I’ve had TMJ (temporomandibular joint disorder) for about four years now. For the first year it was just a mild clicking of my jaw, but when it started to get painful I saw a specialist who prescribed a retainer type device for me to wear to bed. After the first night I woke up with a very painful and very locked jaw. I couldn’t open my mouth at all, and it took the better part of a day to get it to open just a little. Needless to say, I stopped using the thing (never did get a refund though). Since then, the clicking has gone, but my jaw has a much smaller range of motion, I can open it maybe half as wide as I used to, and its painful to eat anything larger than a banana. I can’t describe how frustrating it is have to associate pain with your favorite foods. I’ve tried massage, painkillers, hot and cold therapy, and a few other mild treatments, but nothing has helped. Worse, I’m told nothing can be done. So my fellow TMJ dopers, what do you do about your untreatable problem? Any home remedies or witch doctor incantations I should try out?
Not to sound harsh, but you need to go back to the doctor who prescribed the appliance (or another one if you can’t bear to work with this doctor again) and either fine-tune it so that it works the way it’s supposed to or get a new solution. IANAD, so I can’t say, but it is possible that the reaction you had to the appliance was entirely normal and just needed some adjustment or a break-in period.
Good luck. I have TMJ but after consultation with an oral surgeon have decided to do nothing as I am not currently in any pain.
I went back to the doctor and he told me there was nothing he could do. The retainer was supposed to stop me from grinding my teeth or something like that, which I’m not even sure I do anyway. My mother has TMJ, and I know it is a hereditary disorder, plus I used to chew a lot of gum.
EEEK!
Oh cainxinth, if your TMJ is that bad, get yourself to a good oral surgeon ASAP.! Besides refitting you for a splint that’ll actually help, s/he can also provide therapy and the meds to make your TMJ bearable. S/he he can also advise you as to whether or not surgery would be an option (I’m tending to think that from what you posted)…
I’ve had TMJ for about 7-8 years, although I thank my lucky stars that it hasn’t been as chronic as yours. My main problem is the teeth grinding…I’ve bitten through 3 splints in the past 2 years, and I’m well on my way to biting through the 4th. $500 a pop and insurance doesn’t pay for it…:rolleyes: It hurts to yawn and open my mouth real wide (I dread going to the dentist because my jaw “freezes” during the cleaning). However, my range of motion has never been severe enough to warrant surgery.
The only reason why I’m mentioning surgery is because a good friend of mine who had symptoms similar to yours underwent such a couple of years ago. I don’t know exactly what it entailed, but the end result is that 1) she’s no longer in pain, and 2) she no longer needs to use a splint. Hopefully yours isn’t as severe as hers, as jaw surgery is not very pretty…
BTW, I’ve found that resting one side of my face on a bag of frozen peas for a bit DOES lessen the pain. Unfortunately the relief isn’t that very long-lasting, but it’s certainly a hell of a lot better than wincing! 
Maybe Western medicine is not the best solution for your TMJ.
Remember that most of pain that we have is merely a symptom of larger problems in your body. Stress is probably your biggest problem. (<–Isn’t it for everyone?) And there’s maybe some alignment issues in your jaw.
I have TMJ, too, and have dealt with the same pain you’ve described. I’ve never been to a GP for this. I go to an osteopath and a homeopath to deal with the skeletal issues and stress management, respectively.
I hope you can get as much relief as I’ve found. 
It won’t be this bad forever!
But I am not a doctor.
Sorry for the overreaction. I didn’t get that from your OP.
I went to my dentist for help.
Got the mouth guard, & added better pillows to support my neck while I slept.
Avoid sleeping on your side.
Take a washcloth, soak it in very warm, but not hot, water, & use it as a compress on your face.
Use outdoor excercise to lower your emotional stress levels. This helps me immensely.
Reduce or eliminate the caffeine from your diet. The stimulant effect plays merry hell with your muscle tension.
Adjust your chair & keyboard at your computer to lower neck & back strain.
Never! I’ll be drinking 3-10 cups of black coffee daily until the day i keel over and die. 
Seriously though, thanks everyone for your advice. i think a consultation with a surgeon is in order. I no longer think its normal to be in this kind of pain everyday.
The “answer” for helping your TMJ can’t really be found on a message board. All peoples’ problems with TMJ are different. it can be brought on by an accident (even years later), stress, bad posture, gum chewing, hereditary causes, diseases such as lupus, and even having braces as a youngster.
cainxinth, I emailed you some info on TMJ, hopefully you check the mailbox that you signed up with!
If anyone is interested, below is a link to an on-line version of an article I wrote about TMJ for a senior journalism class about a year ago.