Jaw cramp?

[Mittagating]

I have a variety of the usual niggles but my current big issue is my jaw. Either side just under the ears. The most horrid feeling, is it cramp? How do I deal with it? Seems to come out of the blue but latest may have been triggered by eating. All I can do is jump out of seat and pace while feeling panicked! Is it going to lock? Is it going to ever stop (so far it always has after few minutes)? Can’t quite explain why it freaks me out so much... any ideas out there?

[jayh]

It's possibly TMJ dysfunction-- that's temporo-mandibular joint dysfunction which causes pain and sometimes jaw clicking. Try some gentle jaw stretching exercises by slowly opening and closing your mouth, not chewing anything too hard and see your dentist for further advice if necessary

[janny55]

Hi mittagating

I have jaw pain really bad when I eat, before I had steroids I had a job to get the first mouthful in, then once I started chewing I could almost eat properly, I would eat like a mouse & nibble things at first, the pain has come back, I would mention it to the doctor or rhuemy clinic, good luck 😉

[weathervane]

I had similar problems-and my jaw hurt after eating , the Dentist told me i was grinding my teeth and she made me a guard . Things didn’t improve and I developed swelling below my ear , it turned out my salivary gland was damaged and i was getting infections . I saw a dental surgeon who drained the gland and showed me how to massage it to help drainage. I now know when I get that ‘feeling ‘ to massage an help the gland work. A Dentist may be a port of call for you as well ? Best wishes i hope you find the cause 🌸

[janny55 in reply to weathervane]

Hi weathervane I’ve just read your reply to mittagating you have prompted me to ring the dentist I just assumed it was RA but will phone my dentist tomorrow thank you 👍🤗

[weathervane]

Good luck , there can be a variety of causes , the Dentist did help me find the cause eventually 😀

[oldtimer]

It's well worth seeing the dentist: mine was very helpful. He sorted out that it was actually the TM joints, not the Masseter muscles (which would have been affected by tooth grinding) and even offered to give me a steroid injection into the joints! But I complained to the rheumy team who made some alterations to my medication and I haven't had a flare there since.

[Mittagating]

Many thx for replies so far. First I need to find a dentist - recently moved. And I’ve been putting it off because of the jaw!!

[Bx12]

Hi, I also have had this, and then jaw locking which is very painful. I got told to do jaw exercises as well, very gently stretching mouth open both downwards and also one side at a time. the one thing not to do is to stretch the jaw forwards.

Doing this regularly has really helped, and stopped my jaw closing in on itself, which has helped both with eating and visits to the dentist! I was also told to cut up apples etc, and not to try and eat whole.

[piggiewiggle]

Expertise seems to be improving in this sphere. About 15 years ago, I suffered from TMJ pain on one side for over a year

A mini conference by 4 dentists in my practice suggested I had acromegaly as my bite had altered considerably. Some 3 hositals and 20+ doctors and dentists, specialists and others could only come to the conclusion that it wasn't going to kill me. The diet I evolved, to avoid moving the jaw, consisted often of chocolete, wine and all things sucky. I got some relief from wearing a silk headscarf all the time and sessions of acupuncture and moxibustion ( by the acupuncturist).

After more than a year of this, my new young dentist gave me a tooth xray ( I had already seen many highly qualified dentists). Examining the plates closely he suggested it was possible I had an abscess which no-one else had seen on previous sessions. A molar was removed and the problem began to resolve but it took several years before anything like my usual bite was restored