Hi Meera,
Okay so you do have some history of clenching or grinding your teeth. When a dentist suggests a mouth guard, it is because they see a certain type of wear pattern on the teeth that indicates a bruxism habit. They may also notice a click in the jaw when you open and close... like the OS noticed.
As you know, acupressure can bring relief from muscular tension. When you clench or grind your teeth, the facial muscles including those around the TMJ joint become inflamed and tight. The muscle can actually get stuck in a spasm. This may be what is happening with you and why the acupressure and rest helps to ease the pain.
I think if you apply moist heat to the affected side of your face and then do the acupressure, you may get a deeper release of the tension.
I use Arnica Montana for initial pain and inflammation. Gelsemium for head pain, like tension headaches or TMJ pain and Hypericum Perforatum is very good for nerve pain. So based on the symptom at the time, use what you think is most appropriate.
Bryanna
Quote:
Originally Posted by Meera Dasi
Thanks Bryanna.
All you said makes sense to me, and gives me some ideas as to what could be wrong, and I will definitely make an appt. with my holistic dentist and tell him what's been going on. I kind of remember that I had similar pain already before the extraction, just not to that extent. So it really might be TMJ related, and I hope it is, as opposed to a permanent nerve damage or something of that sort. And I agree, I want to try a natural approach to this versus suppressing symptoms with medications. As I am an acupressureist, I do treat myself a bit, and sometimes it helps. I also take a homeopathic remedy, Hypericum Perforatum, which I still had from my last tooth extraction. Not sure if it helps, but I bought it as it is supposed to help with post surgery nerve damage. I also do my best to nourish my body with a more soft diet, lots of fresh fruit and veggie juices, no sugar and processed food...
is it typical for TMJ issues to get better with rest and sleep? I noticed my pain goes away once I go to bed or take a nap... today, pain was gone and only came back in the afternoon. Some days there is no pain at all, other days it already begins in the morning. Pain also gets better with direct pressure onto the jaw (the area of the extraction side). Today, my ear feels also slightly "pressureized". But only a little bit.
Well- I will call my dentist tomorrow and see if I can get an appt. soon. He had mentioned a night guard before, but just causally, and had asked me whether I was aware of grinding my teeth at night- when I was a teenager, another dentist asked the same question, but then and now, I have never really noticed any grinding. Maybe sometimes I kind of clench my teeth at night, but as soon as I notice it, I make an effort to relax all my muscles in my jaw and face.
Well, will keep you posted once I know more. Until then, I am thankful for any suggestions or ideas and input as to how I could get some temporary relief until I see my dentist.
Thanks! :-)
Meera
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