Interesting Dental Treatment Can Stop Neck Pain
Neck pain and headaches can be painful by themselves
. But they can also hurt your social life and cause you to miss work. In severe cases pain can be referred to distant areas like your hands, arms, shoulders or back. But the good news is that a dentist can help in some situations.
Hormones, stress and many other factors are often said to be the cause of frequent headaches. Headache sufferers tend to go from doctor to doctor and specialist to specialist, usually without finding much if any relief. Heavy pain killers are prescribed but these medications simply deal with the symptoms, and not the cause.
Unfortunately, mainstream medicine rarely diagnoses a patient with the true cause of the problem: TMJ disorder or syndrome. Temporomandibular joint disorder was first recognized by the dental profession in the early 80s. The problem is simple: the jaw is a bit out of alignment. TMJ dentists will usually offer up a diagnosis if the patient hears clicking when he opens and closes his mouth, or if he can place his fingers on the side of the face where the jaw bones meet, and then feel a tiny "bump" as the jaw opens.
This may not sound terribly scientific, but it can work.
Some TMJ dentists have very sophisticated equipment to diagnose whether a patient has a TMJ disorder and the results from these tests can aid in developing the treatment plan.
Treatments vary, depending on the symptoms. A dentist who has experience in this area should be your first stop. He will discuss your symptoms and how each one affects your life. The disorder affects different people in different ways.
The challange some people have even when eating soft foods can make it hard to eat. Occasionally the dentist will even be able to isolate one or two teeth that could be the culprits. If this is the case, he may recommend anything from a bite guard to be worn at night, or braces for that area of your mouth. A mild pain reliever might help as well.
In cases where the problem is the result of something more serious such as an accident or even a birth abnormality, surgery may even be recommended. In certain situations, jaws can become dislocated and surgery is the only course of action. Many oral surgeons are experienced in this type of surgery which has a high success rate. One of the benefits is that most surgeons will be able to handle this internally, through your mouth - no external scarring!
When it is found that surgery isn't recommended or needed, there are various types of medications that can be tried. Some patients find a considerable amount of improvement with some, and others patients don't experience much improvement at all. A lot depends on how an individual responds to any medication.
Muscle relaxants are a common choice. They help to loosen up the muscles that control the movement of the jaws. But, only when neck pain or headaches are thought to be attributed to muscles are these used.
In severe cases, a form of Botox can be injected into the joint itself. Anti-inflammatory drugs have proved to be useful in many patients as well, although some patients do experience some unpleasant side effects if these drugs are continued over extended periods of time.
One of the most effective treatments for all kinds of pain related to a TMJ disorder is the use of a specially prepared mouth guard. An easy way to get pain relief is to have a TMJ dentist realign the jaw throughthe use of a specially prepared mouthguard. For some, this can work very quickly.
by: John Horn
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