Joint pain and headache may be attributable to countless things, including illnesses such as osteoarthritis, but naturally I can't cover each and every one in a single article. On the grounds that I've actually posted many articles regarding various kinds of arthritis, I'll look at TMJ (The Temporomandibular Joint) disorders instead this time around.
As with other similar ailments, TMJ disorders can be challenging to identify, and equally as hard to treat. A person plagued by one of these disorders commonly has to submit to a couple of tests, including stuff like MRI scans and so on.
So, what exactly is the temporomandular joint? The temporomandular joint is a ball and socket style joint found on either side of your face. They are in fact the joints which connect your top and bottom jaws to each other, and are considered being the most used joints in the entire body. Above and beyond all the routine movement, such as when you open or shut your mouth, the joints are furthermore exposed to a substantial amount of pressure at any time we munch our meals.
Supporting these joints are a complex arrangement of muscle tissue, ligaments, and bones, so when something goes awry with one or possibly both joints, it's quite often accompanied by muscle tenderness and headaches.
TMJ disorders might, as mentioned before, be caused by multiple things. With that having been said, the most typical causes are actual physical trauma, teeth grinding, gum chewing, and misaligned teeth.
People with one or more TMJ disorders quite often feel a clicking sensation whenever they open their mouth, and especially if they yawn. They may also have difficulties chewing, or biting down on hard food items. A lot of sufferers also end up having constant headaches, and about 33% of affected individuals experience tinnitus, in either one or both ears. Luckily for us, surgery is mostly only required in acute cases, such as when ligaments must be tightened.
In the huge majority of cases, patients are advised to rest their jaws whenever possible. This includes having soft foods as an alternative to hard crunchy foods. The second sort of treatment a medical practitioner is likely to recommend is heat and ice therapy. Health care professionals may additionally suggest you take anti-inflammatory medication. Of course since I like to keep with all-natural remedies as often as possible, I'd most likely go with a natural anti-inflammatory along the lines of New Zealand green lipped mussel extract.
In cases where teeth grinding is most likely the cause, a person may very well be instructed to make use of a unique type of mouth guard created specifically to prevent one from grinding one's teeth. On the other hand, if misaligned teeth are the underlying cause, dental work could possibly be unavoidable.
As stated before, there are several illnesses which might bring about joint pain along with headache, so if this is something you're enduring, then it is advisable you consult a medical doctor so that a correct diagnosis can be made.
