TMJ - Temporomandibular Joint Disorder

It is basically a medical condition that affects the jaw, both the lower jaw (mandible) and the skull (temporal bone) in front of the ear. TMJ is comprised of blood vessels, muscles, bones and nerves. You have two TMJs on each side of your jaw. The main problems this causes is neck pain due to your muscles being clenched all the time, headaches, caused by the muscle tension, and the worst of all, the locking shut of your jaw.

If the condition gets seriously bad as it did with me it means your diet consists mainly of baby food! Or at least that is what it resembles as you can only eat mush.

Now for most people who have it this can take a while to happen, and in some it never progresses that far, even so, the pain and constant clicking can become a nightmare.

What are the causes of TMJ Syndrome?

There are four main causes of TMJ:

- Bruxism: Which is basically continually grinding of the teeth, usually due to some psychological cause that causes this to become a habit? Some people do not even know they are doing it until signs of TMJ start to set in.

- Clenching: Probably one of the most common causes this one. Constant chewing of the nails, a pencil, even chewing gum can set TMJ off, as you are constantly using the joint and end up wearing it out.

- Osteoarthritis: This form of TMJ comes about generally with aging and the life-time use of your jaw. This all varies from person to person.

- Rheumatoid arthritis: This is the worst one as you can go from having a perfectly normal jaw to it being completely closed within a short number of years, and unless you get the TMJ treated it will continue to be damaged even more.

So what are the TMJ Treatments?

The basic ones are:

- Anti-inflammatory drugs
- Painkillers
- A soft food diet
- Use a warm compress on the area

More advanced TMJ Treatments:

- Learn to relax and never stretch or use the jaw more than is required.

- Visit a dentist, you will probably be sent to a specialist if your condition is severe, and will ensure you at least have no problems with your teeth.

- Your doctor may want to fit you with a splint or bite plate. This is just a plastic guard that will fit over your upper and lower teeth, just like a mouth guard you see in sports. The splint will help reduce clenching and teeth grinding, especially if used during the night. This will also ease some of the muscle tension.

Invasive TMJ Treatments:

- Cortisone steroids medication can be very helpful in relieving the inflammation and pain. It is injected into the joint, and although not a cure, it can offer good relief. But long term use can cause osteoporosis and that will be more problems for you.

- One of the first operations they may offer is to flush out the joint. This will remove any floating fragments which cause inflammation and pain. If the joint is rough, it can be shaved to smooth it.

- Failing all of the above, as happened in my case, the only option is full surgery to remove the joint, top and bottom.

Different types of surgery exist for this; the most common is basically a bone transplant where they graft on some extra to shore up what is left. Or in my case, have a 3D scan of the head, a model made, and a designer jaw made out of titanium. This involved total removal of both sides of my jaw, so if it ever goes wrong I’m in the crap, and at 43 hopefully I have at least another 43 years usage. It has lasted me 7 years already and is still going well.

Saying that this TMJ Treatment operation WILL cause facial nerve damage no matter how careful the surgeon is, otherwise they cannot remove your old jaw (you still keep the original bit with the teeth in!). This can range from what I have in tingling sensations, and the touching of one area, and yet sensing it in another, to the worst scenario when your facial nerve is cut. This results in a drooping mouth as your muscles have no connection to the brain.

The majority of people usually find something to help them manage though, and more treatments will appear as the years progress.

If you have a question about this condition please ask below or view this helpful Arthritis Forum.

You will find numerous mentions of arthritis cures all over the internet. Let me make this clear:
NO CURES EXIST FOR ARTHRITIS, ONLY SCAMMERS (apart from surgical replacement)