Hello,
I am new to this site but would like to hear from anyone who has tmj and has had arthrocentesis please. I always have had a clicky jaw but no pain. A few years ago a chiropractor adjusted my jaw and that's when all the problems started. I now in constant pain in my face get migraine headaches pressure pain in my eyes. I get neck pain etc. Can only eat soft foods. Also I now cannot turn and talk aswell so as you can imagine its extremely limiting.
I have been offered arthrocentesis and would love to hear of anyone's experience of this procedure to help me make this decision.
Many thanks x
Hi! I've had four arthrocentesis in the past. Why is your doctor offering to do one? I would ensure to get an MRI done before considering any surgery so you know exactly what is wrong. An arthrocentesis is simple, but it started a world of surgeries for me, so please be very careful before deciding to do it!
Hi,
Thanks for your reply. I had an MRI done in 2005 in a different hospital. At the time they said the tmj joint was moving ok so further treatment offered. Over the years this has got worse and the only explanation I have been given is in the standard leaflet where it says the joint is inflamed and not moving well which certainly sounds right as its constantly popping when I open and close my mouth. The dr did say he did nt think I needed anything more surgery wise. Can I ask if it helped, how you felt afterwards and do you think there's any chance it could make you worse as that's the last thing I want!
Thank you for taking the time to reply.
Hey! It actually made my joint worse the first three times, but helped the last time on the right joint. It made the pain a lot worse in my experience and did not improve the disc movement. I was kind of "out of it" feeling for about a week or two afterwards, but I am terrible at recovering from surgery!
Personally I would try physical therapy first if you haven't already. Or me, having that first arthrocentesis lead to 8 more surgeries!
Arthrocentesis was suggested for me but I decided against it. I was told it would only give temporary relief and here it's not covered by health insurance. It would have cost me €1000 which is money I don't have and couldn't justify borrowing for a temporary fix. From the research I did myself I felt it seemed kind of unproven. Although I kinda thought I would have had my surgery done by now (I'm waiting to have an eminectomy), and hopefully on the road to a pain-free life
I've been struggling of late and had been thinking again about it, so it's interesting to read these replies.
Last edited by Susie564; 05-24-2012 at 01:25 PM.
The Following User Says Thank You to Susie564 For This Useful Post: Monroe22 (05-24-2012)
Hi navy mid, thanks for your reply. That is my main concern the procedure making he worse. The dr said that would nt happen and if it did nt work then I would remain the same but I am sceptical. I am sorry to hear you ve had 8 surgeries. Can I ask what started the problem? Mine was trauma to the joint by chiropractors, so not a dental or tooth misalignment issue. I hope you have some relief from the problem now. I have also been researching myofacial release. Is that something you ve heard of it hy physical therapies do you mean stretches and exercises?
My TMJ issues started from a sports injury, directly to my face. Needless to say I am never playing that sport again!! I am still in a great deal of pain, believed to be nerve related. I'm seeking relief for that now. Im not sure what myofacial release is. I have a therapist who manuevers my jaw around with his hands, and it hurts like crazy immediately after but then actually feels much better the next day. I don't know what he does is called, maybe it is what you are talking about?
I can't speak on the arthrocentesis. I have had the myofascial releases done. They have done wonders helping me get through the TMJD pain caused by the constant muscle spasming. The Masseter and Pterygoid releases really really hurt when they are first done if you are in spasm, but through repeated treatments, I was able to get the muscles to "loosen" up. While I'm doing well now, I still get trigger point releases done when I start feeling the muscles tighten up again. In my case, the treatment was well worth it.
Re: Tmj arthrocentesis 
