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February 6, 2008
Ringing in Your Ears? It Might Be in Your Jaw
People dismiss tinnitus, or a ringing in the ears, as being all in their heads. Maybe it is, but it's not a figment of the imagination, it's in the muscles and bones of our jaws. While it is possible it's just a psychosomatic (i.e. imaginary) effect, you may be experiencing a potentially debilitating condition called TMJ or temporomandibular joint syndrome.
TMJS? TMD? MPD?
Temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJS), temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD), and mysofacial pain dysfunction (MPD) are three different names for one set of symptoms. These symptoms of TMJ/TMD include:
- Headaches
- Jaw pain
- Facial pain
- Sore, chipped, broken or worn teeth
- Unexplained tingling in the arms or hands
In addition to tinnitus. If you have some combination of these symptoms you may be suffering from TMJ/TMD.
The temporomandibular joints are the joints on either side of our head, in front of our ears, where our jaw connects to our skull. In order to promote the multifunctionality of the jaw—talking, eating and drinking, breathing, smiling and other expressions of emotion—these joints are among the most complicated in the human body. Bones, muscles, and nerves all have to function together to accomplish these tasks, sometimes (such as talking and eating in the case of rude people) at the same time, while staying clear of airways and nerves dedicated to other functions such as hearing.
TMD occurs when the TMJ is out of alignment or otherwise stressed. Typically, this results from the condition of “malocclusion” or bad bite such as overbite or underbite. Although the condition is simple to describe, its effects can be far-reaching, from intense, migraine-like headaches to pain in the face, neck, and shoulders, to numbness or tingling in the arms as well as tinnitus, and is often misdiagnosed by physicians.
There Is a Cure
As simple as the condition is, the cure is a delicate matter practiced by highly trained specialists in the field of neuromuscular dentistry, such as those trained at the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies (LVI). Neuromuscular dentists are experts in the complex relationship of muscles, bones, and soft tissue that must interact perfectly to ensure proper function of the TMJ, and have worked out a detailed process for curing the improper function.
1. The first immediate goal is to relieve your symptoms. The easiest way for neuromuscular dentists to provide release is by using an electric massage made up of rhythmic pulses that relax the muscles and stimulate the flow of blood and endorphins to the region.
2. Once you have immediate relief, the dentist will seek to stabilize your bite to prevent the symptoms from reoccurring. Most often, this is by the use of a temporary device, known as an orthotic, that is worn over the teeth.
3. Then the dentist will seek to give you permanent relief by correcting your bite long-term. This might involve braces, reconstructive crowns, and dental implants for missing teeth. Since malocclusion is fostered by mouth breathing, snoring treatment may also be helpful.
If you’ve gone to a doctor for the ringing in your ears, you should not just accept it if they tell you “it’s all in your head,” especially if you are also suffering from headaches, jaw pain, or inexplicable tingling and numbness in your arms. Instead, consider consulting the web page of Dr. Alexandra S. George, serving the neuromuscular dentistry needs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
http://www.bestsyndication.com/?q=20080131_titinnitus_help.htm
Posted by 4HL on February 6, 2008 2:37 AM
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