Jaw Pain Diagnosis – Could Be TMJ

Temporomandibular joint disorder (or, more easily said, TMJ) can cause pain in the jaw, neck and shoulders. It can be very painful and effect your everyday life every time you eat, talk or swallow. When you have pain in your jawline or aches going down the side of your neck you should see your doctor. There are various ways to do a jaw pain diagnosis.

You may have noticed that when you chew there is a clicking sound and popping noises whenever you chew or open your mouth it is likely that you have some sort of jaw joint issue. When you go to your doctor you can get a jaw pain diagnosis.

In general there are several things that can cause jaw pain and discomfort and for that reason it may be a challenge to narrow down on to just what is causing your jaw pain. The first thing your doctor or dentist will want you to do is to provide a complete medical history. Since there are some other health issues that can cause jaw pain he will want to be able to rule those out before he diagnoses TMJ.

It’s not uncommon to have to see more than one doctor to get a complete and accurate diagnosis. This can be very frustrating since the condition is painful. Having to wait even longer for treatment because of mis-diagnosis isn’t fun. Sometimes it will require going through dozens of specialists before you can get an accurate diagnosis. Doctors, dentists, Ear Nose and throat, chiropractors, etc.

Almost 50 percent of the population will suffer from some sort of joint pain in their lifetime but the majority of sufferers are women. Women are at a particular risk for TMJ in part because of the hormonal changes they go through in their lifetimes. Women tend to have problems mostly during their childbearing years.

Another common issue and cause of joint pain is stress, in a roundabout way. You see when people are under a lot of stress they often clench their teeth while they are sleeping. They can also grind their teeth. Both of these things can put more pressure on the jaw and that can lead to pain. If this is your problem you may be able to get some relief by getting a bite plate from your dentist.

Sometimes something as simple as taking a hot shower before you go to bed can be enough to help you relax and not clench your jaw during the night. Everyone is different and everyone will have to talk to their doctor or dentist to find the best solution for their unique circumstances.

Jaw pain diagnosis, or at least a diagnosis of TMJ is not that easy to achieve. Finding just what is going on and what is causing you so much pain and discomfort is something that you and your doctor or dentist will have to figure out on your own. Hopefully it won’t take too many visits to your doctor, or multiple doctors, before you can get a diagnosis and relief.

Tags: jaw pain diagnosis, jaw pain, tmj, temporomandibular joint disorder