by Cresence Allen
(Health Secrets) When we are in severe pain, we just want the pain gone — that’s why pain medication is so tempting. What we forget is that pain is a symptom. Pain causes the body to automatically create compensation patterns. Muscles tighten up in an effort to relieve the aggravated painful nerves or injured muscles. This is especially true in disorders of the jaw.
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The lower jaw joint (mandibular jaw) connects with the skull in front of the ear. This joint, one either side of the face, is called the Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ). TMJs work in unison to permit movement of the lower jawbone. You can feel the TMJ move by placing your fingers on the bones in front of the ear during mouth movements.
Painful disorders of the jaw involving the TMJ are known as Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD). People with TMD pain often seek initial help from a general medical practitioner, or general dentist.
Bruxism (jaw clenching and teeth grinding) is a common cause of TMD. Symptoms include:
*Worn down teeth
*Chipped teeth
*Sensitive teeth
*Receding gums
*Loose teeth
*Headache and neck pain
Other common symptoms of TMD are:
*Headache – typically happens on the forehead region, temple region and in the back of the head. It’s an easy symptom to confuse with other conditions such as migraine
*Neck and shoulder pain – the regular function of the TMJs is related to the balance of jaw and skull, so discomfort of TMJs causes imbalance problems that can twist the jaw into a straitened position. This refers pain to the neck, shoulders and back muscles. Since muscles work as a team, contracted muscles of the jaw will make the head lean in an abnormal position, leading to compensation from the back, shoulder and neck muscles.)
*Facial pain – an imbalanced lower jaw causes all of the surrounding tissue like bones, muscles and nerves to contract and strain.
*Ear problems – There is a variety of symptoms in the ear that may appear, such as ringing ears or tinnitus. TMD is often mistaken for ear infection. A person may experience pain in the morning, pain in front or below the ear, feeling as thought the ear is cloggled or muffled, Eustachian-tube dysfunction leading to feeling of pressure in the middle ear, or hyperactivity of the muscles closing the Eustachian tube. Other symptoms include loss of hearing, impaired hearing, dizziness (vertigo) and loss of balance.
*Clicking, popping, or grinding – Sounds can result from a dislocation and can make it difficult to speak or eat.