TMJ Veterans please help me!!! - TMJ Disorder -TemporoMandibular Joint Message Board

tina1966 · 03-24-2006, 10:33 AM

Hello,
This is Tina, the one who injured herself while sweeping out the house....To date I am doing better, BUT I still have awful back pain when I try to walk too much or bend over several times...like when getting dishes out of a dishwasher...and by the end of the day I am sore. I have been wearing my splint 24/7 and dont have any headaches, etc..just an occasional clicking sound in my ear on the tmj side. My question is shouldn't I be feeling much better by now? I had 2 dentists/ortho's tell me my bite is ok..but what if it isn't? Would that make my back still be bothering me? I am going to a muscle doc next week, a psysiatrist who specializes in trigger point injections. I am really just so sick of hurting every day. I am in counseling now trying to deal with this. I want to work so bad...I miss teaching my kids!!! I dont know what to do or where to turn...I know my pain is muscular but dont know why it just wont give up. I do stretches and gentle yoga that does help..AND I never went through phase II....like getting crowns or braces after I got better the first time..is this something I should really consider?? Any help is greatly appreciated. I just want my life back. God Bless. Tina

TiffanyAnn · 03-24-2006, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tina1966

Hello,
This is Tina, .AND I never went through phase II....like getting crowns or braces after I got better the first time..is this something I should really consider?? Any help is greatly appreciated. I just want my life back. God Bless. Tina

Hi Tina:
I think you should at least consider phase ll if you are painfree now. The purpose of phase ll is that once a comfortable position is found that it be made permanent. If you are still in pain though moving on to phase ll is a bad idea. Maybe what you need to do is go get a few consultations and see what they suggest you do.
Tiffany

tina1966 · 03-24-2006, 09:26 PM

Thanks for your reply. I also forgot to mention that I have had xrays and an mri done in the past few weeks...they could find nothing...I just have very tight muscles in my neck and back at times....and that disturbs my jaw..so I just dont know what to do. I also am taking paxil cr, klonopin, and flexeril...also, my doc wants me to try a new drug called lyrica..its like neurotin....I have to be able to gage this pain..so I have neglected to take the medicine. It is supposed to suppress the nerve pain I feel from my tight muscles....any suggestions out there??? I am afraid if I take it and dont feel pain then I wont know when I have overdone it...does that make sense? Hope so. Again,,,any advice is greatly appreciated..I think I am going to see a neuromuscular dentist to see what he says. Just wondering if anyone has had the back pain for a long time like me. Again, Thanks! Tina

Suzq222 · 03-25-2006, 06:50 PM

Tina,
We're in the same boat. No matter what I do I can not get rid of the muscle spasms in my face, neck and back (it's been 3 years now). My bite is better now and I thought that would help but every time I feel like things are looking up I take a giant step backward. The neuromuscular now tells me that I need to have some of my teeth built up to further correct my bite but I've decided to take a break from the dental work right now. PT has helped me in the past but it just comes back again, although I'm much better than a year or two ago. I wish I had the answers. Good luck with the neuro and keep us posted.

Thelma-Louise · 04-09-2006, 11:02 AM

You may want to find an upper cervical chiro - when the C1 or atlas vertebrae is out of alignment it definitely can pull the jaw and surrounding neck muscles with it and cause facial spasms.