Something strange....

[tigler]

happened to the right side of my jaw yesterday evening !! I was eating, as you do, chewing, as you do and suddenly the right side jaw joint (don't know the medical term) starting clicking really bad !! Then it started to hurt like hell if I tried to completely close my mouth as I chewed, clicking like hell at the same time ! Decided I should probably stop chewing then ! So I slowly opened and closed my mouth in an attempt to determine what it was.
Ii found that if I tried to fully close my jaws together there is a point where I can feel resistance on the right joint, any further and it clicked REALLY hard and was excruciatingly painful !
So I ate carefully to avoid closing my jaws fully and decided to wait until this morning to see if was some weird temporary thing.
It isn't, it's the same this morning but I don't dare to close jaws beyond that point of resistance.
Thing is, I've noticed that the right joint clicks sometimes, going back years, so I'm now wondering if a piece of bone has been broken in the past and has now freed itself and become jammed in the joint ? It's definitely not dislocated so I can't think of anything else it could be !
Problem is I can't recall any incident in the past that could have caused such a breakage, except, when I was about 15 I was attacked by a drunk whilst walking home from school, he punched me in the face and knocked me clean out ! It was on the right side. Could it be that ?!
I've made a doc's appointment but I'm dreading it, as I see surgery would be the only solution !

 

[pedrobedro]

Most likely a muscle thing, it happens to most people at some time. Move your jaw to the side and see if it still does it. If not stick to soup through a straw.

 

[tigler]

I've tried everything I can think of and I cannot fully close the jaws together, that resistance is preventing me doing that.
Surely a muscle wouldn't cause clicking though ?
I had a bad muscle spasm in my back last year but it was nothing like this. There is no pain or any other symptom until I try to close the jaws together past that resistance.
It's so weird and almost funny !

 

[Shox Dr]

I have the same thing, due to grinding my teeth, causing my jaw to move in a different arc. Some times I click when eating, sometimes not. And sometimes it can lockup, which is painfull

 

[gordon stephenson]

My bride number 1 had a similar thing with her right knee joint, Turned out to be a bit of bone that had broken off and was jamming her knee joint now and again,had surgery to pin it back on,that didn't work so they just removed it and chucked it away!!Hoping yours turns out to be an easy fix

 

[tigler]

So am I !! I'm sure it's a similar thing.

 

[W4yne]

Tigler! if in doubt? get it checked out! It may just be nothing more than "Arthur Itis"

 

[tigler]

Have made a docs appointment, I hope it isn't arthur itus !! I don't have that anywhere else !

 

[wheresmejumper]

have something similar with around 10 years.it goes through good and bad periods.
eating is the only difficult thing.sometimes yawning.
something simple like sleeping on one side of my face can aggrevate it.
it was a self inlicted problem originally

 

[rtbcomp]

Have your false teeth come loose?

 

[tigler]

Never thought of that

 

[R Kraft]

It may be TMJ

 

[Country Joe]

Hey, Mr Kraft, what's TMJ?
CJ

 

[tigler]

This, Temporomandibular joint disorder. Just had a look and it's ticking many of the boxes that I experienced, and some others which I hadn't associated with it.

 

[Weldinator]

I had the same sort of thing after a big ear operation which involved working on the top part of the jaw area.

Once i had healed up it never came back, however, these things can as we get older not quite heal up as well as it would have done when young.

Do you have a swelling type of feeling to the area ?

 

[Country Joe]

This, Temporomandibular joint disorder.

Never, ever heard of that one!

Once i had healed up it never came back, however, these things can as we get older not quite heal up as well as it would have done when young.

I trust you're not suggesting tigler is no longer in his first flush of youth, young man!

For what it's worth, Mrs Joe's jaw has made a bad loud cracking sound for as long as I can remember, but very rarely hurts.

All the Best,
CJ

 

[brightspark]

new section

THE DOC REPLIES next time im ill il ask on here will save me going to the surgery

 

[drjim]

Indeed it's your TMJ being awkward. Take some paracetamol if it hurts, eat soft food for a day or two - no big chewy steaks. If not settling see your Dentist who can check there's nothing wrong with your teeth leading to you moving your jaw differently.

Get people coming to A&E with it from time to time.

Jim

 

[Weldinator]

I dont know how old tigler is, i assume from his posts he's a bit older lol.

 

[cumbriasteve]

So far it's: A muscle thingy, a bit of broken bone, arthur itus, false teeth loose, grinding teeth, old age and Temporomandibular joint disorder.

I may be an old cynic but I am getting the slightest hint that a welding forum may not be the best place for medical diagnosis

Hope it's better soon before someone thinks of something really horrible.