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MrCairo
Canada
2 Posts |
 Posted - 08/16/2006 : 17:52:02
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Hi all
I am new to this forum and I have been introduced to it by my brother in law. Looks very interesting.
I have TMJ since 9 years now and I have been rencently diagnosed with teeth malocclusion (the teeth on one side of my jaw are 1 mm shorter than the other side which is supposed to 'tork' my jaw and induce muscle tension that can explain my jaw pain and crackling... After reading about TMS and after discussing with my BIL, TMS sort of make sense as a possible explanation ??????
I am just wondering if somebody experienced a similar story of teeth malocclusion associated with jaw - face- neck pain that got fixed it using Sarno's TMS approach ? the other solution for me is to enter a verry expensive occlusal treatment that will cost me at least 25K. Some successful stories could help me make the best choice I guess
Best regards
Ben |
Edited by - MrCairo on 08/16/2006 17:53:14 |
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Stryder
686 Posts |
Posted - 08/16/2006 : 18:38:07
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Hi Ben,
Welcome a-board [sic]. You will get a whole lot more respect around here if you have read at least one of Dr. John E. Sarno's books (there are 4 total).
I have TMJ as well as TMS, I bruxate (grind) my teeth as a TMS equivelant. I'm trying to kick that habit. My jaws pops slightly on the right side (I ignore it -- A TMS strategy).
My TMJ got real bad 4 years ago coincidently with my severe low back pain (LBP) subsiding (since I was then TMS aware and making great progress). Symptoms moving around is common.
I still have a tight jaw and tinnitus (another TMS equiv).
Unless you are in any danger I suggest you postpone any DDS / DMD treatment for your TMJ until you go the TMS route. Time to start "doing the work" as Dave would say.
Take care, -Stryder |
Edited by - Stryder on 08/16/2006 18:39:33 |
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ndb
209 Posts |
Posted - 08/16/2006 : 20:22:50
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Hi Ben,
I am sorry you've been having TMJ for so long. I know how painful it feels, I first experienced it when my TMS symptoms shifted from my shoulders and arms to pain in my jaw while swallowing or moving my jaw to chew or talk. I would get terrible headaches starting at my jaw, and could not stand to be in light, or watch TV (yeah, weird!).
The first time it happened, i did not know about TMS, and I just bore the pain. After 3 weeks, it subsided on its own. Here's the nice thing though...after I found out about TMS, and my shoulder pain had subsided, I visited a therapist for a couple of sessions, and suddenly, TMJ was back (the symptoms were trying to distract me from exploring my emotions in therapy, perhaps). This time, I applied Sarno's principles...reading the book, thinking about painful emotions and so forth, and it subsided in a week or so. The latest episode was a few days ago...I was moving, and my fiance was moving to a different town...very stressful time. TMJ was back again, and this time, I kicked its butt in a couple of days!
I would highly recommend doing Sarno work. For the moment, don't think about about the 1mm disbalance in your teeth and so forth...I'm not an expert, but I feel that you only stand to gain by exploring sarno before contemplating the expensive treatment.
If you look at the thread on 'list of TMS symptoms overcome', you will see that many peole have overcome TMJ and jaw tension!
best of luck,
ndb |
Edited by - ndb on 08/16/2006 20:26:02 |
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retainer
USA
20 Posts |
Posted - 08/16/2006 : 20:38:46
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Hi Ben: I had TMJ for about 20 years. I wore a splint at night
over my lower teeth. It was a miracle. The pain and cracking stopped. But something else happened. Long story short, I started
sleeping on the other side of the bed. For some reason, the way
I was sleeping torqued my jaw. I forgot to wear my splint a few
nights one time and didn't have any pain. I got divorced and
moved into my own place. Slept on the previous side of the bed.
My jaw pain came back. I thought about what I did differently and
realized the bed. I changed back to the other side of the bed.
No jaw pain. Just a thought. Try changing what side of the
bed you sleep on. If that is it, your TMJ pain will go away
in just afew days. I would also read his books. I have read two.
Changed my life and husband's life completely. Good luck. Cari
"It's all up to me!" |
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Carolyn
184 Posts |
Posted - 08/16/2006 : 21:24:35
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retainer-
You might need to re-read Sarno's books. I think if you have accepted TMS theory you would realize that the pain coming back just after a divorce probably had more to do with the divorce than which side of the bed you were sleeping on. Whenever you notice a pattern with your pain that doesn't really make sense (or you find yourself rationalizing it to someone else), that's a good clue that it is TMS and you should think about psychological causes.
Carolyn |
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MrCairo
Canada
2 Posts |
Posted - 08/17/2006 : 08:16:03
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Thank you all for your replies.
I already red the Divided Mind and the Mind body prescription...
Sarno is talking about TMJ and muscle tension induced by jaw clenching ... In my case, its more 'jaw torking' resulting from my teeth malocclusion .... So I was wondering if it was recognized by Sarno as a TMS condition or a more structural one ...
thank you in advance all
Ben
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ndb
209 Posts |
Posted - 08/17/2006 : 10:44:37
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quote:
Originally posted by MrCairo
Thank you all for your replies.
I already red the Divided Mind and the Mind body prescription...
Sarno is talking about TMJ and muscle tension induced by jaw clenching ... In my case, its more 'jaw torking' resulting from my teeth malocclusion .... So I was wondering if it was recognized by Sarno as a TMS condition or a more structural one ...
thank you in advance all
Ben
For what its worth, my TMJ was not from jaw clenching, a dentist first suspected it was, but told me there was no wear on my teeth...he even did a test while I slept, which is supposed to measure clenching and there was none. On the other hand, I was not told I had any structural problems either.
My view is this: with a thing like TMS, the symptoms present themselves in so many possible ways, and the symptoms being poorly understood, or thought to be not treatable, or the treatment being the only thing which suggests itself given a structural diagnosis (or not wanting to describe it as psychosomatic), even doctors will not always give you a conclusive diagnosis. It may be that your symptoms do not exactly match anyone elses...it may be that no one is able to tell you for sure: YOU HAVE TMS. But that comes with the territory; medicine is not an exact science in the first place, and with something like this which people do not embrace easily, it is (fortunately or unfortunately) in large part up to you to make a decision and try to treat yourself as if you have TMS, though you may initially have doubts as to whether there is some structural problem. try to suspend those doubts a little at a time and see what happens. As Stryder said, if you are not in any immediate danger, then you only stand to gain by working seriously at Sarno's approach...this means not just reading the books but rereading them for weeks or months until the ideas sink into your unconscious mind. And doing the exploration of anger and painful emotions.
regards,
ndb |
Edited by - ndb on 08/17/2006 10:48:00 |
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retainer
USA
20 Posts |
Posted - 08/17/2006 : 16:56:46
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Hi Carolyn: Thanks for your thoughts. I do know now that just
about every pain I have had was due to emotions. I just thought
if changing the side of the bed Ben slept on would be a very easy
and fast approach to helping the pain. I am just glad it worked
for me. Now I'm trying to stop my heel pain. I have read
John's 2nd book and reading his first now. I love what he informs
us. His books are my new bible. For years I lived by "Lights Out'
by TS Wiley. Plus Dr. Atkins. Another hot subject. Thanks again!
Cari
"It's all up to me!" |
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Stryder
686 Posts |
Posted - 08/17/2006 : 17:12:46
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quote:
Originally posted by retainer
Hi Ben: I had TMJ for about 20 years. I wore a splint at night
over my lower teeth. It was a miracle. The pain and cracking stopped. But something else happened....
Hi Cari,
My DMD has been pushing me to use a hard night guard for my TMJ for a few years now. So far I have resisted and refused (and not letting them in on my TMS awareness, I have no desire to get my DMD involved in a TMS discussion at the moment).
So I am curious about your opinions of a hard night guard, and if one can solve things that good TMS work cannot solve. I do bruxate, less now during the day but I can't control what my mouth does while I'm sleeping. Thanks.
Take care, -Stryder |
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retainer
USA
20 Posts |
Posted - 08/17/2006 : 19:02:41
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Hi Styder: I had the hard 'tooth shade' splint I wore over my lower
teeth. So you couldn't hardly tell I was wearing one. Dentists might Rx one for your top teeth. Every Dr. is different. Go to a
drug store first to see if they sell an over the counter 'night guard.' They will be cheaper to try something first. If they
don't help, I would try the hard night guard that is made just
to fit your teeth, upper or lower. I know this isn't what TMS
talks about. The splint might be a 'crutch' for your inner
emotions. The splint worked for me and I would do it again if
I had that terrible jaw pain again. As before, since I changed
what side of the bed I slept on, that was the main cure. I haven't
had TMJ since. Cari
"It's all up to me!" |
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retainer
USA
20 Posts |
Posted - 08/27/2006 : 14:38:27
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For any TMJ suffers: sleepright.com has an adjustable night guard
for $69.95. If this gets edited, you can e-mail me for the info.
A less expensive way to help TMJ pain. Thanks, Cari
"It's all up to me!" |
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
Posted - 08/27/2006 : 16:33:19
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| My X-dentist and her cohort, X-hygenist, kept harrassing me to spend $500 on a night guard because I was "grinding" my teeth. I thought it was rubbish and found a new dentist who has never mentioned it. It was a marketing pitch/scam to help pay for her two kid's rideing lessons and stabling their horse. |
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wrldtrv
666 Posts |
Posted - 08/27/2006 : 21:01:12
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Yes, you do have to be wary of dentists prescribing nightguards unnecessarily. I had an expensive one that I wore for awhile, but it seemed to make matters worse. My current dentist told me he sees no indication of grinding and sees no reason for wearing a nightguard. On the other hand, there are "grinders" out there and they probably should be wearing them.
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Malocclusion and TMS
