Facial Pain

[San229]

Does anyone else have problems with pain in their face, along the jaw line, which causes problems when talking and eating? I mentioned it to my Dr and he told me to go to my Dentist????

[ladymoth]

It would be a good plan to see your dentist.

The pain you describe sounds like Temporo-mandibular joint dysfunction, otherwise known as a creaky jaw! It could also be impaction of a wisdom tooth.

Whatever the cause your dentist will be able to help you to deal with it.

Moffy x

[fyrefly]

My dentist suggested teeth grinding might be the problem, something I'd not noticed before until he mentioned it, can be due to stress. Some people even grind their teeth while they sleep. I get severe pain where the jaw bone joins the skull, sometimes my jaw doesn't open wide enough and gets stuck, which is a real problem. Mention it to your doctor when you see him next

[Jjudith]

I had pain and symptoms exactly like this, first it was my left eye then the left side of my face. Although they thought it was TMJ first and the TMJ dentist was wonderful, they then diagnosed it as myofascial pain symdrome because the pain patterns weren't typical of TMJ and I developed other symptoms lke tinnitus and loss of balance and pain elsewhere, especially my neck, left arm and back. Both TMJ and MPS are very good friends of fibromyalgia.

I use trigger point massage on my face, the masseter the main chewing muscle causes pain under the jaw, it works instanty. The pain around where the jaw joins and along the cheek bone comes from the muscle that is hard to reach, just behind your jaw bone, called the lateral pterygoids, but you can have dry needling.

I use a mouth frame made by the TMJ dentist and that is really, really helpful, I have one that I always wear at night which fixes my jaw, it fits over upper and lower teeth, and then one that just fits over my lower teeth than I can wear in the day when my face is painful, I don't know how that works but by some miracle it does. The TMJ dentist also gave me a trigger point injection in my face that instantly stopped my left sided headache and a fibromyalgia doctor gave me a trigger point injection into my neck that helped with my shoulder and neck pain.

[Sharolina]

Fibro can affect any part of you. I suffer with from head to toe, pretty much all the time. I have alway got pain in my face, whether it`s my jaw (feeling clenched and locked), throat (painful swallowing), eyes (like a migraine attack), skin (feeling extremely painful and sensitive), and ears (painful, sensitive and tinnitus). When it`s really bad I feel like my face has dropped,and my flesh is drooping, as though I have no muscle control. Sometimes if is exactly half of my face, and sometimes it`s both. For me it is probably the worst area to deal with, as it is involves 4 of the five senses.

Like Jjudith, I use massage techniques, or facial stretching to help. I have never had a dentist provide any advice to me, if anything, I tell them about fibro. And if they look completely baffled, I stay away from them, so be cautious. I used to have a private dentist, but couldn`t afford to keep paying the fees, but he took great care of me.

Anyway, I hope this phase passes quickly for you.

Sharolina.

[joyceconfused in reply to Sharolina]

Hi Sharolina, I too suffer from very severe facial pain, and find it hardest part too deal with. I wear a mouth guard at night which was recommended to me by a TMJ specialist at the hospital, which I find a little useful.But I still have facial pain all day.You mention massage techniques and facial stretching,could you give me a little advice on this. I do gently rub mt cheeks and temples, which I suppose helps a little.I look forward to any advice, Joyce

[suffolklass]

Hi, I could hardly open my mouth and couldn't chew because of TMJ. My GP referred me to the hospital and I was given an exercise: open your mouth and roll your tongue to the back of the roof of your mouth, close your mouth and hold for 20 seconds, repeat several times a day. It certainly helped and I was getting bored with soup. I also put my coffee cup against my jaw, when it wasn't too hot that is, the heat helped ease the pain.

Hope it eases up for you. x