When you think of ranking the most common areas of musculoskeletal pain, you probably wouldn’t put your jaw area high on the list. Surprise! Temporomandibular disorder (also known as TMD or TMJ) pain is the second highest on the list, right behind lower back pain, according to Dentalcare.com. When it comes to this condition, though, there are a lot of myths that need to be debunked. Here are several of them:
If My Jaw Doesn’t Pop, I Don’t Have TMD
While this is one of the more common symptoms of TMD, not everyone has this happened to them. There are other things that you need to look out for are headaches, migraines, a sore jaw, neck, or shoulders. You might even feel dizzy or have tingling in your fingers. Talk with your doctor and see about TMD treatment.
My Jaw Hasn’t Locked, So I Don’t Have TMD
Be glad if your jaw hasn’t locked. It’s scary when it happens – you might not be able to open or close it. When that happens, you will likely need a doctor’s help to get it back to normal. Its absence doesn’t mean that you don’t have TMD, though. You might just have a less severe form of it. If your jaw does lock, don’t try to fix it yourself. See a professional and have them take care of it – you could damage your jaw otherwise. Then talk to them about TMD treatment.
My Pain Will Go Away If I Rest My Jaw
This one qualifies as a half-myth. Basically, it depends on how severe your TMD is. If it’s a mild one, then resting could help you, especially if it’s brought on by stress or trauma. If it makes your jaw go out of alignment, then you’re going to have to see a doctor to make the pain go away. It’s always a good idea to talk about TMD treatment, anyway.
There are other myths out there, like surgery being the only option – it’s not. You can do things like physical therapy and wear an oral appliance. TMD is not just caused by grinding your teeth. You could have a dislocated jaw or even arthritis in your jaw. TMD doesn’t only affect your jaw – you can have headaches and neck pain, among other things. All of these things can be managed with TMD treatment. Do you need TMD treatment? Contact us today!