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07-31-06, 01:58 PM
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Exchange Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: PalmTreeVille
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everyone - you also might examine/observe your day to day activities - i read a book also (from the library) titled TMJ the self help program by John Taddey DDS. it's a common sense approach, and the part that helped me was to notice and avoide situations (other than clenching one's teeth at night) where you open your jaw too wide. yawning for example - i noticed that my jaw shifted to my problem side (my left) so i consciously trained myself to "go right" and to refrain from yawning too wide. he advocates regular exercise of the entire body to alleviate stress, the cause of TMJ. he also discussed the anatomy of the neck and shoulders and how you need to observe the movement in those areas to stop the tension build-up. i also have a nightguard that i got from my dentist, but you can get a $1.08 athletic mouth guard from WalMart that serves the same purpose.
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~jeannine Miyagi: Wax on, right hand. Wax off, left hand. Wax on, wax off. Breathe in through nose, out the mouth. Wax on, wax off. Don't forget to breathe, very important. [walks away, still making circular motions with hands] ~ Pat Morita, The Karate Kid, 1984 disclosure: in the years 2002-2004 i had a professional relationship with a distributor of fitness videos; see profile. |
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07-31-06, 02:33 PM
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VF Supporter
Join Date: Nov 2001
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because I have dealt with a number of pain conditions that are said to be caused by this or that... I would like to say
"the cause of TMJ" may or may not be stress ... Stress might contribute to the symptoms rather than be the cause. As I posted... my TJM came and went with hormonal changes and braces. Never have had it since the braces. But I do suffer a great deal from fibro which stress makes worse... but is not the direct cause of either.
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[COLOR=Indigo] Yin, Hatha, Kundalini Yoga and Meditation Teacher |
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07-31-06, 03:02 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2005
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Hi.
The book is from 1997. It's called Taking Control of TMJ by Robert O. Uppgaard DDS. He advocates stretching and yoga among other things. It seems to have sound advice, I reccomned it. I would really to hesitate reccomend to anyone using an athletic mouthguard in place of a nightgard or splint made by a dentist. Mine is for my upper teeth and it's acrylic. It's made from a mold of my teeth and ground down by the dentist to fit exactly to help you relax your jaw. A cheep one from the store might cause you more problems and more pain than you had to begin with. PS. Don't let a dentist grind down any of your teeth. Just say no. Mel |
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07-31-06, 05:07 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2005
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Once when that pain was horrible, I paid my TMJ guy $500 for a mouth guard, which I wore for ONE NIGHT, then the pain was gone. I think it moved my teeth a little and made my bite not irritating. Who knows? TMJ pain is a weird thing. I recently saw a doctor for bad headaches, and he said it was probably from my TMJ problems. Just remembering to be aware of that joint and keep it unclenched has pretty much eliminated the headaches. |
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07-31-06, 07:41 PM
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Exchange Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: PalmTreeVille
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__________________
~jeannine Miyagi: Wax on, right hand. Wax off, left hand. Wax on, wax off. Breathe in through nose, out the mouth. Wax on, wax off. Don't forget to breathe, very important. [walks away, still making circular motions with hands] ~ Pat Morita, The Karate Kid, 1984 disclosure: in the years 2002-2004 i had a professional relationship with a distributor of fitness videos; see profile. |
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07-31-06, 08:18 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: ohio
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I've tried every mouth guard they make (custom and non-custom) and still have jaw and neck pain. The ONLY thing that has worked for me was a type of retainer that the dentist made me that is very thick right behind my front upper teeth -- so my bottom teeth hit the retainer before my back teeth can touch. It cost me close to $700 a few years ago but served me well until my puppy got hold of it and chewed it up a few months ago. I tried to save money and do the mouth guard thing again, but I've only ended up spending $$$ at the chiropractor and physical therapy for neck and shoulder problems - that I suspect stem from the TMJ. I'm finally caving in and going back to my dentist for the expensive retainer.
BTW, if anyone is interested in a custom-fit mouth guard, I found a great service on the internet, precisiondentalworks.com. For $100 they send you a tray and molding material. You make your own dental impression and send it back to them (directions and return envelop included). I was a little leary ordering from a site I didn't know but the service ended up being great -- I got my mouth guard 3 weeks later and it fit perfectly. |
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07-31-06, 08:22 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2005
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I too have TMJ and neck/shouler tension pain and headaches. I tried mouth guards - but this one I saw in Prevention magazine worked like a miracle
http://www.sleepright.com It took about a week, but then it relieved so much pain! Amazing! Now, to manage my pain I use the Sleep Right guard (i've almost bitten through my current one), do power yoga and see an accupressurist when the pain gets unbearable. I think it's a lifelong problem that you have to learn how to manage. I am super interested in those Miracle Balls! |
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07-31-06, 09:13 PM
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Exchange Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: PalmTreeVille
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i have to say that i am quite lucky because i don't use my mouthguard at all, and i haven't had "lock jaw" since the early 90's when i had my first night guard made. i probably grind the back molars at night, but i don't have neck tension like i used to. i think regular exercise made a profound improvement in my situation. i saw an article in Prevention by Dr. Andrew Weil that bruxism is one of the breakthrough ailments that neurofeedback can eliminate. my son goes to a neuropsychologist for his ADHD and she lists bruxism as one of the conditions that can be treated. i thought of trying it - it's non-invasive. my son has benefitted from the sessions for his ADHD.
__________________
~jeannine Miyagi: Wax on, right hand. Wax off, left hand. Wax on, wax off. Breathe in through nose, out the mouth. Wax on, wax off. Don't forget to breathe, very important. [walks away, still making circular motions with hands] ~ Pat Morita, The Karate Kid, 1984 disclosure: in the years 2002-2004 i had a professional relationship with a distributor of fitness videos; see profile. |
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08-01-06, 02:10 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2005
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re
These is some really great information here! My main problem is bruxism, but over the years it is turning into tmj. The dentist is unsure if my grinding started from having so much orthodontic work or if it was just stress. The dentist offers no help besides mouth guards to protect the teeth, says no more can be done. I am going to order the Miracle Balls and look into neurofeedback. I have tried chiropracty which did not cure the grinding at all, but does help for immediate relief when the clicking or tension sets in.
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08-01-06, 04:38 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2005
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Hi.
My night guard was $385 in 2001. It's hard clear acrylic and fits over the biting surface of the teeth and stops about halfway to the gums, so it won't tought the gums. It's much more sanitary than the soft kind, you can soak it in denture cleaner once a week and brush it daily. The softer ones can get bacteria growing in them. Another good thing is it keeps my teeth in alignment so I won't ever need braces. I have a permanant retainer wire cemented to the back of my lower eyeteeth. I had brace from 12 to 16. I developed tmj at 29. Mel |
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| Tags |
| fitball, miracle balls, tmj |
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