Jaw pain-I googled

[Halle0587]

I’ve had lower left jaw pain all day. Saturday I had left shoulder pain by my shoulder blade. My heart has been racing. I googled-now I’m in a full blown panic attack. Thinking I’m about to have a heart attack. I’m crying and home with my son.

I went for a walk today and didn’t feel over exerted.

I’m freaking out!

[MyNameIsTerry]

Do you feel like you have tooth or gum ache? Can you close your teeth fully and open your jaw fully? Is there pressure when you do? Any headaches? Do you wake with worse aches/pain in the jaw?

I ask because clenching/grinding could be a culprit. And these involve use of muscles in the neck too which could lead to aches & pains in those areas.

My Bruxism was brought on by a new med and was one-sided mostly, right in my case. All the above I mentioned were present. I was night grinding so wasn't aware of it until my dentist looked and spotted some grinding signs on my back teeth and then asked about waking with it feeling worse.

[Halle0587]

I did kind of feel like my gums were aching on that side. I can close and open fully but it pops sometimes. A few headaches a week lately. I just thought they were sinus headaches. I’m more aware of it in the morning, but I rub and rub throughout the day so I think it kind face makes it worse, or more present later.

The pain at the joint is felt most in the left side with a lighter pain on the right side. The shooting pain is what scared me most. It almost felt like it would if you had sensitive teeth and drank something cold and it got back there and hit a nerve. Just for a second, then it went way, and randomly did it throughout the day.

I do have TMJ, my dentist found it like yours, grinding signs on my molars. I’m 30, just had a clear physical and labs, but am incredibly new to physical anxiety symptoms. So this has me scared.

[Totalpanic]

I feel your pain:(
I had a terrible episode of TMJ a few years ago, it lasted 10 months. It was so painful, just like a tooth abscess and I had shooting pains over my face and terrible headaches. I couldn't even open my mouth. My nerves felt irritated.
Then I developed a stiff painful neck.
I no idea what was going on and so I visited the dentist first. He couldn't see anything so off to the Doctor who eventually referred me to a specialist. I had an MRI and was diagnosed with TMJ. No treatment available, just pain killers or ibuprofen gel rubbed onto the jaw joint. I was told my facial pain was caused by my neck and that I should get some physio.
The physio didn't actually give me any exercises but instead suggested acupuncture which was fantastic.
I still have no idea what caused it. I've been told it will come back but so far I've been good.
Take some pain relief, rub in that gel and be careful of what position you hold your head in, also try to keep your mouth in a relaxed position-thats closing your lips, keeping your teeth apart and resting your tongue on the roof of your mouth.

I hope you get better soon

[Halle0587]

Thank you so much. Today the pain is in both sides of my jaw joint so I’m feeling less like a heart attack, but it’s definitely painful. The temple headache points me more towards TMJ now also.

Funny, I called this morning for a dentist appointment thinking maybe i needed a root canal, so when I go for my cleaning he’ll look at it.

I YouTubed some TMJ exercises to try and get relief. I definitely find myself hold my jaw tight, I noticed that while driving today.

Was the acupuncture performed on your jaw?

I’ll definitely take your advice, thank you!

[Totalpanic]

Halle,

Be careful doing jaw exercises as you don't want to aggravate the problem, best to rest it.

Acupuncture was on my neck. I doubted it would do anything but it seemed to free up my tense muscles and painful nerves.

I was in such a state. And worrying about what it was only made it worse. I'm still really shocked how much pain tmj causes, because its not just the jaw that hurts. Also, don't let the dentist talk you into having treatment that you don't need. Mine took X-rays, found nothing and still suggested I have an old filling replaced 'just in case' it was causing the pain.

[Halle0587]

Thank you so muc. You both have been most helpful. I have been more aware of keeping my jaw loose and putting my tongue between my teeth to help. I stopped rubbing and doing exercises after the first day, and you’re right the rest is helping so much. I did use a heating pad for a few minutes on each side also.

A doctor at the multi-speciality clinic I go to does acupuncture. I’ve been wanting to try it for tension headaches, so maybe that will help me.

Thanks!