Temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders, commonly called "TMJ," are a group of conditions that cause pain and dysfunction in the jaw joint and muscles that control jaw movement.
Researchers generally agree that the conditions fall into three main categories:
Myofascial pain involves discomfort or pain in the muscles that control jaw function.
Internal derangement of the joint involves a displaced disc, dislocated jaw, or injury to the condyle.
Arthritis refers to a group of degenerative/inflammatory joint disorders that can affect the temporomandibular joint.
A person may have one or more of these conditions at the same time.
Some estimates suggest that TMJ disorders affect over 10 million Americans. These conditions appear to be more common in women than men.
Causes
Trauma to the jaw or temporomandibular joint plays a role in some TMJ disorders, but in most cases, the exact cause of the condition is not clear. For many people, symptoms seem to start without obvious reason. Because TMJ is more common in women than in men, scientists are exploring a possible link between female hormones and TMJ disorders.
Symptoms
A variety of symptoms may be linked to TMJ disorders. The most common symptom is pain in the chewing muscles and/or jaw joint. Other symptoms include:
radiating pain in the face, jaw, or neck,
jaw muscle stiffness,
limited movement or locking of the jaw,
painful clicking, popping or grating in the jaw joint when opening or closing the mouth,
a change in the way the upper and lower teeth fit together.
Diagnosis
There is no widely accepted, standard test now available to correctly diagnose TMJ disorders. Because the exact causes and symptoms are not clear, identifying these disorders can be difficult and confusing.
Your Doctor, Dentist, NP or PA will note your symptoms, take a detailed medical history, and examine problem areas, including the head, neck, face, and jaw for tenderness, clicking, popping, or difficulty with movement.
Treatment
AtThe Headache & Migraine Center of Ohio, We diagnose and treat patients daily for TMJ. Multiple dentists refer their patients to us for treatment when conservative measures like mouth guards fail.
87% of Migraine patients have TMJ and we have become comfortable treating these patients. We use Botox injections.
An evaluation of their head, neck, and face is imperative. TMJ causes occipital neuralgia headaches, cervical dystonia, neck, back, and facial pain. Botox injections are needed in some or all of these areas to treat the problem correctly.
If your injector is calling themselves an “expert”, find out where they trained and got their certification. Find out what insurance companies they are credentialed with. Ask how many patients they have treated and how many units they are using.
This procedure is a medical procedure covered by medical insurance. Allergan, the maker of Botox has a Botox Savings plan that refunds the patient for any out of pocket expenses up to $4000.00 per year.