Dr. Mark Hodge runs Berkshire Dental Group in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Here, he clears up common myths about TMJ-related headaches.
The syndrome that many people who experience chronic head and facial pain have is called TMJ, or temporomandibular joint. Your TMJ is the main joint in your jaw.
TMJ syndrome is related to the joints in the jaw. Problems with the TMJ can cause head and neck pain, problems biting, as well as clicking sounds when you chew, or even a locked jaw. Not all causes of TMJ syndrome are known. Some possible causes are jaw-area injuries, arthritis, dental procedures, genetics, hormones, low-level infections, autoimmune diseases, stretching of the jaw as occurs with inserting a breathing tube before surgery, and clenching or grinding of the teeth.
The most common symptom of TMJ syndrome is pain, often described as a dull, ache in the jaw joint and nearby areas, including the ear, which comes and goes. Some people, however, report no pain, but still have problems using their jaws.
Here are some common myths about TMJ headaches:
1. Myth: Over-the-counter medications treat the cause of a headache.
Fact: It’s almost criminal that drug companies are hiding from you that the headache-relieving drugs they advertise don’t actually target the real cause of your headaches. Here’s the real deal: These pills cover up your headache by simply telling your brain that the headache isn’t there. It convinces the brain that the pain is gone for now. However, this is the reason why after the medication wears off, your headache comes right back.
2. Myth: Headache medication doesn’t do any harm.
Fact: One thing many headache sufferers don’t know about the drugs they take is that these pills are not 100% safe. In fact, a lot of the side effects you may experience are far worse than the headaches you’re trying to cover up for a measly four hours of relief. The way these medications disable your ability to feel headaches is to disable a little hormone in your body that acts like a messenger to your brain. Our bodies, being the highly-tuned machines they are, have figured out how to use these hormones for more jobs than one. So if you disable the hormone from doing just one job, it will also not do other jobs in your body. This can lead to problems from a rash to sudden liver failure.
3. Myth: Anxiety, stress, and my emotions are causing my headaches.
Fact: Yes, you may be the type of person that pulls his hair out on a daily basis, and you may think that’s what’s causing your headaches. But being stressed and having emotions is part of life. However, it’s not the cause of migraines, facial pain, or headaches.
4. Myth: The headaches will cure themselves.
Fact: “I’m tough. I can stick this out!” you may be saying to yourself. Then each night before you go to bed, you hope, wish, and pray that something will change. The most foolish thing you could do is to keep doing the same things and expecting different results. If you truly want to get rid of your headaches, then you’re going to have to try something else.
5. Myth: Your problem is always where your pain is.
Fact: Though you may be feeling your headaches in your sinuses, face, or the top of your head, that doesn’t mean that’s where the cause of the problem is located. For example, many times when a person has a pinched nerve in his back, he will feel the pain in his leg. One of the most common causes of headaches that don’t originate in the head is a TMJ headache.
With today’s new technologies and increased understanding, dentists with specific, advanced training in TMJ disorders can diagnose and successfully treat most of these cases. In fact, if a TMJ disorder is determined, predictable long-term relief is achievable 95% of the time via a range of dental treatments.
While many patients who are diagnosed with TMJ headaches have the traditional symptoms of tension headaches, some patients who have the traditional symptoms of migraine (and cluster migraine) headaches also respond to TMJ headache diagnosis and treatment.
Now, some headaches don’t respond to specific, extremely accurate dental care. They’re caused by high blood pressure, low blood sugar, hormonal changes, hangovers, and other issues. These, however, are rare compared to headaches that are caused by TMJ syndrome.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
