Sneaking Suspicion

I go back to the neurologist at the end of the month so I've been trying to come up with a comprehensive list of continuing sumptoms related to the headaches. See, I've always thought that the headaches were related to the musculoskeletal issues that were affecting my arms and legs. Makes sense, right?

But then why would the headaches be getting worse and worse while everything else has been getting better? Is it a completely different thing going on in the Jen body?

Eventually, on the web, I found this.... (I've bolded my particular dealios)

Eye Pain and Eye Problems:

Bloodshot eyes

Blurring of vision

Eye pain above, below and behind eye

Pressure behind eyes

Light sensitivity

Watering of the eyes

Head Pain, Headache Problems, Facial Pain:

Migraines

Forehead pain

Cluster headaches

"Sinus Type" headache

Hair and/or scalp painful or sensitive to touch

Headaches at the back of the head, with or without shooting pain

Ear Pain, Ear Problems:

Hissing, buzzing, ringing, or roaring sounds

Diminished hearing

Clogged, "stuffy", itchy ears

Feeling of fullness

Ear pain without infection

Neck and Shoulder Problems:

Neck pain

Tired, sore neck problems

Shoulder aches

Back pain (upper and lower)

Arm and finger tingling, numbness, and/or pain

Stiffness

Still with me here? Musculoskeletal, right? Now here comes the interesting part.

Teeth and Gum Problems:

Clenching during the day or at night

Grinding teeth at night (bruxism)

Tooth pain

Sensitive teeth

For the last year I've been using sensitive teeth toothpaste and yeah, I've always been a clencher so I picked up a new geeky mouth thing a couple of months ago from the dentist in case the stress was making me clench more.

Mouth, Face, Cheek, and Chin Problems:

Pain in cheek muscles

Uncontrollable tongue movements

Jaw and Jaw Joint Problems

Limited opening

Inability to open the jaw smoothly or evenly

Jaw deviates to one side when opening

Inability to find the correct bite with teeth

Clicking or popping jaw joints

Uncontrollable jaw movements

Jaw pain or tenderness of the jaw

Dull, aching facial pain

Biting or chewing difficulty or discomfort

Clicking sound while chewing or opening the mouth

Grating sensation while chewing

Reduced ability to open or close the mouth

For the last 6 - 8 months one side of my jaw's been dislocating itself every once in a while. My face hurts. I can't eat anything that requires a lot of chewing (ie: cereal) because my jaw muscles kill me. For the last couple of months when I close my teeth that same side clicks. It all grates when I open my mouth wide. In February I was at the dentist twice because my bite feels funny (I tried to explain this by saying I could no longer chew my nails, ie: my bite's off so that I can no longer grasp things with my teeth, cutting a thread, chew the sides of my nails.) They thought this was funny and so I guess they didn't take it seriously but doesn't it indicate a major sudden change to my bite if I can't do something I've always done?

Are you starting to get the same sneaking suspicion I am?

Balance problems, vertigo, dizziness

Throat Problems:

Swallowing difficulties

Tightness of throat

Sore throat with no infection

Voice fluctuations

Laryngitis

Tongue Pain

I don't have any of the throat things BUT at this point, I'm like, hello! who's reading my mind?

I talked to Dr. Olympics about this yesterday and he did a couple of fancy Active Release maneuvers (which, seriously caused me some major pain - if he weren't such a lovely man, I'd not be liking him very much) on my jaw. For the next five hours, my constant headache subsided to a level where I ALMOST couldn't feel it.

For maybe the second or third time since last December.

Regardless if all this has been worsening because of the stress of being 'broken', if it's an injury in itself (ie: that rifle that bounced off my mouth in basic or any of 800 other head related traumas during training) or it's caused by one of the arthritis'es, I'd say, ladies and gentlemen, that what's going on with my head is....

temporomandibular joint (tmj) syndrome.

And not once in the last 14 months has a doctor, specialist, dentist or anyone else thought to look at my jaw.

I get the feeling that after I see the neurologist again I'll be beginning another round of treatments based on an entirely 'new' idea.

Not that that's a bad thing.

Comments

[james]

I was diagnosed with TMJ when I was 17 or 18. I wore a bite-guard thingy for years. It (the pain) was brutal. But somehow the TMJ has disappeared over the past decade or so. Though I do get the occasional flare-up if I chew gum for any length of time. Then the entire side of my face and head hurts like a bitch. A real big ugly hairy bitch.

[Jen, also]

Holy hell. It's seems - pardon the pun - PAINFULLY OBVIOUS. Now, anyway.

[Saltation]

i've looked over your sited cymptoms and given them due consideration, and i have come to the conclusion that you are suffering from the medical condition known as "Hangover".

the cure is simple but ineffective.

[Saltation]

PS: have to agree TMJ sounds plausible. not just for what you've posted here, but in the sense that everything you've posted for about a year has screamed residual/self-exacerbating muscle lockups/overtightness in your upper back/neck/skull. (the skull is not solid but has a number of pseudojoints even in adults). trouble is, loosening muscles that have got into the habit of over-reacting/auto-locking, is a real mongrel.i've tried loads and loads and loads (and loads) of chiros and osteos and physios and what have you over the years. they all help a bit but not profoundly.except one.there's a guy i know southwest of london who would probably be able to help you. he saved me from knee surgery a decade ago by pointing out the pressure and pain was coming from 2 asymmetrically self-shortened muscles at the base of my neck (i thought i'd done my money until he stretched them and i immediately regained the leg flexibility and strength of a decade before. i now see him about every 12-18mths for a "service"). the australian olympic wrestling team's physio had told me i had no choice remaining but surgery...

when you finally make your travel trip, see if you can budget a week in the uk to see him twice. the boy's literally a freak, a global one-off.

also, i can then buy you a beer. bargain!

[Jen]

Thanks Sal, I'll keep that in mind. :)

[Saltation]

free beer is a wonderful focusser of the mind.