Jaw Appointment

I met with the specialist about my jaw today. I am, apparently, completely messed up and crooked!

My original appointment time was 3:15. They called yesterday to confirm my appointment, and to tell me that I was now scheduled to meet him at 1:45. Then, they called this morning at 7am to tell me that it was changed again to 11:45. 

So I got there and filled out the paperwork, and had another xray done. Finally got to see the doctor/dentist, and he asked me all about the pain and the history, and then checked my mouth, teeth, face, neck and back. 

First. My muscles are very inflamed. Basically every muscle from the base of my skull down to mid-back (tell me something I didn’t know!). That limits my range of motion and adds stress to my neck and jaw.

Second. I’m crooked. My shoulders are uneven, and the vertebrae in my neck are misaligned. Because my shoulders are uneven, my head is always trying to keep its self straight (in more ways than one!) putting strain on my neck muscles. Maybe I'm the only one who can tell, but I can see it in the photos below.

My collarbones are uneven.

If you compare my shoulders to the lines on the door behind me, you can see that one is higher than the other.

Third. The jaw joint is also very inflamed. Because of the tightness of my muscles, it puts strain on the tissue that holds the cartilage in place. The cartilage gets pushed and pulled and squished every time I move my face.

Fourth. I hold my jaw in a “protruding” position… the jaw is built for basically up-and-down motion, with some allowance for sideways and forward movement, only when necessary. Because I always have my jaw pushed forward, those little tiny muscles controlling that are very sore.

Fifth. I apparently don’t sleep as well as I think I do, and am clenching my teeth badly. He said that your teeth are only supposed to touch when chewing and swallowing… which adds up to about 15-17 minutes per day. Everything more than that (clenching, chewing gum, etc) is too much for what the jaw is built for.

I’m supposed to see a chiropractor, and possibly a massage therapist. I also have another kind of anti-inflammatory to take (something safe for people like me who have a history of ulcers), as well as some sort of sleeping pill, which will get me past REM sleep (where most clenching occurs) and into the deep sleep where muscles relax and repair. I’m supposed to do whatever it takes to ensure a good night’s sleep. I have to apply heat at least twice a day. I have to pay attention to my teeth and jaw (relax, unclench, neutral position). I have to focus on my posture and try to sit straight, without leaning (I am currently curled up like a pretzel right now, so this one needs a lot of work).

Now I am sore from all the "turn that way" "put your head at this awkward angle" and "does it hurt here". I think I'll have a warm bath tonight! I also need about a million dollars to help pay for all the appointments I'll have coming up.