Why won’t my Doctor treat my TMD?
Are you having trouble getting treatment for TMD? You’re not alone.
TMD stands for temporomandibular disorder/dysfunction, a group of disorders which includes issues with the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Symptoms may include having trouble opening your mouth wide enough, or feeling pain in your jaw when you open. There may be a clicking sound when you open your jaw, sometimes or all the time. It may be related to clenching or grinding your teeth while you sleep.
There is a complex relationship between TMD, migraine, and other headache disorders. It’s very important that your doctor be aware of TMD issues as your headaches are treated, because solving one problem may help solve the other. So – why are so many patients not being helped?
In an interview published by NeurologyAdvisor, Dr. Paul G. Mathew explained that many patients aren’t aware that there are good treatments available for their TMD. Some doctors aren’t really aware of the strong connection between migraine and TMD, and don’t know which questions to ask. Worse, some doctors simply tell patients that they don’t treat it, and move on to the next thing.
As many of us know from experience, we’re sometimes so focused on the “headache” that we don’t spend too much time on other lesser symptoms. So we may intentionally not mention these “smaller” issues to our doctors – or maybe we just don’t think of it. Sometimes we’re just not aware of the relationship between the different kinds of pain or discomfort.
But that needs to change, because TMD can have a major impact on migraine symptoms. It may also be related to sleep disorders, which can have a major affect on migraine and other headache conditions.
If you’re ready to get serious about looking into TMD and its treatment, check out this interview with two experts. Dr. Matthew, mentioned above, is a headache, sports concussion and neurology specialist. Dr. Steven D. Bender is a dentist, Director of Facial Pain and Sleep Medicine with the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Texas A&M College of Dentistry.
Here’s the interview: Experts Weigh in on Evaluating, Treating Comorbid Migraine and Temporomandibular Dysfunction