Overview
Thetemporomandibular jointsconnect your jaw to your skull.
They’re stabilized by muscles and ligaments that open and close your mouth.
Pain or tenderness in or around the joints is referred to as aTMJ disorder.
Frederic Cirou PhotoAlto Agency RF Collections / Getty Image
An emerging theory is that all of these conditions may fall under the umbrella termcentral sensitivity syndromes.
Diagnosis
TMJ disorders are most often diagnosed and treated by dentists.
There’s no single widely accepted test.
A dentist may check the jaw for tenderness, popping, clicking and difficulty opening and closing your mouth.
A dentist may also see how your teeth fit together by taking anX-rayand a mold of your mouth.
They include:
You should bring up any jaw pain with a healthcare provider anddentistright away.
TMJ treatment is likely to be more effective if you catch it early.
Treatments
In some cases,TMJ symptoms go away on their own.
If you have persistent symptoms, your healthcare provider may recommend either conservative treatments or a more aggressive approach.
Conservative treatments include:
More aggressive treatments include orthodontics or surgery.
These aggressive treatments are controversial, so you may want to get asecond opinionbefore considering them.
Treatments for TMJ vs. FMS/ME/CFS
TMJ treatmentsdon’t generally interfere with fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue treatments.
Even routine dental appointments can be hard on people with these conditions.
see to it you’re prepared for the appointment and know the options for helping you get through it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not usually.
However, TMJ can cause pain throughout the head, neck, and face.
TMJ does not cause all-over body pain, however.
TMJ is associated with abnormal pain perception in neural pathways in the trigemino-thalamo-cortical system.
TMJ can be an acute or chronic condition.
Left untreated, TMJ can worsen over time and become a prolonged pain condition.
With treatment and lifestyle adjustments, TMJ can often be managed.
It may, but the evidence isn’t very strong.
This can cause memory impairments.
These abnormal brain responses occurred in response to both non-painful and painful stimuli.
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