So my TMJ trials continue. Currently, my physical therapist doctor has limited my jaw's range of motion by restricting me to "soft foods" and liquids only.
In the diagram below, you can see exactly what the jaw muscles are. My TMJ joint is off track. Thus causing the jaw bones to rub against each other and crunch and pop out of place. Apparently, this is something that's never going to correct itself or go away; essentially I have to live with this my entire life. (Unless they refer me out to surgery, which I'm hoping they do at some point because this is getting unbearable).
So with all that going on, my Temporalis Muscle is working way overtime to try and make up for that. The muscls are pulling away from my TMJ joint and causing a severe amount of pain/strain right where the muscle meets the joint. My remedy for this has been to massage and exercise the muscle right where it meets the joint. However, the instant I barely touched the muscle, shooting pains went through my entire head.
I can't do it.... it's way too painful. So I'm trying in small doses. And hoping it gets better. But with the Temporalis Muscle working overtime, the lower, Masseter Muscle is working hard to pull in the other direction to correct my jaw strain.
All this just leads to a big old mess of lower jaw pain, excruciating pain located where my TMJ joint is, and gnarly pressure headaches at my temples, where the Temporalis Muscle meets the TMJ joint. Imagine everything you use your mouth for.... it's something I'm always constantly aware of, I can't just shut it out. And the headaches are getting so intense, that I can't focus one entire day. By the late afternoon, I can't do anything at all because the headaches just make my want to lie in bed and not move. When I get home from work, I plop down on the couch and can't do anything at all.
This is my life, with advanced TMJ.
Awesome. I can't open my mouth more than two fingers high (how high they are stacked up on top of each other, not lengthwise). So I'm stuck to eating oatmeal, soups, Jamba Juice, PB&J sandwiches, flaky fish, rice and meals made in the slow cooker...
Does anyone I know specialize in oral surgery who might be able to help me?! :)
In the diagram below, you can see exactly what the jaw muscles are. My TMJ joint is off track. Thus causing the jaw bones to rub against each other and crunch and pop out of place. Apparently, this is something that's never going to correct itself or go away; essentially I have to live with this my entire life. (Unless they refer me out to surgery, which I'm hoping they do at some point because this is getting unbearable).
So with all that going on, my Temporalis Muscle is working way overtime to try and make up for that. The muscls are pulling away from my TMJ joint and causing a severe amount of pain/strain right where the muscle meets the joint. My remedy for this has been to massage and exercise the muscle right where it meets the joint. However, the instant I barely touched the muscle, shooting pains went through my entire head.I can't do it.... it's way too painful. So I'm trying in small doses. And hoping it gets better. But with the Temporalis Muscle working overtime, the lower, Masseter Muscle is working hard to pull in the other direction to correct my jaw strain.
All this just leads to a big old mess of lower jaw pain, excruciating pain located where my TMJ joint is, and gnarly pressure headaches at my temples, where the Temporalis Muscle meets the TMJ joint. Imagine everything you use your mouth for.... it's something I'm always constantly aware of, I can't just shut it out. And the headaches are getting so intense, that I can't focus one entire day. By the late afternoon, I can't do anything at all because the headaches just make my want to lie in bed and not move. When I get home from work, I plop down on the couch and can't do anything at all.
This is my life, with advanced TMJ.
Awesome. I can't open my mouth more than two fingers high (how high they are stacked up on top of each other, not lengthwise). So I'm stuck to eating oatmeal, soups, Jamba Juice, PB&J sandwiches, flaky fish, rice and meals made in the slow cooker...
Does anyone I know specialize in oral surgery who might be able to help me?! :)
1 comment:
Oh my goodness, that sucks! So there just anything they can do about it unless you get surgery? Stupid modern medicine. I definitely sympathize with the limited diet boring-ness, mushy foods and liquids get really old really quickly. Good luck getting this resolved.
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