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Cath
116 Posts |
 Posted - 10/08/2011 : 09:33:14
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Hi Ghost. I do a lot of stretching, especially of my jaw, neck and shoulders, which is painful, but has given me back my mobility. After my mystery fever I had a frozen shoulder on my worst side. Don't know if you have one side which is worse than the other? I have tried to stop this stretching, because Sarno recommends cessation of all physical therapy and the stretching is part of my myofascial release therapy, but I am worse if I don't keep it up. I used to be very fit and was a long distance runner for a lot of years, but wouldn't attempt to run now. Bouncing of any kind is definitely out for me.
I have tried many therapies: chiropractor, kinesiology, physiotherapy, osteopathy and the mouth guards given to me by my Dentist ( I also have a slight malocclusion), and have endlessly trawled the Internet for information and bought several books about the physical side of TMJ. I could tell you the names of all the muscles in the face that are affected and which nerves. But upon reading Sarno's books, I realize that I have made my problem worse by focusing on these physical symptoms and by constantly worrying about them. Extreme tension and anxiety did begin my tension headaches, but I have made my problems worse by doggedly pursuing a solution, although it was severity of the pain that made me focus so single-mindedly on this mission.
Don't worry too much about your open bite, mine disappeared quite quickly when I stopped using my mouthguard. I figured that I had managed well enough for the previous 49 years without it and that there was no reason why I should need it now.
I do a lot of deep breathing techniques which help to relax the muscles and listening to music is also helpful. I have been drawing again, which actually helps me to block out the pain, but this is done in a comfortable chair on a board on my knee and not for too long at a time.
Sarno explains that TMS affects the postural muscles and these are the ones that are particiularly affected by TMJ in the neck and shoulders, but I have tried to improve my posture and forcing it doesn't work either, just makes it worse.
So it's time for me to to explore my emotions, which undoubtedly got me into this mess in the first place. I have had a few very insightful moments just by journalling, which incidentally I did think I may have a problem with, as it has been difficult to write in the past (head bent over position), but find that I do relax into it after a few minutes. So this has helped me to realize that it may be all pre-conditioning, ie relating pain to certain actions. Some of which are very hard to get out of, I still find it very difficult to send a text message on my phone, and sitting at my laptop fills me with dread.
I hope some of this is helpful Ghost, and I'm crossing fingers and toes and any other of my extremities that Dr Sarno is our saviour.
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Wavy Soul
USA
779 Posts |
Posted - 10/10/2011 : 00:27:51
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I'm the extreme case of realizing TMJ was really TMS - it's somewhere in here if you care to search. I had a level of TMJ that was quite dramatic after dentistry on 16 teeth. Needed Vicodin to not be screaming, for weeks.
Dentists prescribed all kinds of horrible devices for my mouth that I couldn't wear, or made it worse, and suggested a$7K one was necessary.
Then I had to teach a weeklong seminar at a retreat center, and one of my main subjects was... TMS!! (yes, really!). And I was like an invalid - couldn't eat solids and couldn't survive long without meds, so I just used myself as an example, and told what I was angry about, as far as I could discern. Started scoffing at it and declaring it was just TMS even as the pain continued. The day after I got home, the pain disappeared NEVER TO RETURN.
I often think about that I about the strange circumstance in which, with the worst TMS of my life, I put myself in a situation to have to call it TMS, and by doing that every day for a week, it finally put its tail between its legs and slunk off.
Makes me feel we should have some kind of 12-Step-type meetings - I like "Symptom Anon."
Love is the answer, whatever the question |
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Cath
116 Posts |
Posted - 10/10/2011 : 04:58:00
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Wow! Thanks Wavy Soul. This really gives me hope of making a recovery if I stick to Sarno's philosophy. It would be like all my Christmases coming at once if I woke up one morning to find my pain had gone. I do worry though that after 4 years this is pretty deep-rooted. You see, there I go again, "worrying". Must really try to become fearless as you describe.
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tennis tom
USA
4749 Posts |
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theghost
30 Posts |
Posted - 10/10/2011 : 14:15:03
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| Guys, thank you so much for this information. I have to reread after I come back from my physical therapy session. The exercise I do there is the only thing that is even remotely helping me. I had a bad weekend. I had a tooth crack from my grinding. I want to have the proper time to let all of this info sink in. Thanks so much. :) |
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theghost
30 Posts |
Posted - 10/11/2011 : 07:12:33
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I just got back from the orthodontist. He is the most honest doctor (aside from my dentist) that I've dealt with in this whole thing. He told me that my stress is probably the biggest factor to this. He told me that I have a jaw deformity, and fixing what's wrong will probably require a very expensive surgery and years of braces, and he said that the risks are probably not worth it. He told me that those mouthguards/nti devices are crap and that I should stop wearing them immediately.
I'm a little upset that the first one I had completely ruined my teeth, but that's the price that I pay I guess. I guess it will always be a reminder to me not to let my TMS take a year of my life ever again.
I called and cancelled all of my doctor appointments. I will continue to go to physical therapy because the exercises feel great and are helping me. I will be moving my massage therapy to once a month or possibly cancelling it outright. I'm done with all of this.
Time to start living. |
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TMJ and Mouthguards
