Although
human beings have long since discarded the tendency of
fighting for food and taking big bites whenever large
chunks of meat become available and have been practicing
table manners which prohibit chewing of bones publicly,
bite-related or rather jaw-related problems haunt them
till today. As a matter of fact, degenerative joint
diseases also affect the jaw joints, creating various
problems including inflammation, pain, etc. Clinically
termed Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome or
TMJ, it often causes unbearable jaw-related face, head
and neck pain in many people. However, the problems
appear to be more correlated to the muscles, ligaments,
tendons and nerves surrounding the temporomandibular
joint instead of the joint itself.
Studies
have also shown that the TMJ disorder mostly involve
misalignment of the jaw or the bite, dislocation of the
jaw joint as well as displacement of the mandibular disc
and so, the treatment procedures follow the same path.
It includes Arthrocentesis, Arthroplasty &
Discectomy. For many people, the TMJ pain and the
associated discomfort can be resolved with these
measures. Often performed under general anesthesia, the
process entails the surgeon injecting the
temporomandinular joint with a viscous solution that is
mixed with local anesthesia to ‘flush out’ the
inflammatory fluids from it. To counteract excessive
swelling, steroids are sometimes added to the injective
fluid. However if you are planning a surgery for the TMJ
disorder, you need to remember to consult a physician
always before opting for this.
TMJ
Treatment – Surgery Options
Arthroplasty
however, entails some forms of open surgery for the
temporomandibular joint which includes disc
repositioning, joint replacement and discectomy. On
account of the risk factor involved in Arthroplasty,
ranging from minimally invasive to multipart surgery, it
is performed only when other treatment modalities have
proved ineffective. It may be of significance to record
here that though in most cases Arthroplasty can cure
major problems related to TMJ, patients often complain
of recurring pain in the region
later.
As for
Discectomy which involves disk repositioning, it
requires overnight stay of which around two hours are
spent in surgery. The surgeon makes a small incision,
puts the displaced disk back to its former position and
stitches it properly there. The surrounding ligaments,
if found damaged, are also taken care of at the same
time. Incidentally, disk repositioning is required when
the disk, which actually is a protective cartilage, has
slipped out of its original position within the TMJ.
This surgical procedure is also attempted in rare cases
when all other non-invasive treatment procedures have
proved ineffective since it carries the risk of injury
to the sensitive facial motor nerves causing serious
consequences.
The TMJ
Syndrome And Other Treatment
Options
Neuromuscular
treatment for the TMJ disorder appears to be more
effective as compared to general surgical methods that
have been described above.
This
entails three major issues that include (a) Relieving
muscle spasm and pain; (b) Stabilizing the bite and (c)
Long-term management of the problem. The initial stage
of the treatment modality consist of pain alleviation
through ULF-TENS, or just TENS where the patient is
exposed to Ultra Low Frequency Transcutaneous Electrical
Neural Stimulation which is supposed to relax the
painful muscles by way of electronically massaging them
in a gentle pain-relieving way. Researches have revealed
that this process can help reduce the pain by producing
endomorphins, a natural polypeptide created within the
body.
To
stabilize the bite, a device known as Orthotic is fitted
on to the teeth at bedtime which is supposed to assist
in effecting a good bite where the TMJ, head and jaw
muscles synchronize to bring the desired result. For
long-term management of the pain, there are many options
that are tried to provide TMJ relief and remove the
associated TMJ pain.
Even
though so many people in the US suffer
from TMJ, very few are lucky to receive appropriate
treatment for the simple reason that they are usually
unable to describe their symptoms in the right
perspective. And as a result, they are often referred to
psychiatrists who try to heal them by mere counseling
instead of medical help. TMJ problems, sorry to say,
advance in stages, often turning from bad to worse when
nothing is done to prevent it from taking a bad turn.
What is a minor clicking noise heard today can turn into
Tinnitus tomorrow with typhoons roaring in the ears.
While pain management can be tackled with the help of
NSAIDs or over-the-counter pain medications,
non-invasive treatment options can help halt the
progress of the disease.
TMJ
Treatment That Really Works
Apart from
the treatments mentioned above, there are others as well
such as conventional drugs and over the counter
solutions like mouthguards and splints. There are some
natural exercises for TMJ as well. But the fact remains
that none of these treatments can provide a lasting cure
because they all treat just the symptoms and not the
root causes.
Holistic
remedies on the other hand do just this. Treating the
body as a whole, the holistic approach identifies all
the root causes and then eradicates them all. Naturally
when this is achieved, the symptoms go away and the
person is said to be cured from the TMJ disease.
