Relief from TMJ Pain and Jaw Locking: Expert Tips for Comfort & Care

Identifying Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD) involves recognizing various symptoms, including:

• Pain: You might experience a dull, aching pain or discomfort, typically felt in the jaw areas, jaw muscles, neck, shoulder, or ears. This pain is intermittent and not continuous.
• Headaches
• Stiffness in jaw muscles
• Ear symptoms: These can include a sense of fullness, pressure, or ringing in the ears (tinnitus), as well as hearing issues.
• Lightheadedness or dizziness
• Blurred vision
• Clicking, popping, or grinding noises: These sounds may occur when opening or closing the lower jaw and could be painless or painful.
• Reduced jaw movement or jaw locking in a particular position
• Abnormal jaw deviation
• Difficulty while eating due to a change in jaw position

Where can I feel pain if I have TMD?

If you have TMJ disorder, pain is commonly felt in and around the jaw areas. This pain may also extend to the throat, neck, shoulders, ears, and jaw muscles. The discomfort may be localized to a single area or spread across multiple regions.

Can TMJ disorder resemble an ear infection?

Due to the proximity of the TMJ and the ear (located just an inch apart), about 80% of TMJ disorder cases include ear symptoms. These can manifest as ear pain, ear congestion, and ringing or fluttering in the ears. If these symptoms persist despite ear treatments, it could indicate a TMJ disorder, and consulting a TMJ specialist is advisable.

What kind of pain will I experience with TMD?

With TMD, you may experience a dull, aching pain or discomfort in the jaw areas. This pain is not continuous and may come and go. The pain associated with TMD can be either acute (severe but temporary) or chronic (dull and persistent over a longer duration).