Diagnose my Condition! Having Fun with my Pain!

[Philster]

Me: lives in Philly area, USA. Travelled to Aneheim, CA a few weeks ago

...and upon landing in CA, felt some ear pain (normal), and some jaw pain well back near the ear....definitely away from teeth/mouth. ...sort of the jaw joint location. Never felt that before.

When I ate in CA, my jaw had some discomfort on the one side...the right side. Chewy foods were tough.

Coming back, landing in Philly, ears popped, then the pain from my ear to my jaw was so piercing that this 35 y/o tough guy (so I think) almost broke into tears. Actually, my eye was tearing because the pain was intense....and I didn' think I could make it 10 more secs. It was horrible. (after landing, the ear/jaw got better, but the jaw was never the same)

Now, this jaw pain is getting worse each day. Certain foods I just avoid.

Basic up/down gnashing not to bad. If the jaw rolls a little, it crosses from discomfort to pain.

Help.

[Kalhoun]

I wonder if there's some sort of infection deep inside your ear. I'd see a doctor if I were you. Get some antibiotics and see if there's any improvement. Bummer for you.

[World Eater]

Paging Qadgop!.

I can tell you it's not a sprained ankle, but that's about it.

[Indygrrl]

I've heard of something called TMJ, that has to do with the jaw popping. Ya might want to see a doc.

[merge]

Indy...
you were reading that Blowjob thread weren't you...??

[Chicken Scratch]

My non-professional opinion is that you have TMJ, which I have had since '98. There is a cartilage disc between the mandible and maxilla which cushions the temporomandibularjoint and aids in it's movement. If the disc is dislocated, punctured, or skewed, it can cause pain in the jaw, teeth, head.

I had to wear a splint at night (I was a clencher, not a tooth-grinder), and I had a few of my teeth filed so they fit together better when I chewed, which alleviated a lot of pain.

These days, I have no pain, and I don't wear the splint. I avoid gum, licorice, delicious crusty bread, and other chewy things.

Good luck, kiddo!

[monica]

If you have TMJ, I would suggest going to see a neuromuscular physical therapist. They're kind of like a chiropracter, only better. My jaw was really out of place and giving me pain awhile ago, and he managed to get it back to normal. The process of him doing so was just about the most painful thing I've ever experienced, but everything works fine now. He's also really helped my carpal tunnel.