TMJ Disorder
31 May
Okay, before I type another post about myself, let me give you a quick update on David’s arthritis. He’s been feeling a little better now that we’ve had a break from all the rain and temperatures are reaching 90+ degrees every day. Nothing new to report on the Humira.
Our house has been on the market since late March. We’re trying really hard to move closer to our family and church so we’ll have easier access to assistance when David flares up. Also, our current house is a two story, and stairs are really tough on David. Our realtor hosted an Open House today, so maybe we’ll get an offer this week.
Thank you all so much for your prayers and encouraging comments.
Although David is the one with the chronic illness, I have a chronic issue with my jaw. I have Tepromandibular Joint Disorder or TMJ Disorder.
It started when I was in college. My jaw would just lock up and I wouldn’t be able to move my mouth. It started happening more and more frequently and for greater lengths of time. Then I started having a little pain. I went to my dentist who made me a night guard.
I got worse. The pain became so bad that it was difficult to eat things like sandwiches, pizza, steak, apples, carrots and anything you have to bite in to. My parents’ health insurance did not cover any treatment of TMJ Disorder, so every doctor visit and even the night guard they paid for out of pocket.
It was really embarrassing. At work I’d be talking with someone and my mouth would spasm. I couldn’t sing in church. I remember one time the pain was so bad I was convinced I had an ear infection. My family doctor looked at my ears and said they were fine. The pain was just from my jaw.
He gave me muscle relaxers which I started taking every weekend. They would knock me out, and I’d sleep for twelve or more hours at a time. It helped enough that I was able to make it through the work and school week.
My parents and I were not interested in traditional TMJ Disorder specialists. Most of them would just have told me to have surgery. And after my wisdom teeth ordeal, there was no way I was going to have surgery!
Eventually a friend told me about a physical therapist who had helped her with another problem. My parents paid for me to start seeing her, and she was incredible. She basically cured me.
Until things went crazy with wedding planning. I could do a whole series of posts on everything that went on during the planning of our wedding. I had vendors go out of business. The dress shop ordered the wrong size dress and tried to tell me I had gained weight. My maid of honor didn’t even come to my wedding.
My TMJ Disorder came back with a vengance. I started seeing the therapist again, and she got me to a tolerable level, but this time, I was not cured.
After David and I got married, I had a different insurance company that covered part of my treatment. I started seeing a specialist, Dr. Bender. He has helped me so much, without doing surgery or even giving me an injection.
Dr. Bender makes adjustments to my night guard every so often. As my jaw gets better, it can move more, so he has to add to or grind down the night guard in spots.
The best thing Dr. Bender has done is educate me. I have learned so much from him, and knowledge really is power. I learned that stress is a huge factor in how much my jaw bothers me. When David has a flare up, a few days later, so do I. If I’m feeling stressed during the day, I’ve learned that I can play the piano or exercise to relieve the stress a little. I learned that during the night, I’m clenching and grinding much harder than I ever could while awake.
And I proved that fact. I have broken not one but two night guards during my sleep. I literally bit them in half.
I thank God for Dr. Bender. Today, I can eat pretty much whatever I want. Most Sundays I can sing in church, although if you hear me sqwak, it’s my jaw locking or spasming.
My TMJ issues have been much better since I haven’t been teaching. The stress caused me to clench day and night. I’ve never seen a doctor for my TMJ problem, but I probably should. My jaw pops on one side when I open my mouth.
Those night guards are not cheap! I’m on my second one.
Kasey, I’m so glad you’re doing better. No, the night guards are not cheap. The one the dentist made was under a thousand, but having a specialist make one cost thousands. Thank goodness for Care Credit.
Oh! It’s not cheap, not cheap, not cheap… but i digress.
I’ve had issues related to TMJ Disorder for about 15 years. It is not easy to live with and I have tried everything from medication to acupuncture and chiropractic care to night guards. It all helps in the short-term but nothing helps for long-term recovery. There really is no cure, just pain management. So, when I say I feel your pain, I mean it!
-Aimee
When I was in jr. high and had braces, they tried to tell me that I had TMJ. I never had the pain or complications of TMJ. But my jaw is out of whack. They wanted to break my jaw and cut it down to align it properly. NO THANKS. I’ve not had any problems bad enough to endure that!
Although… if I were to have it done now, I would lose a lot of the weight that I need to lose…
HA. Not so much.
I’m glad you’ve got a good Doc on your side.
It’s amazing how bad stress is on our bodies. I’m glad you seem to have it under control. You do have my curiousity piqued as to why your maid of honor didn’t go to your wedding though..
Have a great day!
I have TMJ really bad as well but my insurance isn’t willing to cover it & I have no money to see anyone out of my network. What other tips have you learned for easing the pain beyond reducing stress? Thanks!
I have a much milder case of TMJ than you. My jaw can frequently lock up but usually it’s just a constant ache.
I’ve found that a night guard made my issue worse so I stopped using mine to see if it helped. And I love my chiropractor becuase he will also adjust my jaw to alliviate some of the discomfort
I love my chiro….he showed me how to ‘exercise’ my jaw to help with my TMJ. I frequently have lock ups….both in the open and closed position. This is the biggest reason why I HATE going to the dentist. After them cleaning my teeth, if I can close my mouth, it’s so stinking sore! I’ve been told I’m a canidate for surgery…but that’s scary in itself! The $$$$ it costs is ridiculous! I don’t understand why insurance won’t cover TMJ treatments….for some it really does make life miserable!
I’m curious, what did the physical therapist do for you? I see a massage therapist, which is great for managing pain…but doesn’t stop me from bruxing at night.
Hi Ashley, I am happy that your TMJ disorder has been cured. TMJ disorder can be worst at times, it mostly increases due to the stress. So if you take care of your stress then you are quite relieved from the TMJ disorder.