaged my trigeminal nerve and set the tmj symptoms into high gear??!!

My other question is since I never had braces... do you suspect that my problems could be helped with the type of splint therapy you and your son are now undergoing?? I am fearful of getting involved with any invasive therapy that is not the RIGHT therapy (I'm sure you understand). Also, because I suffer with debilitating spine (and now neck/shoulder jaw pain)... I am very curious how these interconnect where the center of gravity issues are concerned.

Also..I'll mention that I have loose ligaments everywhere -- crack and clunk constantly. I believe this is just my genetic connective tissue.

Thanks so much for sharing whatever insight you may have obtained through all your hard work and research.
It is so kind of you to help guide some of us less-knowing souls (like me).

Best to you.... oh - yes --- who is this fabulous specialist in the US??

Robyn

I do currently have both an overbite and a crossbite.

KMX · 04-25-2003, 10:04 AM

Hi RobynRose,
From what I have learned I would say that the TMJ injury came first before the spinal problems. The woman I met who had suffered for over 40 years with TMJ told me that before she received the correct therapy her head was literally forward and far over to one side, she looked severely deformed. However when I met her she looked fine. The symptoms that precipitated your back problems are classic TMJ symptoms, headaches are the standard with TMJ. The first thing you need to do before you get anymore treatments is to have a qualified specialist x-ray your TMJ joints, it's called a tomography, because as I was trying to explain previously, the balance is thrown off when the jaw is off and many, many secondary symptoms result. The back being a classic target, as well as a shift in the body's balance. Treating the back or secondard symptoms will not help as I said because as long as the jaw remains displaced the secondary problems will continue. They may shift as the damage progresses or as you have adjustments in treatments but they will persist in one way or another because your body is trying to tell you that something is really wrong. If you were diagnosed with TMJ but never properly treated that you still have displaced TMJ joints that have been damaged and continue to be damaged all these years and you need to have this addressed a.s.a.p. It's the key to your health problems and your recovery. I'm reluctant to post my doctors name on this site because I don't have his permission but if we could work out a way to do it one on one I would be glad to do so. Once again to get on the right path for treatment research Dr. John Witzig and his methods of treating TMJ, you will find actual patient case studies on line that detail the process from beginning to end using the method I have been describing. Dr. Witzig was one of the pioneers behind the discovery of what TMJ really is and how to successfully treat it. I hope I covered everything you were looking for, if not just let me know, as I said I would be happy to help.
Kelly

[This message has been edited by KMX (edited 04-25-2003).]