The TMJ
disorder is affecting a huge number of people these days
in the US and in
other parts of the world too. Because of this there is
now a lot of interest in this, as also in the signs of
TMJ, causes and naturally the various TMJ treatment
options as well. Here we will take a look at the
symptoms of TMJ and how it is related to the Eagle’s
syndrome.
Temporomandibular
joint or TMJ symptoms vary widely from minor pain in the
jaw joint to intense headache, earache and tinnitus that
can turn a person insane with bizarre hissing,
whooshing, ringing, roaring sounds in the ear. While the
primary signs of TMJ are easy to recognize, the
secondary or atypical TMJ symptoms often prove deceptive
and misleading. For instance, TMJ symptom causing
sensitivity to light, blurred vision and pain behind the
eyeball (caused due to inflammation in the tissue and
ligaments lying in the vicinity of the affected joint)
could mislead the medic into looking for optical
disorders that include keratitis, corneal
revascularization or even Fuchs’s dystrophy. Similar is
the case with other unusual symptoms of TMJ that creates
numbness in the fingers which can also happen due to
multiple sclerosis, cervical spondylosis, alcoholic
neuropathy, diabetic neuropathy and many other
factors.
However,
here it is caused primarily due to misaligned bite,
which in turn sets the muscles serving the jaws,
shoulder, neck and face to go into transitory spasm. As
a result of this, the nerves (brachial plexis) running
into the hands and fingers get pinched, creating lack of
sensation or tingling in the arms and the
fingers.
TMJ
Disorder And The Eagle’s
Syndrome
However,
when the Temporomandibular joint pain is inappropriately
linked with the Stylomandibular Ligament pain that is
caused due to Eagle’s syndrome, the picture changes
abruptly. Even though the problem is somewhat similar to
the temporomandibular joint pain involving the jaw
joint, in the Ernest or Eagle’s syndrome, it is the
stylohyoid ligament that actually creates the
problem.
The
styloid process consists of a bone structure at the base
of the skull that is attached to ligaments and muscles
linked to the throat and adjoining organs. When
calcified or mineralized, it sticks into the jaw and the
throat area, creating problem in swallowing. In chronic
cases, turning the head causes pain and discomfort.
Eagle’s syndrome can be a debilitating disease that
leads to chronic malnutrition and loss of weight as
against TMJ syndrome, which may be painful but far less
distressing.
Eagle’s
syndrome may also be considered a lesser significant
issue in glossopharyngeal neuralgia that can turn to
become a life threatening condition when coupled with
cardiovascular complications. It can lead to severe
weight loss and malnutrition even when it does not come
with cardiac problems. In any case, Eagle’s syndrome
(not TMJ syndrome) is considered by the medical
profession as a significant etiological factor for
precipitation of glossopharyngeal secondary
neuralgia.
However,
for the sake of identification and analysis, Eagle’s
syndrome may be considered as consisting of
temporomandibular joint pain, pain in eyes, sensitivity
in the teeth, pain in the throat region that aggravates
during swallowing any food, tonsillar discomfort and
symptomatic issues of stylohyoid
elongations.
Treatment
of Eagle’s symptom includes intra-oral splints, pain
relieving NSAIDs, physiotherapy and local anesthetic
injections at the insertion of the ligament. However,
there are reports that often suggest that radiofrequency
thermoneurolysis can be effective in treating symptom of
Eagle’s syndrome to some extent.
Eagle or
Ernest syndrome therapy may also be achieved through
strengthening the stylomandibular ligament with
Prolotherapy since the symptoms are mostly caused due to
weakness in that region. Studies reveal that
Prolotherapy is a safe and effective treatment procedure
for repairing ligament, tendon or cartilage damage in a
natural process. In other words, it is does so by
creating a placid inflammatory condition within the
destabilized cartilage and ligaments and as the body
heals itself through inflammation, Prolotherapy just
invigorates the healing process.
TMJ Cure
Through TMJ Treatment
It is
essential to opt for treatment to get relief from TMJ
pain and the other problems that are associated with the
disease. The good news is, there are many treatment
options available that range from conventional remedies
(drugs and surgeries), over the counter solutions
(mouthguards and splints), exercises to relieve TMJ and
home TMJ remedies. But the bad news is that, while many
of them can provide a temporary relief, bit a permanent
remedy is not possible. That is because they just treat
the symptoms and not the root causes of the
problem.
The only
permanent TMJ relief is achieved through holistic
remedies that treat the body as a whole to identify all
the contributing factors of the disease. Once these
causes are all identified and treated, there is no
reason to worry about the symptoms anymore because they
go away on their own, never to come back again. This is
why holistic remedies work so well for all those people
who are suffering from TMJ.
