The 17 Most Common TMJ Symptoms

Who Gets TMJ?

It is estimated that 9% or 1 in ever 12 of all people in the United States suffer with Temporomandibular Disorder, or what is commonly known as TMJ. TMJ is at least twice as common in females than males, and most popular amongst ages 20 to 40.

As it turns out, 90% of all TMJ patients are women who are in their childbearing years. Sadly, many people in pain don’t realize they even have TMJ, and never seek out treatment.

The good news is TMJ is treatable and can even be curable for many people by a TMJ Specialist with noninvasive (non-surgical) solutions. But, we’ll get back to that in a minute.

There are a wide range of symptoms associated with TMJ. Perhaps you are experiencing some. Here are 17 of the most common ones.

The 17 Most Common TMJ Symptoms

1. Migraines
2. Shoulder pain
3. Facial pain
4. Earaches
5. Tinnitus
6. Neck pain
7. Jaw stiffness
8. Headaches
9. Toothache
10. Aching pain by ear
11. Trouble chewing or pain while chewing
12. Locking jaw joint
13. Jaw popping or clicking
14. Malocclusion (misalignment) of the jaw
15. Dizziness
16. Decreased hearing
17. Hyperacusis – Hypersensitivity to sound

As you can see, there’s a wide variety of symptoms associated with TMJ. So many so, that it can be quite tricky for most people to self diagnose their own TMJ. That’s where a free consultation with a  TMJ specialist can be most helpful. With just a quick 15 minute virtual consultation (you stay in the comfort of you r own home), one of our TMJ Specialists can meet with you, diagnose your case, and provide a plan on how to best treat you for your pain and discomfort.

Risk Factors of Untreated TMJ

Some people might want to delay getting treatment for their TMJ, but if they do, they run the risks of losing sleep, losing money (calling off of work because of pain), getting vertigo, experiencing continual tinnitus, losing hearing, decreasing quality of life and damaging muscles, tendons and cartilage that lead to nerve damage, permanent jaw dislocation or arthritis.

Common Causes of TMJ

So what causes TMJ? TMJ be caused by a variety of factors that can include bruxism (jaw clenching and/or teeth grinding), arthritis in the jaw joint (TMJ), suffering a jaw injury (dislocated or broken jaw), stress, and Malocclusion (misaligned teeth).

How We Treat Your TMJ

At TMJ and Sleep Disorders of MI, we have a variety of solutions that may help eliminate your TMJ altogether.  Our most common noninvasive solutions include cold laser therapy, prolotherapy, trigger point injections, dermal filler injection therapy, and natural therapy. To read more in-depth about our TMJ solutions, be sure to read our TMJ Solutions article.

If you think you might have TMJ, we would love to help and meet with you for a free consultation. To book your free 15 minute TMJ consultation, simply click this link and select the date and time on the calendar that is best for you.

Either Dr. Jerry Mulder or Dr. Allyson Mulder will meet be at your virtual consultation. At that time, you can ask all your burning questions so come prepared.