What Are The Unusual Symptoms Of TMJ?

The incidence of problems related to the temporomandibular joints is high in all parts of the world, including the United States of America. As a result, the degree of familiarity with the common symptoms of this ailment has grown among medical practitioners. While these symptoms can and often do harass the affected people a great deal, we can point out at certain factors, like migraine issues, inability to bite properly, the chewing process becoming progressively difficult, and the jaw joint getting inflamed. In addition, over the past few years, several factors (whose relations with TMJ problems have only been brought to light) have been highlighted as the less common symptoms of TMJ. In this article, we would be using the narratives provided by the actual TMJ patients, who have experienced some of these symptoms, so as to gain a clearer insight into the nature of these factors.

The bony temporomandibular joint is situated, as can be seen from anatomical diagrams, at not much of a distance several important organs at and around the skull. An example of this would be the middle section of the ear, which is located less than an inch from the joint and is connected to the joint via a ligament. The ligament transfers different auditory simulations to this part of the ear. The closeness of the TMJ to the muscles of the neck can also be proved by the fact that, any aches starting in the TMJ, soon extends to affect the neck muscles as well. This close proximity of the vital organs also result in the tinnitus sounds being heard by a person suffering from TMJ disorders. Indeed, a great amount of confusion among medical experts lie in the issue as to whether tinnitus problems caused TMJ, or if the case was vice versa.

A Look At The Less Commonly Noted Symptoms Of TMJ:

* One of the most common symptoms of tinnitus, viz., ringing sounds in the ear, can also be present in TMJ disorder cases as well. This can be attributed to the manner in which the tendon Pinto’s Ligament works. The connection passage between the joint and the mid-portion of the ear is provided by this ligament, which also ensures a dual passage between these two parts,
* TMJ symptoms of a rather unusual nature can also manifest themselves in the form of chin as well as jaw swelling problems. The swelling is, of course, greater on the side of the face which has actually been affected. However, this symptom cannot be seen in most cases of TMJ problems, and is extremely uncommon,
* Acute and unbearable shoulder aches can accompany the TMJ disorders. In such cases, the pain seems to generate from one of the sides of the shoulder, and seems to move through the neck, to other nearby areas,
* A giddy feeling is commonly experienced by patients suffering from TMJ complications, although vertigo is not often recorded. The problem generally initiates with a light feeling of the head, and more serious head-spinning problems can soon be experienced. Vertigo can result as a consequence,
* In case a person beyond fifty years of age falls a prey to TMJ disorders, (s)he can experience numbness in his/her fingers, rendering him/her unable to put down his/her signature or drive a vehicle. This TMJ symptom is, however, only a passing phase, and do not linger along for long, before making a quick exit.

However, it should not be considered that, the uncommon symptoms of TMJ disorders are limited to only the above four cases. In fact, the following case studies would only serve to highlight how varied and troublesome these symptoms can prove to the actual sufferers:

Case Study 1 – Absence of TMJ aches, but the jaw pops out at regular intervals:

The problems faced by a TMJ patient (name not disclosed according to patient’s request) were summed up by the following: “I have suffered from problems with my TMJ since I was a child. When I was 10 years old, my mother used to complain of me “clicking my teeth” on a spoon when I ate. The trouble is, my teeth never came near the spoon. The sound she heard came from my jaw popping. My jaw now dislocates constantly. I can’t eat pizza or french bread, or even sing, without it locking. I wake up several times each night having to relocate my jaw. There is no pain just a jaw that can’t seem to function normally. Brux guards do nothing. In fact, the only thing that seems to keep my jaw from popping and sticking is applying pressure to the left TMJ. I have to sleep these days with a hard pillow pressing against the joint, or it pops out constantly. It’s clear that something is keeping my jaw from aligning properly, but no one seems to be able to help me fix it.”

Second Case Study: TMJ Patient Taking In The Saliva Continuously

Another TMJ disorder affected patient (also refusing to disclose his/her name) summed up his/her inconveniences in the following way: “I never clench or grind my teeth but I am constantly doing it now. The side of my face in front of my ear feels swollen, as does that side of my neck and the ear itself. My neck and shoulders ache, and I am constantly swallowing saliva. The back of my neck hurts. My ear rings and kind of feels numb at times. The predominant symptom I have is the neck pain. Even the bone in back of my last tooth feels bad.”

Click Sounds Of The Jaw, That Can Be Heard From Distances Of Even Up to Five Feet: Case Study No. 3 -

As TMJ patients try to open their jaws, certain clicking sounds (often at fairly loud levels) can be emitted. The following is the experience of one such sufferer of the TMJ disorders: “I have had joint pain and severe popping and cracking in my right jaw for 20 years. I am now 35. I have tried all the recommended treatments and have had very little success (braces, night guards etc.). I experience headaches, ear fullness and pain, facial pain in front of my ear, extreme pain when opening my mouth wide to yawn or laugh or eat followed by cracking (that can be heard up to 5 feet away) and dislocation.”

Getting Rid Of TMJ: Natural And Homemade Remedial Methods

There indeed are benefits to be had from using the various nature-based TMJ treatment methods, which are generally prepared at home. However, just as the conventional treatment modes and the over-the-counter drugs, they cannot offer a permanent solution to these problems, since they too treat only the TMJ symptoms, and not its underlying causes per se. In a strikingly different manner, the opposite is done by the holistic treatment modes, which tend to consider the entire body as a single structure, bring to light the actual underlying factors, and systematically remove them from the system. Since the causes of the disease are treated, the symptoms of TMJ also are driven away, without any separate treatment regimes. With a total removal of the main causes of TMJ ailments from the body, individuals can indeed hope for a permanent cure from TMJ issues, through holistic channels of treatment.

Sandra Carter is a certified nutritionist and author of the best-selling e-book, TMJ No More . For Further Information: Unusual Symptoms Of TMJ