Re: Anybody have TMD Jaw Problems? (long)
SnowCindy said:
Hi Bassman. I’m new to this forum, but had to respond to your question. Here is my background: I had severe TMJ disorder, caused by structural problems with both my upper and lower jaws; they had grown crooked, lopsided, and uneven in every way. I had constant pain, and couldn’t eat most days, beyond breakfast. I had seen several dentists, orthodontists, and surgeons, only to have them tell me my case was too severe and they wouldn’t even try. When I moved to Santa Barbara 11 years ago, I found a surgeon there who is widely recognized as the best in the world. His name is William Arnett, and he has pioneered most of the successful surgical techniques used today. Top students intern with him, and then leave to set up their own practices. You may want to call his office to find a doctor they recommend in your area. He has many patients from all over the country who travel to Santa Barbara for treatment with him.
First, let me give a disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor, dentist, orthodontist, surgeon, or anything of the sort. What I have learned has come from going through the challenges of severe TMJ disorder for several years, and from being the patient of bad doctors, as well as some of the best.
The temporomandibular joint is a very small, ball-and-socket joint, like a miniature hip joint, where the lower (moving) jaw meets the upper (stationary). Problems occur when the lower jaw moves incorrectly, causing the cartilage to beak down, bones to rub together, popping, clicking, locking, earaches, temporary hearing loss, etc. When the incorrect movement is caused by a temporary trauma (whiplash, for example), techniques like chiropractic or physical therapy can help the soft tissues recover, so that the jaw’s motion returns to normal. If the problem was long lasting, and damage was caused in the joint, measures need to be taken to correct that damage.
A typical first step is a splint for the mouth. This is made by a dentist or orthodontist, and forces the jaw to rest in a correct position. This can help correct muscles, ligaments, or tendons that have stretched incorrectly following a temporary trauma. I wore a splint for a few years while I tried to find a doctor who could correct the shape of my bones.
To repair damage in the joint is complicated. Because it is so small, any scar tissue can cause a severe limitation of motion and use, and can be quite chronically painful. As a result, many doctors today will only open a TM joint as an absolute last resort. Arthrocentesis is a relatively new procedure that helps repair the joint without opening it. (I had this done while it was still experimental—it was developed by Dr. Arnett—and it helped enormously.) It is preformed under general anesthesia in a doctor’s office. Needles are inserted into the joint to flush the joint and remove small bone spurs, deteriorated cartilage, and other particles. This allows the joint to move more freely and with less pain. After the solution is removed, if the cartilage is gone or deteriorated, the joint is injected with morphine (which stimulates the bone surfaces to produce lubricant), and small pockets of air (to cushion the bones while the morphine begins to work). Recovery from this procedure is minimal; one can eat normally in about a week, there is very little pain, no scarring, but a drastic, quick improvement. Following the procedure, one usually has to stretch the jaw opening several times a day to help increase range of motion.
If the cause of TMJ problems is structural—the bones are incorrectly shaped or positioned—the fix is to restructure the bones. I had this surgery in late 1996. My lower jaw was broken in 4 places, with pieces of bone removed and grafts put in. My upper jaw was broken in several places (13 total, I think), and pieces were removed. A total of 8 titanium plates and 32 titanium screws were used to secure the bones back together. They are still there. It is major surgery, requiring a short hospital stay. There is a significant amount of blood loss, but donating a blood transfusion for yourself helps immensely. The incisions and scars are all inside the mouth. After the operation, I couldn’t eat anything (only drink) for 7 weeks; small rubber bands kept my mouth closed. If the upper jaw is included in the surgery, there is also no drinking through a straw, smoking, sniffling, or blowing the nose for 7 weeks. Surprisingly, there is little post-op pain; the nerves are stretched during the surgery, so they aren’t completely intact to cause pain. A week after surgery, I had less pain than I had the day before the surgery. There is a significant amount of swelling and bruising, but that goes away within 6 weeks. As for exercise, without being able to eat, it wouldn’t be advisable. The incisions use dissolving stitches and increasing blood pressure makes them more likely to bleed.
Anyway, for me, having corrective surgery made an incredibly huge improvement in my life. But, it is a difficult process. Make sure you find a good, experienced doctor (or 2 or 3). If you have any questions I may be able to help you with, let me know. Good luck.
I FIND MYSELF AGREEING WITH MS SNOWCINDY ... While I totaly understand the lack of enthusiasim from the originial author about having surgery baised upon the information available to him at the time of his web searches prior to MS SNOWCINDY's responce to him about a pioner in the feild of TMJ Surgery but now that this information has come to light if your case is as bad as you say it is then this may be your best opption.
I too have TMJ. My case was due to an automobile accident, soft tissue damage. I suffered from headaches that lasted 24/7 until one wise person advised me to seek a Dentist who specializes in TMJ. He made me a mouth peice that he called AN APPLIANCE. He sent me to a Ph.D. for BIOFEEDBACK lessons to learn how to relax my JAW there by ending my HEADACHES that at that point had lasted 24/7 for several months (prior to this I never knew what a headache was).
As far as INSURANCE COVERAGE GOES unless anything has changed over the many years that I use to process medical claims part of this will be covered under your regular medical coverages and the rest under you dental plan, UNLESS OF COURSE THIS WAS DUE TO AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT then your NO-FAULT COVERAGES WILL KICK IN if you were either the driver of one of the vehicles OR a passanger in one of the vehicles. The last case senairo would be if you were a PEDESTRIAN and then your UNINSURED MOTORIST COVERAGES or STATE FUND COVERAGES (if for example you did not own a car or have insurance on your drivers lic ... or if you were not under the age of 18-23 and still covered by a parents auto policy) ... would kick in. hmmm, did I mention I held a P&C lic in several states (NY,CT,VT,RI,NH,PA,& ME).
Anyway, if you are still unsure I suggest alturnitive healing modality such as REIKI, ACUPRESSURE, ACUPUNCTURE, CHIRO, EFT, ... ect as a first line of defence to rid yourself of the pain.
Good Luck & God Bless!
NAMASTE!
Pain Relief Without Meds -- 80 Percent Success Rate
By Christine Wheeler, MA
Are you in pain? Is it an acute pain from an injury or inflammation ... or chronic pain that hasn't budged in months or years?
Maybe you have tried different kinds of painkillers -- over the counter and prescription ... but they only take the edge off. Can you remember the last time you were pain free?
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) lists examples of 21 of the most common types of pain syndromes ... and 28 of the most common pain relief approaches -- from acetaminophen to surgery. No matter what type of pain you have ... acute or chronic ... sharp or aching ... that pain is a constant reminder that something is wrong.
But when your pain is unresponsive to conventional treatment, it makes you wonder what is actually wrong. Have you ever considered that your pain might be a result of a disruption in your body's subtle energy system ... or a result of unresolved emotions or trauma?
Then you may wish to consider Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT). EFT is a commonsense solution for pain. Based on the principles of acupuncture, EFT is a do-it-yourself technique that allows you to take control of your own health situation.
You simply tap with your fingertips on specific acupuncture points to balance your subtle energy system ... and ultimately alleviate your pain. Anyone can learn the basics of EFT and you can apply this simple procedure yourself (usually in minutes).
Whether your pain is like a pinprick, or like a hot knife ... EFT can provide relief
The NIH recognizes acupuncture among the most common effective pain treatments. Interestingly, EFT takes acupuncture to a new level by also helping you to alleviate the unresolved emotional trauma that might be fueling your pain.
EFT is a singular process that can be effectively applied to any type of pain ... from a simple headache to cancer pain. While it doesn't claim to completely cure 100 percent of all illnesses or diseases, this modern pain relief method has proven effective more than 80 percent of the time.
EFT newsletter readers were asked to share stories of how they used EFT as a pain management tool. Following are examples of their numerous pain-control stories.
Please note that it didn't matter whether the pain had been acute, chronic, distracting or debilitating, EFT provided relief, usually quickly and often permanently ... sometimes in as little as three minutes. The pain elimination was accomplished without the use of drugs of any kind.
Several EFT Pain Management Cases
In my practice, I have helped people with many physical issues using only EFT. Sometimes, I have witnessed spontaneous remissions of pain while working on emotional issues or on entirely different physical issues.
My clients have experienced relief from pain and discomfort relating to the following: headaches, neck stiffness, PMS, allergies, asthma, Fibromyalgia, hiccups, stomach cramps, hangovers, postoperative discomfort. --Stephanie Y. Rothman, CHT
I've used it [EFT] very successfully with a woman diagnosed with fibromyalgia. The technique helped not only in relieving her pain, but also in increasing her feelings of energy and motivation. This was during a period when there had been no changes in her diet, medication, or usual pattern of activities, and the changes happened rapidly, so I'm relatively sure the EFT was responsible.
I have also been happy with some preliminary work with a person whose arthritis pain was impeding therapy. Regards, Ken Barclay, MS, MHP
I have used EFT successfully in a number of cases of chronic pain, including:
1) Back pain -- One of the Vietnam Veterans in a group I was running suffered from chronic ongoing lower back pain. During one session we did one round (application of the EFT process) of the EFT shortcut sequence on this and his response was an incredulous, "It's gone! How did you do that?"
He then spent the remainder of the session trying to bring his pain back or checking whether it would recur -- which it didn't -- at least for the remainder of the session (approx. 1 hour)!
2) Shoulder pain -- After about 3 rounds (applications) of EFT, a colleague reported that his shoulder pain from playing tennis, which had constantly plagued him was down from a 6 to "about a 2."
3) Migraine Headache -- A participant in one of my Healthy Living groups had a severe headache, which she expected to follow its normal course and turn into a migraine. Three rounds of EFT and the pain was gone.
4) Knee pain -- A colleague to whom I was explaining EFT found that most of her emotional pain became concentrated in her knee. Whilst working on her emotional issues, the knee pain became first more intense, then gradually lessened and went away.
These are just some examples. Regards, Steve Wells
I worked with a woman last summer who was experiencing a tremendous amount of stress in her life. She told me that as the stress level had intensified, she'd developed ongoing pain in her lower back and left leg, which had been troubling her for a number of weeks.
She had been checked out medically without anything being found, so I referred her to an osteopath whom I respected. We worked on some of the issues related to the stress, but I did not attempt to use EFT for the pain during that first appointment.
When I met with her the following week, the pain had intensified and was accompanied by some numbness in her leg. Since she was to be medically re-evaluated (by the osteopath) in just another few days, I suggested we try some EFT tapping for the pain. (I had not had much experience using EFT for pain, so we approached it as an experiment.)
We were both delighted when the pain diminished to 0 after just two rounds of the EFT process. The numbness was reduced but did not clear completely.
The following week, she reported that the pain had increased only slightly by the time she saw the osteopath. After the osteopathic treatment, both the pain and the numbness were gone, and she has had no recurrence of these symptoms.
I have since used EFT to treat less dramatic instances of pain (headaches, sore muscles, eye strain), usually with very good results.
Warmest regards, Callie Currier, M.A.
A colleague and friend of mine is a childhood diabetic. Ten years ago he had a serious bout with his eyes and seemed to be losing his sight. In October '97 he went to his doctor who said that things looked bad and he wanted to see him in December. If things weren't better, it looked like another round of laser surgery was in order.
My friend felt that the original laser surgery had made things worse and it was very traumatic for him. I suggested that he do EFT for "the pressure in my eyes" every day without looking for a suds scale. He did, agreeing that at this point he would try anything. He returned to the doctor in December and was told that he would not need to be seen again for six months!
Pretty amazing, this stuff! Wayne McCleskey
More on EFT
Please note that in addition to eliminating pain, EFT has been a consistently effective healing tool for hundreds of other physical, mental and emotional ailments. For more information, you can explore the EFT Web site and its numerous success stories regarding fears, phobias, emotional traumas and physical ailments.
While a complete description of EFT is beyond the scope of this article, you can learn all the basics from the free EFT Get Started Package on the EFT Web site. This includes a free download of the 79-page EFT Manual. Those wishing to save time and dive right in can get the affordable five-star training DVDs.
Please consult qualified health professionals before putting EFT into practice for yourself or others.
Christine Wheeler is an EFT practitioner and freelance natural health writer. Christine and Dr. Carolyn Dean co-authored IBS for Dummies (Wiley Publishing) where they present EFT as one of the natural treatments options for people with irritable bowel syndrome.
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Related Articles:
Treatments: Easing Pain Rooted in Nervous System
Do You Have Low Back Pain? Forget the X-rays
Acupuncture 'Beats Headache Pain'
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