Tmj Symptoms: Learn To Identify Them
A familiarity with the rather involved workings of the temporomandibular joint is required
, so that the main symptoms of the TMJ disorders can be detected with ease. Hence, an understanding of the anatomical characteristics of this part, under ordinary circumstances as well as while under some adverse effects, is of the essence. At the very outset, it should be known that the temporomandibular joint area is placed at the connection spot of the skull and the mandibule (i.e., the lower bone in the jaw). The joint mainly serves as a hinge, and helps people to open and/or close their mouths with ease.
However, only the unilateral closure or opening of the mouth is not the sole function of the temporomandibular joint, and it does not act only as a hinge either, as many people tend to think. People can open their mouths to the fullest extent possible, thanks to the ability of the slight sliding movement in the forward direction, allowed by this joint. In fact, almost two-thirds of the act of opening the mouth is completed by this forward-sliding movement capacity of the joint. Only the remaining one-third of the job is done by the hinge-resembling functions of the joint, which allows the jaw to open up.
However, in the absence of the muscles and the cartilages that are located in and around this area, the bone-filled joint is not able to accomplish the above tasks wholly on its own. In particular, a cartilage located between the roof surface of this joint and the upper parts of the mandibular bone, called the articular disk, supports considerable support to the TMJ. The retrodiscal ligament (a ligament that resembles a rubber-band), located in the rear portion of the articular disk, lends physiological support to the latter cartilage. The lateral pterygoid muscular organs look over the activities of the cartilage from the front region. TMJ symptoms, as enumerated below, can be sparked off due to any aberrations in these setups. There are several other probable causes for the appearance of TMJ symptoms, which can be summed up in the following manner:
Unusual Symptoms of TMJ
There are certain well-documented symptoms of TMJ disorders. These include locking incidents at certain intervals, aching sensations in the area of the joint, emittance of crunchy, clicking as well as snapping movements whenever the joint of the jaw is moved. However, there are several other rather unusual symptoms of temporomandibular joint disorder problems as well. These can be listed as under:
Sight-related TMJ Symptoms
1. The eyes turning excessively red.
2. Aching sensations in and around (above as well as below) the eye.
3. Non-clear sighting ability.
4. A sensitive reactivity in presence of light.
5. The eyes feeling pressurized, especially from behind.
6. Excessive watering in the eyes, without any apparent reason.
Hearing-related TMJ Symptoms
1. Not being able to hear properly.
2. Unexplained aches in the ear.
3. The ear having a full and heavy sensation.
4. Just as in tinnitus problems, hissing, ringing and/or roaring sounds being heard.
5. The ear feeling cluttered or stuffed up.
6. Problems in maintaining balance, a giddy feeling, as well as vertigo-related issues.
TMJ Symptoms Apparent In The Face And The Head
1. Pain in the forehead region.
2. Migraine-related problems.
3. Cluster pain in the head.
4. Head-pains originating from sinus issues.
5. Experiencing pain whenever the scalp, the head and other nearby regions are touched.
TMJ Symptoms Apparent In The Cheek, The Chin, The Mouth And The Face
1. Discomfort or aches in these parts of the body.
2. The cheek and/or the chin becoming painful.
3. The joint region of the jaw, as well as the jaw itself, growing aches.
4. Click sounds being heard when the jaw is opened,
5. Not being able to open the jaw fully,
6. Lack of control over the movements of the tongue,
7. The jaws opening in a non-uniform manner,
8. The bites taken being unequal, with one side biting off more than the other.
Gums And Teeth-Related TMJ Symptoms
1. The sets of teeth becoming painful.
2. Tendency of teeth-clenching.
3. Bruxism, i.e., the habit of grinding the teeth too frequently.
4. Problems in touching the gums in the mouth.
5. Facing problems while using a toothbrush.
Throat-related TMJ Symptoms
1. Problems in the swallowing process.
2. The throat feeling tight and pressurized.
3. Even in the absence of any infection, the throat remaining sore.
4. Having no control over alterations in the voice.
5. Laryngitis of an acute nature.
Shoulder And Neck-Related TMJ Symptoms
1. The muscular regions around the neck growing painful.
2. Pain in the shoulder parts.
3. Aching sensations, both in the upper as well as lower back regions.
4. The entire region becoming stiff.
The above-listed secondary symptoms are widely recognized as indicators of temporomandibular joint problems. However, not all patients do actually experience these symptoms. The appearance of these TMJ symptoms is dependent on the gender, the age and other unique factors of the patients. Hence, individuals often experience differing TMJ symptoms.
When a person gets afflicted by TMJ-related disorders, there might appear a wide range of varying symptoms of the disease. These symptoms have been listed above, and might or might not manifest themselves in the body system of the patients. It has to be kept in consideration that, many of the symptoms related to TMJ disorders overlap with those related to tinnitus problems.
Temporomandibular pains in the head are experienced by many tinnitus patients, while many people affected by TMJ problems get to hear ringing noises in their ears as well, leaving no scope for confusion in this issue. The fact remains that, TMJ disorders and tinnitus rather resemble each other in characteristics. Earlier on, excessive stress was deemed to be the chief reason for the problems. However, in recent times, the nerves, bony areas, ligaments and other such areas have been positively identified as root causes behind these issues. The structures in these cases are common to both the TMJ as well as the middle portion of the ear.
Treating TMJ Disorders
TMJ treatment procedures are greatly in demand, for any afflicted person would like to have a quick and effective cure. However, complications arise, since neither over the counter drugs, nor the traditional medicinal methods are able to get rid of the problem. These techniques of treatment tackle only the TMJ symptoms, and bypass the real causative factors of the problem. Since these causes remain within the body, the chances of the disease relapsing remains high.
On the other hand, the entire body of the patient is treated as a single unit by the holistic methods of treatment. These techniques detect all the root causes of TMJ disorders, and eradicate all the latter completely. The symptoms of the problem disappear as soon as these causal factors are removed too. Hence, chances of re-occurrence of the disease are done away with as well.
by: Michael Anderson
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