Silencing the Discomfort: Solutions for TMJ, Tinnitus & Facial Pain
TMD has been proposed to be correlated with certain conditions or causes, with varying degrees of evidence and some more common than others. A potential correlation between many of these chronic pain conditions has been believed to be due to common pathophysiological mechanisms.
What are the health complications having possible associations with TMJ disorder?
There are some chronic health conditions that have been commonly associated with TMJ dysfunction. These are
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Systemic joint laxity
• Chronic back pain
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Headache
• Chronic neck pain
• Interstitial cystitis
• Regular scuba diving
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Systemic joint laxity
• Chronic back pain
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Headache
• Chronic neck pain
• Interstitial cystitis
• Regular scuba diving
How is TMD associated with Sleep Apnea?
Recently, research has shown a strong causal association between TMD and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Extreme TMD limits the opening of the oral airway. It may result in a backward positioning (retrognathic posture) of the mandible that results in the oropharynx blockage as the tongue relaxes in sleep. The process is aggravated by alcohol intake, as well as other chemicals.
How is scuba diving associated with TMD?
Suba divers are regularly subjected to change in pressure when they dive into deep seas. Whenever there is a change in pressure in the surroundings, the volume of gas inside the body and lead to severe conditions called barotrauma. Barotrauma causes acute or chronic inflammation leading to toothaches, headaches, swelling of the middle ear, tinnitus, headaches, joint pains, jaw joint inflammation, and TMJ pain.
How is my jaw pain related to my back pain?
TMJ disorder is increasingly defined as a condition that can affect more than one local area of the body. If you have some signs of TMJ disorder, such as jaw grinding, trouble opening your mouth, jaw lock, headache, ear pain, or jaw tenderness, and you might also have an arm, shoulder, and back pain, they could all be related. Everything in your body is linked, and when something is out of balance, it can affect other parts of the body.
How is Rheumatoid Arthritis related to my jaw pain?
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune condition that primarily affects the joints, resulting in warm, swollen, and painful joints. TMJ is usually one of the last joints to be affected. It is associated with many clinical signs and symptoms in which discomfort is a big concern that eventually leads to inflammation, reduced mobility, swelling (joint stiffness), and muscle spasms.
How is my jaw pain and my irritated bowel (IBS) associated with each other?
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a disorder that causes pain and discomfort in the abdomen, including vomiting and constipation. A recent study found that IBS causes structural changes in the brain, which lead to alteration in emotion regulation, pain control, attention, and processing of information. Due to alteration in the brain's pain regulation center, IBS is associated with chronic pain conditions like chronic back pain, TMJ dysfunction, chronic neck pain, and other disorders in the body.
