Does anyone have any jaw problems from RSD? Do you have problems with muscle spasming/ locked jaw??? Any pain when chewing?

Thanks.

I went thru 2 1/2 years of dental work and surgury for TMJ. I have what is called Total Mouth Reconstruction. I catch myself clenching my jaw alot more in the last couple of years. Getting pain in both jaws that I haven't experienced before. Muscle spasms that really hurt. My whole upper body feels like it is just hammered. Between TOS, RSD, and TMJ, it is hard to get any pain relief. I wish you the best and hope you have pain free days.
Stephen

Thank you for the reply Stephen. The muscle spasms in my neck/ jaw are really bad, and...

Yesterday I woke up with a locked jaw. I was sure it couldn't be the RSD... I guess I was just trying not to get paranoid here... and I could not get my mouth open. This had been happening very slightly here and there this past week, but I didn't think much of it because my brother has some jaw problems (popping/ clicking/ locking for a minute), and I figured it was nothing.

I called my Dentist, and the receptionist told me it was probably just an infection, and that I could come in.

When I went to the dentist, the hygenist looked at my jaw first, and she was sure that I had TMJ, and she said "You have TMJ, don't you?". I told her that I have never had any jaw problems before this, and then she started messing with my jaw, trying to get me to open my mouth more. The more she messed with my jaw the worse it felt, and she soon gave up.

I could open it about 1 inch, and then the muscle spasms got so bad that I could only open it 1/2 inch. The hygenist got my dentist in the room, and the dentist (actually!!) knew what RSD was, so she looked at my mouth and she told me it was the muscle spasms from RSD, and that the muscle spasms caused my jaw to lock up. Her words were "I think your condition has just spread up into your face". Exactly the words I didn't want to hear! But I know that it is true- with spasms, slight swelling, and allodynia.

My dentist told me to take Flexeril to calm the spasms down so that I can open my mouth soon! I have taken 3 doses of it so far, and I can still only open it 1/2 inch, but hopefully soon the muscle relaxers will work. My dentist also told me to try heat on it, and that if I had more problems she'll refer me to an ortho surgeon. But... it's just the RSD. No infection, and I should be able to open my mouth soon (though not without RSD pain all in my jaw/ face now).

My dentist told me to eat foods I can "drink"- yogurt, applesauce, soup, shakes, etc. that I don't have to chew.

Allodynia is setting in in my face, and my Dr told me to "touch it, move it, use it"- chew gum (once I can open my jaw better)/ suck on something, so that the allodynia doesn't get really out of hand fast.

Do you think you could have some TOS type issues too?
Hand, arm, neck, shoulder and upper back pain {trps and /or spasms}
It just made me think of that - as quite a few with TOS will have some TMJ sx also.

I'd have to look into that... I never thought about that. All the pain seems to be RSD, but then again, maybe I have a different problem as well? I will be keeping that in mind.

Could you please direct me to a page with TOS symptoms/ basic overview of what it is exactly?

Thanks.

In our useful links are the best sites we have found-

TOS info:
http://www.medifocushealth.com/RT017/index.php
http://www.nismat.org/ptcor/thoracic_outlet/
http://tos-syndrome.com/newpage12.htm
http://tos-syndrome.com
http://www.cwce.com/feinbergarticles/tos.htm
http://www.doctorellis.com
http://www.vascularinstitute.com/Resource_TOS.htm
http://drbrantigan.com/about/index.htm
http://www.ecentral.com/members/rsanders/
http://www.tellmeabouttos.com
http://www.causeof.org/posture_tos.htm
http://intraspec.ca/tos.php

more info - TOS sticky link-
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=84

yes i have the same symptoms. mouth pain, teeth nerves, jaw locking, intense aching the list goes on. it seems to centre around the left half of mandibular joint but affects more or less the whole face when the attacks kick in.

strong pain killers ease some of the symptoms but the pain but never really goes.

Surely theres hope out there somewhere. doctors seem oblivious!

I had this, Dr. S sent me to a dr. at Hahnemann and I had two nerve blocks in the neck, they were very painful, no anesthetic, but they fixed the problem. now I have some problems but ony when i am in a full body flare, which is rare as I am on adequate meds to control which means alot! good luck, cz

I have had TMJ for most of my life, pre-existing to my RSD. Now that I've had RSD for 6 years I have seen a horrible deterioration and increased pain in my jaw and neck. I wear a custom splint night guard on my upper teeth and this helps somewhat. I use some neck stretches that physio taught me and they help a little too. Mostly when it becomes unbearable I use moist heat around my neck and jaw and this really helps. I was taught years ago to keep the tip of my tongue just behind my teeth on the upper roof of my mouth. This helps to remind me not to clench my teeth together, it seems to hold my lower jaw a little forward too taking preasure off the joint of my jaw.

I have a friend who sees Dr. Schwartzman, she also has major jaw pain. Dr. Schwartzman just said that the jaw is a common problem among CRPS sufferers and that it typically stems from the cervical plexis. She had a cevical plexis block.

Hope this helps.

MsL