Atypical Facial pain With Stabbing, electrical components as well as TMD
My wife is suffering badly with some neurological problem. She has excrusiating pain on the left side of her head. She says it feels like something a vein, artery, or bone hitting against a nerve in the temple region. Feels like it is hitting and sometimes squeezing. Most of the time its in the temple region and if it is not there it will burn and throb all the way down the side of the face near the ear. She is crying all the time, and has no relief from the pain. It been almost over 2 and a half years since this has been every day 24/7 and she is waking up with the pain saying she cannot handle it anymore. She does not have Medicare like I do, and cannot get much done. We have tried alternative treatments such as acupuncture, cupping, Infa-red Laser, osteopath, chiropractor as well as a few prolotherapy shots. She feels that there is no hope and feels at the end of her rope. She is always saying to me that no human being should be in this type of pain. No one should have to endure this.. Even an animal would be put out of their mistery if they were in this type of horrible pain. Why should we be left to suffer in an undignified manner. We are besides ourselves in this matter. She had to stay with her parents in Canada, as she is able to get more people around her to care for her there, as I was not able to handle it myself.
This has ruined her life, her quality of living, and her hope, and our marriage. The only thing that has showed up on an MRI is displaced TMJ discs, and some neurologist said it is some atypical facial pain, but she has the knifelike electrical components to this pain. Everytime she went to a TMJ specialist they told her oh its nothing much if you have that much pain it must be neuralgia, and then the Neurologist are saying its TMD. She has gotten no where for all her effort. Everyone has kind of passed the buck. Now she is so sick she can hardly travel. There are few doctors in either places that really know what to do about this. If anyone out there has any suggestions, any ideas, or a similar experience, please contact us here..
Re: Atypical Facial pain With Stabbing, electrical components as well as TMD
I am so sorry your wife is going thru this. Displaced discs in the TMJ area can be VERY painful. The disc can be putting pressure on the nerve causing incredible pain. Have you been to a Maxillofacial surgeon? She also needs to try some different medications....muscle relaxants, I take amptriptyline at night and that helps with the nerve shooting, stabbing pain. Does she wear a splint at night. There are some splints that are designed to wear 24/7, they can help to recapture the disc and decrease the pain. The MFO doc can help with the splint....she needs one.
Many don't believe that problems with their tmj joints can cause this much pain, but, they can. Many are Mis-Diagnosed with ATN or TN and it was TMJ the whole time. I went to dentists, ENT, Neurologists until I got the proper diagnosis.
Best of Luck~
Re: Atypical Facial pain With Stabbing, electrical components as well as TMD
Quote:
Originally Posted by TMJC
I am so sorry your wife is going thru this. Displaced discs in the TMJ area can be VERY painful. The disc can be putting pressure on the nerve causing incredible pain. Have you been to a Maxillofacial surgeon? She also needs to try some different medications....muscle relaxants, I take amptriptyline at night and that helps with the nerve shooting, stabbing pain. Does she wear a splint at night. There are some splints that are designed to wear 24/7, they can help to recapture the disc and decrease the pain. The MFO doc can help with the splint....she needs one.
Many don't believe that problems with their tmj joints can cause this much pain, but, they can. Many are Mis-Diagnosed with ATN or TN and it was TMJ the whole time. I went to dentists, ENT, Neurologists until I got the proper diagnosis.
Best of Luck~
Thanks for your response. She has gone to a dentist a TMJ specialist that made splints for her, but it has done nothing for the pain. She also went to Maxillofacial Surgeon and he wants to do an arthroscopic procedure. She is considering it now. He did tell her that a medial displacement is a bad displacement and he takes the disc out. I have heard some really bad things about taking the disc out, and that it causes bad arthritis and leads to having a joint replacement. She already has arthritis there, and it trying to keep in under control. Do you know anything about having the discs taken out? There are very few Maxillofacial Surgeons up there and the ones that are doing it all contradict one another. She is so fed up with it all. If you know anything about it, let me know.
Re: Atypical Facial pain With Stabbing, electrical components as well as TMD
Unfortunately I am one of those who waited to long and is waiting for Joint Replacement. I have a friend that had her disc sutured back in place and it has given her relief for about 15 years. It depends on what shape the disc is in. Joint Replacements have given many people their lives back. Is your wife taking any meds for nerve pain? Lyrica, Elavil? There is help out there....
Re: Atypical Facial pain With Stabbing, electrical components as well as TMD
Check with the facial pain association and see if they have an approved doctor in your area. My sister had TN and finally had vascular decompression surgery at Presbyterian Hosp at U of Pittsburgh. She's been great ever since!
