Please Help!!!!! - TMJ Disorder -TemporoMandibular Joint Message Board

bttfly · 01-21-2007, 01:08 PM

Anyone -

For the last three months I have been in hell. I have had severe vertigo,headaches,severe facial pain,neck pain,shoulder pain,back pain,all over joint pain,and ear fullness and itching.I went through the mill of tests. I saw several urgent care md's,ent md,chiro, and dentist. I've spent a couple thousand dollars to be told I have tmj. My mri brain was neg, I had no sinus infection, and my hearing and equilibrium was slightly abnormal. But if the muscles surrounding my ear are inflammed it's going to be abnormal. I am seeing the chiro,taking herbal pills and ibuprofen,excercising, and using a tens unit and heat. Nothing seems to be doing the trick. I just got a night guard from the dentist last week. Can't really tell if it's working.I do need a root canal but, I'm reluctant. Please someone help!!What worked well for you. I missed a month of work and I'm going broke.

Sally

Thelma-Louise · 01-21-2007, 05:01 PM

I wish I could be of more help or offer more encouragment but I am in the same boat and haven't been able to work in almost 3 yrs - so I am broke and still in pain. LOL

Have you had a tomogram to check the placement of the joints and condyles? What about an MRI of your spine or cervical spine Were there any abnormalities, pinched nerves, bulging discs? What about an MRI of the maxilla or mandible - any abnormalities such as arthritis, degenerative changes to the jaw or angular deformaties of unknown origin?

You are using a night guard - but have you tried a splint or NTI that changes the veritcal height or dimension between the upper and lower jaws?

Also, an infected nerve of a tooth can cause pain to radiate along the nerve pathways of both jaws and affect the sinuses causing other symptoms - so get the rc done if possible. Left untreated it can damage surrounding bone and leave the area subject to neuralgia.