Medicine Information

Chronic Head, Facial, Or Neck Pain That Won't Go Away - Could It Be TMJ?


I stumbled across TMJ when I needed treat a literal pain in the neck that would not go away. It seemed that the pain in my neck came from my jaws. "TMJ" refers to disorders of the jaw muscles and of the temporomandibular joint, the hinge at the side of the head that joins the lower jaw, mandible, to the temporal bone of the skull. TMJ expert John Taddey, D.D.S. states that one the most common symptoms of TMJ is a dull, aching pain around the ears which can radiate to the neck, shoulders, and back of the head. These symptoms may be coupled with tenderness of the jaw muscles and a headache.

While the causes of TMJ are many, the condition is usually the result of a collective malfunctioning of the chewing muscles, the teeth, and the temporomandibular joint. The face and jaw muscles may go into spasm or cramp and lead to tissue damage, pain and tenderness. The level of damage and pain varies.

Diaganosing TMJ can be elusive. Recognizing TMJ requires a thorough understanding of the two-inch area just in front of the ears that houses the temporomandibular joint, sinuses, glands, the middle and inner ears, throat tissues, brain tissue, muscles, ligaments, nerves blood vessels, lymphatic tissues, bones and teeth. TMJ can mask itself with a "referred pain". This occurs when pain felt in one area of the body originated from another source. For example, you may visit your doctor with an earache and find your ear is healthy, while a decayed tooth or TMJ is the root cause of the earache.

TMJ can arise form trauma, whiplash, stress, teeth-grinding and clenching, misaligned teeth, missing or sore teeth, muscle abuse, infection, diseases of the joints such as arthritis, and cancer.

Your family dentist should be able to recognize TMJ. Depending on your condition, she may treat the TMJ herself or refer you to a physician, orthodontist, chiropractor, psychologist or oral surgeon for more specialized treatment.

For more information on identifying and treating TMJ yourself, read TMJ Self-Help Program: How to recognize a TMJ problem: What to do to relieve pain and restore health: When to seek professional help by John Taddely, D.D.S. with Constance Schrader and James Dillon.

Health author and Noixia campaigner Naweko San-Joyz lovingly writes from her home in San Diego. Her works include "Acne Messages: Crack the code of your zits and say goodbye to acne" (ISBN: 0974912204) and the upcoming work "Skinny Fat Chicks, Why we're still not getting this dieting thing" (ISBN: 0974912212) for release in June of 2005.

For useful acne self-help articles visit http://www.Noixia.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Washington Post

Doctors fear work caps for residents may be bad medicine
Washington Post
The changing shape of medicine's boot camp has fostered a generational tension between baby boomers and Generation-Xers, who trained in an era of 36-hour ...

and more »


Local Teens Overdosing On Cough Medicine
WCVB-TV
It's slang for taking massive amounts of cough medicine simply to get high. "They're affordable. They're easy to get. And they're often in the home," said ...

and more »


Santa Barbara Independent

Sanford Biggers's Moon Medicine at Contemporary Arts Forum
Santa Barbara Independent
The tree signifies the presence of Sanford Biggers, the artist behind Moon Medicine: a new one-man show occupying the main galleries there. ...

and more »


The Star-Ledger - NJ.com (blog)

Editorial: New Jersey's medicine | Philadelphia Inquirer | 03/17/2010
Philadelphia Inquirer
Gov. Christie's vow yesterday to force New Jersey government to "live within its means" is a welcome change in Trenton. The state's finances are in shambles ...
STATE: Christie prescribes strong budget 'medicine' for NJPacket Online

all 383 news articles »


Penn medical school dean will step down | Philadelphia Inquirer | 03/18/2010
Philadelphia Inquirer
The Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine and the Roberts Proton Therapy Center were built under his leadership. He is also credited with enacting strict ...
Head of Penn Medicine to step down in 2011Blinq (blog)
Penn Med dean will step down in 2011Daily Pennsylvanian
Penn Researchers Clarify Cause of Spinal Muscular AtrophyHealthcanal.com

all 7 news articles »


The Right Perspective (blog)

Media falsely attribute doctor survey to New England Journal of Medicine
Media Matters for America
Conservative media figures and outlets have falsely claimed a New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) survey found that 46 percent of primary care physicians ...
NEMJ poll: 46% of family practitioners will feel forced out of medicine if ...Hot Air (blog)
Talking PointsFOXNews
Doctor report not linked to medical journalphillyBurbs.com
First Things (blog) -Benzinga -The New American
all 27 news articles »


BigNews.biz (press release)

Reform Threatens Alternative Medicine
RealClearPolitics (blog)
Because alternative medicine is highly effective in treating many of the chronic conditions which resist treatment by establishment medicine -from arthritis ...
Massachusetts Study: Health Care Reform Reduced AbortionsPolitics Daily (blog)
Today's Q's for O's White HouseABC News (blog)
Why we can't afford the healthcare system we haveWicked Local (blog)

all 21 news articles »


My Fox Boston

Car slams Peabody medical building
Boston Globe
Liduina Goulart had gone to Internal Medicine Physicians for an appointment. Bonaiuto said police will investigate the crash to determine whether charges ...
Clinic patients, driver luck out in crashBoston Herald
Car plows into Peabody building, five hurtWHDH-TV
Car smashes through Peabody office buildingThe Salem News
Boston Herald
all 19 news articles »


St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Forget your medicine? This device won't let you
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
If successful, GlowCaps could help contain medical costs by addressing a fundamental point in medicine delivery — making sure the patient actually follows a ...

and more »


Dr. Manuel Banzon, Orthopedic Surgeon of Advanced Orthopedics and Sports ...
PR.com (press release)
Board-certified orthopedic surgeon Dr. Manuel T. Banzon of Advanced Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Institute (AOSMI), Freehold and Monroe Township, ...
Orthopedic Surgeons Dr. Michael Greller & Dr. Alan Nasar of AOSMI, Freehold ...PR.com (press release)

all 3 news articles »

Google News

home | site map
© 2006