Report on my TMJ treatment - TMJ Disorder -TemporoMandibular Joint Message Board

quinnma · 07-31-2003, 07:11 PM

Hi,I haven't posted in a long time. I am seeing a TMJ specialist (a dentist), who came highly recommended (Dr. Gary Heir) in NJ. He is past president of the Academy of Orofacial Pain (I think that's the name?). Anyway he also teaches about TMJ and orofacial pain to medical and dental students, and he teaches trigger point injections. He is giving me a stabilization splint in a couple of weeks, because I have spasms in my jaw muscles. He has also sent me to a physical therapist who specializes in TMJ and neck (he's an angel). The two travel abroad to teach about it. My neck has definitely been part of the problem. So I've had 2 2-hr. evaluations by the PT and 5 treatments. I have exercises to do also. I may be getting trigger point injections and maybe even cervical traction. (I had two falls, one really bad one, landing on my chin.) The PT spends a lot of time working on my cervical spine area and pulling on my head.

My union at work has got the university to agree to buy me some ergonomic office furniture as recommended by my PT. I am very, very tired some days, but I have been able to go back to work with much less pain. I am on 900 mgs of neurontin and may go up to 1200. It helped tremendously with the sinus pain and ear pain. I also take some Ativan at night.

My PT convinced me to buy a McKenzie cervical roll to put in my pillow case (it helps a lot). They only cost $19.

I am also going to an ENT who is screening me for Meniere's (I have some hearing loss and tinnitus with hyperacusis). So far he is not sure if I have it, because I don't have the classic symptoms... But I am dizzy. The doctors are both heavily interested in orofacial pain, trigger points, and relationship of jaw to neck. They all know each other and talk about my case. That is something I really like. So this is my story. I will let you know more as I progress.

hbep · 08-01-2003, 01:41 AM

Hey Quinnma,

Fantastic that you've got these specialists working together like this - sounds like you are on the right track. Very pleased to hear you're getting the help you need and are already feeling a bit better.

best,

hbep.

crystalll · 08-01-2003, 11:59 AM

Hi,

I'm glad to hear that you're moving forward!
Please keep us posted on your progress. I would especially like to hear if your treatment affects your dizziness.

Take care.
Crystal

hbep · 08-01-2003, 05:31 PM

Hi there Crystalll,

Just thought I'd mention something as I know you're a long term dizziness sufferer and that you had the ENG/rotaty chair tests and they came back negative. I think I also remembere you saying that you think your dizziness problem is secondary to your tmjd - caused by the accompanying neck problems. Anyway, there is someone on the inner ear board recently diagnosed by a neuro oto after months of dizziness with neck induced dizzy problems. She, like Quinnma ,has been recieving aggressive physio treatments on her neck, alongside the drug amitriptyline - an old style tricylic, one of the drugs that can be used long term for muscle relaxation. It could be a coincidence but in the last few weeks since starting this treatment she has shown major improvements with what was a chronic dizziness problem. She had been slowly feeling better anyway, but these treatments seem to have pushed it one stage further. Thought this might be of interest to you - although don''t know if you have already tried these therapies alongside splint therapy, -if I remember rightly you are limited in what drugs or therapies you can do at the moment as you are expecting a baby, but it might come in useful in the future.

[This message has been edited by hbep (edited 08-01-2003).]

crystalll · 08-02-2003, 10:24 PM

Hi hbep,

Thanks for the info.

I'll check out the inner ear boards.
X-rays of my c-spine appear to be normal, but I'm awaiting a cervical MRI in the fall. I have been undergoing Active Release Therapy, which is a very aggressive form of muscle massage, and I'm sure that it has helped with my headaches, but hasn't affected the dizziness.
Any bit of information helps. Thanks again!

Crystal