Splint Progression Thread

[jim1971]

Hi I just thought i would check in and give an update after my 3rd week with the lower 24/7 splint. Overall the pressure symptoms in my ears are a lot better which is a good thing. Other changes are my temporal muscles dont seem as sore as they were. In fact a lot of that load seems to have shifted to my TMJ joints, and my jaw muscles. I still feel tightness in the area around the joint, soreness in the muscles in that general area, and leading down and away from it (masseters i think). The soreness seems to get worse as the day goes on and 'resets' after i sleep. In general it seems the loads are shifting around in there. Does anyone else relate to this shifting etc? I encourage all of you going through treatment to post here how you are doing and similar or not similar symptom progression.

J

[Marlinsum]

Jim, I’m seeing Dr. Steed also. I’m a little over a week into splint therapy With a mora splint. I had a little trouble with the splint until it was adjusted My teeth was making contact on the right side before the left and was making my right ear hurt really bad. Within 5 min. of having It adjusted the pain in my ear was gone.
Like you I have fond that my temporal muscles are not as sore as they once were in fact I hardly feel any pain in my Temporal muscles at all now But I’m having a lot more soreness in my jaw muscles it seems to run along the lower jaw line and on the side of my neck only on the left side. I had a few days were I was having pain in both TM Joints now it’s just an ach That comes and goes and it’s only on the left side.

My symptoms are fullness/pressure in both ears ringing in my right ear
dizziness neck pain temporal pain Left jaw clicks when I open wide.

[jim1971]

Small World! You sound like you have a lot of the same issues im having. The pressure issues with me seem to be quite a bit better now. Riding an elevator seemed to kick it off or going from inside to outside etc. Now i still get it - but not nearly as often. Early on when i had no idea what was going on, it seemed like it was like that all the time. Now it seems like i have more soreness as the day goes on and i start looking for some form of ice to put on my lower jaw and tm joints.

Keep me posted how you are doing and ill do the same

J

[loudawg]

I like the idea of this thread Jim.
I'm at 2.5 weeks with a lower horseshoe splint. I have had 2 adjustments.

Positives
I feel both my masseters move when i bite down instead of just my left one before. There's less frequency of popping and pressure in the ears.

Negatives
I feel more soreness in the jaw muscles. I still have all the muscle tension in the left side of my head (posterior temporalis) and neck. There are strong spasms several times per day. I feel like it's creeping down to my shoulders now too. I have had episodes where I felt my dizziness was stronger than ever.

The splint feels good in my mouth and my dentist says that my bite with the splint is almost in it's natural position (when I bite w/ the splint it hits almost as evenly as when they TENS me hard and my teeth bite). He says the physical therapy should help w/ the muscle tension.

[luvtocamp]

"I still have all the muscle tension in the left side of my head (posterior temporalis) and neck. There are strong spasms several times per day. I feel like it's creeping down to my shoulders now too."

I have these symptoms too with head hum on the same side. They say my head bones are not in the right place.

When I was in my last splint, my symptoms changed also.