If you wake up in the morning with a tense, tight, painful jaw, chances are good you are one of the ten million people in the U.S. who suffer from temporomandibular joint disorder (also known as TMJ and, increasingly, TMD). But did you know that TMJ pain isn’t always just pain in your jaw? Some people experience TMJ pain in other places, and this can lead to a missed diagnosis. Here’s what you need to know.

What causes TMJ pain?

Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ) is a disorder that involves the temporomandibular joint. This sliding joint connects the lower jaw with your skull at a point right in front of each ear. The temporomandibular joint allows us to eat, talk, yawn, and otherwise open our mouths. TMJ results when this joint becomes inflamed and unable to function in the normal range of motion without pain.

The four major causes of TMJ include the following.

1. Trauma or injury to the joint

Any traumatic injury to the temporomandibular joint can cause swelling and inflammation that leads to TMJ symptoms. This can include injury due to a car accident, a fall, or a blow to the face.

2. Joint deterioration due to arthritis

The temporomandibular joint is a joint after all, so some of the same conditions that affect other joints in the body can affect this one, too. Osteoarthritis is a wear-and-tear form of arthritis that occurs over time. A lifetime of eating and talking can take its toll on the temporomandibular joint, grinding away the connective tissue until it becomes inflamed.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder that can cause TMJ at any age. TMJ may also be related to other inflammatory conditions, like fibromyalgia.

3. Erosion in the disc that cushions the joint

If you are a person in the habit of eating sticky, hard foods (like pretzels and toffee), you are working your temporomandibular joint overtime!

Sure, this joint is designed for a lifetime of wear, but if stressed like any other joint, the disc that cushions and softens movement can begin to erode over time, making movement painful.

4. Bruxism

Grinding your teeth and clenching your jaw fall into the category of bruxism, a disorder that puts incredible stress on the jaw and the temporomandibular joint over time.

Bruxism is more of a risk factor than an actual cause, as people with bruxism are not guaranteed to develop TMJ.

Where do you feel TMJ pain?

The most common type of pain from temporomandibular joint disorder is TMJ jaw pain. Common jaw-related symptoms TMJ sufferers might experience include:

  • TMJ pain in the joint itself
  • Warmth and swelling in the face
  • Tenderness in the jaw
  • Difficulty eating, chewing, or opening the mouth
  • Locked jaw (inability to open the mouth or move the jaw at all)
  • Clicking or ticking sound in the joint when chewing
  • Decreased mobility in the jaw
  • Grating noise (or feeling) in the joint
  • Toothaches

You can imagine that these symptoms would make daily life challenging, but there other areas where a person might experience TMJ pain, too.

TMJ headache and migraine

TMJ headache and migraine is another common symptom of this disorder.

The connection of TMJ and headaches starts at the muscle in the jaw that surrounds the temporomandibular joint, the temporalis muscle. The temporalis muscle is a fan-shaped muscle on the side of the skull. It originates at the temporal bone and then circles under the cheek bone to attach to the mandible. This muscle, when taxed, can cause pain that is similar to a tension headache.

Another factor in TMJ headaches is the trigeminal nerve. The trigeminal nerve enervates the face and jaw, originating just above the mandible in front of the ear. Typical movements that would cause TMJ (clenching, grinding, or trauma) can cause the trigeminal nerve to release chemicals that produce swelling in the brain and sinus cavity, causing migraines.

Symptoms of TMJ headache or migraine are, of course, head pain. In addition, sufferers may experience other symptoms of migraine that can include:

  • Dizziness
  • Nausea
  • Fatigue
  • Sensitivity to light

TMJ ear pain

TMJ ear pain is a very common symptom of TMJ that is often not connected to other symptoms of jaw pain until after diagnosis is complete. Ear pain can be symptomatic of infection or sinus problems (especially if you have had reoccurring sinusitis), but it is also a symptom of TMJ.

Ear pain related to TMJ can also come with another symptom that is more annoying than painful: tinnitus. Ringing ears (or ringing in the ears in time with the heartbeat, referred to as pulsating tinnitus) may have to do with stimulation of the auditory nerve as the temporomandibular joint becomes more inflamed.

TMJ neck pain

Because everything in our bodies is connected, the stress and tension in the muscles and joints in the jaw that translates into head pain can also translate into TMJ neck pain.

This pain can be felt on the sides and back of the neck as the sufferer compensates for their jaw pain. Over time, this overcompensation can lead to complications related to muscles stress and tension.

TMJ shoulder pain

Finally, TMJ shoulder pain is directly connected to the neck (is connected to the jaw, is connected to the head, and so on).

If there is pain in the neck, then the shoulders begin to absorb some of that tension and can also be affected.

How can I relieve TMJ pain?

Common TMJ pain treatments begin by diagnosing the underlying cause of pain. For example, if arthritis is present, that condition will also be treated in conjunction with treating symptoms of TMJ.

When a TMJ flare up begins, the following can help you find TMJ pain relief:

  • Change your diet: Soft foods can ease the pain in the jaw and other parts of your body
  • Manage stress: To help eliminate bruxism, which is a catalyst for all types of TMJ pain
  • Apply ice for swelling in the jaw and heat for muscle soreness or headache
  • Use a TMJ mouth guard
  • Explore alternatives: Trigger-point injections, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), and low-level laser therapy for pain and inflammation of all kinds can help with your pain

In rare cases, TMJ surgery may be necessary.

If you are experiencing TMJ pain of any kind, give AZ Dentist a call. We can work with you to find the best approach to treating your TMJ.

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