velvetgrl

Hi Alex,

WOW! To read Rebecca Griffiths site and the testimonials, you would think she had a lot of experience helping people with TMJ. I'm beginning to wonder just how much we can be helped if we have actual joint problems. I've searched sites and there seems to be more confidence in helping people with muscular problems and headaches than actual joint problems. Maybe all we can hope for is to decompress the joints, so, they don't get arthritic or beat up, get our bites fixed, out of pain, and live with the clicking and popping discs. I know my TMJ doctor talks about his wife that went through the therapy and she still pops and clicks. He said she will probably always pop and click because she's had it since she was a teenager. He doesn't seem to be too concerned about the disc being displaced. If it gets recaptured fine, if not, the joint is decompressed and we will not die in pain from beat up arthritic joints apparently. I asked about locking in the future if the disc was not recaptured, his response was the chances of that happening were nill, because the joint would be decompressed. I brought up about the disc wearing out and going bone on bone and locking. I forget what he said, but, there didn't seem to be a problem if the joint was decompressed. Then, I had a dentist tell me recently that the bite may not be stable. But, I'm pretty sure that when I was shown the condoyle, it showed it lined up in the fossa. So, that should be fine, right? I think LVI needs to change their website about clicking and popping (displaced) discs. They make it sound like they can recapture anyone's displaced discs by the neuromuscular splint treatment. That is not the case. It depends on the soft tissue damage and how long you have been clicking and popping. I never noticed the joint noises until about 9 months ago. That doesn't mean that I wasn't clicking some for years though. Now I'm told that my discs could really be beat up too. Of course an MRI would actually show the true condition and the TMJ dentists don't use them most of the time. They use the tomograms and are more concerned with the hard tissue and the bite. Who knows anymore what to think? Maybe my friends that live with there TMJ, take the meds, and ignore the clicking know something that I don't. There is no basis for whether you should seek treatment or not for displaced discs. I guess if there is no pain and you can open your mouth, why bother. I thought going for treatment guaranteed me that this would not get worse. I thought I was doing this for my health and that I would not have pain in the future. I wasn't going to be locking in my goldwn years. Well, I'm in more pain now. Again, who knows anymore? I've had a lot of pain, but, today I'm really resting the joint. I figure at this point, I'll probably always have joint problems. I don't have a lot of hope of this getting any better. I will be happy with the pain going away. I started with displaced discs and hardly any pain, months ago. Hopefully I can get back to that point. I will wear a splint because I think it gives my jaw a break and maybe a chance to heal. I've read so much about splint therapy, I think it's hit and miss for actually recapturing the disc. I will be interested what the TMJ dentist here says. I think I will accompany my husband to the Functional Orthodontists office that has treated TMJ successfully for many years and has taught it to many dentists. This is the one that my TMJ dentist was so impressed with. I think I would like his opinion on my case too. So, for now, I am wearing the splint, my bite is already changing, and hopefully the pain will go away. Alex, I have already made up my mind that I am not going back to the TMJ dentist that was treating me. I think I need to be seen by someone that I can get to a little easier when I have complications, pains, or problems with my treatment plan. I've already notified my TMJ dentist and I will be going to another specialist that I can drive to next week. I have already paid for all of phase I, so, they should be sending me all my records, scans, x-rays, etc. The TMJ dentist that I was seeing is a wonderful person and doctor. He will bend over backwards to help his patients get out of pain. I have no doubt that he could help me if I lived closer. I just need to be able to pick up the phone, make an appointment, and get in the car and drive if I need help. This is the case with my TMJ.

By the way, did your doctor ever let you read any testimonials or anything from other TMJ patients that he's treated? I know Diane had success, but, she doesn't have the internal derangement like you and I have. Here's was pretty serious, but, had a lot of muscular components to it. You and I have mostly structural/joint related problems. My TMJ dentist said he had over a 100 cases and that he needed to put some testimonials on his website. I wonder how many actually had their discs recaptured through the neuromuscular splint therapy? That was my main concern when I started treatment (painful popping and clicking joint) and the reason I actually went in the first place. I guess I was looking for the magic cure. There is no magic cure for TMJ displaced discs...and I'm sure not seeing a surgeon. So Alex, how are you feeling today? Does it still feel like your condoyles are unstable when you chew? Are you going to check into whether you might have been brought too far forward? I'm still popping out the right side when I take the splint out to brush my teeth. the pain in the joint is fine as long as I don't open my mouth to live in any shape or form. Obviously, I need to get to a TMJ doctor and get checked out.

Alex, I sincerely wish you success with your splint therapy. Keep me posted on your progress. It would be wonderful if everything worked out for you and you were symptom free.

Take care!
velvetgrl


[This message has been edited by velvetgrl (edited 10-12-2003).]