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marytabby
USA
545 Posts |
 Posted - 05/13/2005 : 09:57:00
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I have a question I need feedback on, I appreciate it. I have gotten rid of all these items since coming to accept TMS:
- Brand new Tempur-pedic pillow (got it for the ergonomic thinking but not necessary)
- Brand new inversion stretching machine
- Theraband Physical Therapy stretch bands (for strengthening my "weak back" muscles)
- Back Corset
- Wrist splints
- Lumbar cushion for chair at desk at work
- Specially made heel lift
- Several other appliances I can't think of right now but there are numerous
The only thing I am left with is my night guard. My dentist told me years ago I was grinding my teeth. She could tell from the wear marks on my teeth. I have been wearing the night guard for years. My chiro (who I dumped a month ago) said I have TMJ, which may have been contributing to the neck/back pain. Well, now that I know about TMS, I have to reconsider things because I have to say, ok, then it's TMS. If I do have TMJ, and I'm grinding in my sleep, there's no way I can tell myself while I am sleeping to stop it. If I am grinding and causing any type of neck tension, I obviously want to stop doing it. My instinct tells me that the neck tension is not any TMJ I may have but just straight forward TMS pain. My confusion is do I stop wearing the night guard, like I've thrown everything else out? I'm not clear since from a dental point of view I have to save my teeth, but from a TMS point of view, it supports a physical cause of neck pain. |
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art
1903 Posts |
Posted - 05/13/2005 : 10:48:54
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Mary,
I wouldn't presume to advise you. I just wanted to chime in with support as well as my very general thoughts that most of this stuff, especially those things that can't be established on x-rays, mri's and the like, and even many of those things, are indeed TMS..
In the case of your night guard, maybe just don't wear it for a few nights and see how you do? You're not going to wreck your teeth in that short a period...
Think TMS |
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Baseball65
USA
734 Posts |
Posted - 05/13/2005 : 10:58:49
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Hi Mary...
That's a tough one.I had the 'throw away' party when I read the book,but a couple of things I kept....
1.Heel lifts
I'm all of 5'8 3/4......some vain little demon though I'd keep them in case I ever needed to appear taller(pix).Therepeutically I was only supposed to wear one on the left side...I kept a pair and pitched the rest
2. picker-upper stick
great for retrieving baseballs lost in grates and under prickly bushes
3.therabands
These are great for building strength in your throwing arm
4. Ice pack
I led my league in getting hit by pitches...the ice does help the swelling...
I suppose, as you see,it's the ValuE that your mind puts on something that determines if it's a placebo....my wife has one of those memory foam beds because she likes that squishy feeling..I Hate it....she doesn't think it's 'helping'...she just likes squishy.
That 'lumbar' support thing in cars bugs me too,but some people like it for comfort.....as long as you don't think it's healing or hurting your body it's fine.
Most all of us grind out teeth at some point...it's like back pain or anxiety.....Those 'night guards' are recommended to every person who has ever walked into a dentists office...some people grind their teeth horribly,but you'll usually know,because you'll wake up with a NASTY cramp in your jaw.Do you have this cramp regularly? Have you chipped any teeth? (I have)
Grinding teeth does NOT cause neck pain,so if that's why you're wearing you might want to chuck it.
After the usual pitch from my LAST dentist about flossing , I asked her what kind of car she drove.She seemed a little confused and told me "...Uh .... a Lexus SUV??"
I than told her that if everybody did all the crap that a dentist recommends that she'd be driving an cruddy little wagon just like me...she wouldn't have any work besides check-ups.
Point is,there is no way to stop the natural aging process of the body(yes,teeth DO lose a little texture)...you just have to decide WHY you're wearing the thing.
peace
Baseball65 |
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Caroline
USA
55 Posts |
Posted - 05/13/2005 : 12:29:20
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Maryalma,
For what it's worth I had so-called TMJ for about 4 months last year (really bad at times: my jaw would pop loudly when I opened my mouth and the pain could be nasty) and it went away after my dentist said there was nothing wrong with my teeth. Since he couldn't find a reason, I concluded it was stress-related. Then I started having neck pain and I decided to worry about that because it sounded much more serious (my doctor diagnosed a herniated disk of course!)
Anyway, my question to you is: does your doctor KNOW for sure that you are grinding your teeth? Is there physical evidence of that? If there is, you may want to keep the guard for a while so you don't wreck your teeth (even if you know it's TMS-induced) but if there isn't, I would throw it on the pile with the rest of the discarded gimmicks. Your dentist may just be conditioned to diagnose teeth grinding when his patients complain about TMJ?... |
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marytabby
USA
545 Posts |
Posted - 05/13/2005 : 13:39:36
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Caroline,
No, my dentist sees wear marks on my teeth and about 7 years ago had a nightguard made for me. So I wear it off and on. |
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Colleen
USA
138 Posts |
Posted - 05/13/2005 : 16:49:42
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Mary and Baseball,
Mary,
Like me, you will have to ultimately decide for yourself about the mouth gaurd. I, apparently, was grinding my teeth about 15 years ago during my first pregnancy. They gave me a mouth gaurd which I wore until sometime after baby #1 was born.....at which time all regular night sleep stopped in my house and now that she is a teenager, we still don't get a night's sleep. Point is, the mouth gaurd got tossed along time ago, before I even knew what TMS was and my teeth are still fine. Good Luck with your decision. It sounds like you are doing great with all this.
Baseball,
Though not related to the topic at hand, what you said to your Dentist about her Lexus SUV was the best laugh I have had all week and maybe the only laugh this week. Long story short, just before my Mom passed away, about 1 1/2 years ago, my self-absorbed sister found out she was pregnant "by surprise" with baby #3. Anyway, her self-absorbed husband knew she was going to be miserable to live with throughout this "surprise-not-in-the-plan" pregnancy, so he goes out and buys her a Lexus SUV to "keep her happy". Now when I see a Lexus SUV I think of my sister and I will think of your Dentist.
Colleen |
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Stryder
686 Posts |
Posted - 05/13/2005 : 18:18:31
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Hi Mary,
I have TMD and other problems with my TMJ as well, for about 3 years now. I was also prescribed a night guard by my D.M.D., but I never catipulated. I can't open my mouth all the way any more.
My theory is that I grind at night because I grind during the day, an engrained habit. So, just like TMS de-conditioning, I'm consciously trying not to grind during the day when I can do something about it. Overall it seems to be helping a bit.
So, consider that it may be your unconscious TMS daytime grinding may be the culprit. I can't make the call for you if you should/should not wear the night guard, but it makes sense to possibly give a rest for a time as other forum members have noted.
Hope this helps, -Stryder |
Edited by - Stryder on 05/13/2005 21:13:30 |
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holly
USA
243 Posts |
Posted - 05/13/2005 : 19:42:27
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| i wear a night guard for grinding my teeth. i sleep better when i remember to put it on. i do not have neck pain! if you grind your teeth then a night guard will only help. if you use it for anything else like neck pain then forget it! |
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Laura
USA
655 Posts |
Posted - 05/14/2005 : 11:12:07
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Mary,
I've had a night guard for over 20 years. Once I got mad at my husband and chucked it across the room and it broke. I spent another $600 and got a new one. Eventually, that one broke too and I replaced it as well. Then, recently, I had some dental work done and my night guard didn't fit right anymore. I figured I'd just stop wearing it altogether. I started getting headaches and neck pain (I'm under a lot of stress at the moment). Then, I told my dentist about he and he wanted to make me this "deprogrammer" It is different then the one I had - like a retainer. You wear it on the top, not bottom like my others. While waiting to have it made, my neck stopped hurting. I actually forgot about it and all symptoms were gone. I had already given them a deposit for the new one. I've been wearing the thing faithfully, because it was expensive, but I do feel it's a waste of money. I'm no better off with it than without. Reading Sarno, listening to the CD's, etc., is far better off for my stress and "tight jaw and neck" than some little piece of plastic. Pitch it!
Laura
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JohnD
USA
371 Posts |
Posted - 05/14/2005 : 11:44:15
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| nothing wrong with protecting your teeth if you clench or grind at night |
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Logan
USA
203 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2005 : 14:18:50
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I've been a grinder since childhood. In the midst of my TMS suffering but before finding out it was TMS, I thought TMD might be the culprit. I got a $500 guard. It made me grind harder and more consistently. It did nothing for my neck pain and just ruined my sleep. I felt bad for chucking it, after spending all that $, but chuck it I did.
Since doing the TMS work, I grind much, much less. I also have found melatonin (1 mg. tablets) to be helpful in getting my sleep patterns back on track after stressful periods (like finals week) and for helping me sleep deeply enough that the grinding and the stress dreams do not plague me. |
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marytabby
USA
545 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2005 : 16:43:18
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| Thanks everyone, for your input. I've been not using the night guard for about 3-4 nights now. I'm trying to see if taking a break from it makes a difference or not. I'll see soon enough one way or the other. |
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marytabby
USA
545 Posts |
Posted - 05/17/2005 : 05:17:38
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By the way, I stopped wearing my night guard for like a week after posting this original question. By yesterday morning I woke up with full blown neck and shoulder pain. I wore the nightguard last night and was fine this morning. So it's hard to say if it's TMS or not but grinding teeth at night definitely did not help my neck. I felt 90% better this morning wearing it again.
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Night guard - to wear or not to wear?
