TMJ Pain

A 37yo F has TMJ pain and head/neck tension. She tried a night guard and a facial massage with minor relief.

Main Signs/Symptoms:

• She is a self-proclaimed clencher/grinder, and this has gotten worse post-covid.

• She has tension throughout whole head - the vertex feels swollen and distended.

• Tension/pain changes throughout day; it’s not so much in the morning, but after breakfast/using her jaw, she starts to feel pressure/inflammation at a pain level of ~5/10.

• The pain level is 8/10 in the afternoon and 10/10 some nights.

Patient also presented with:

• Fatigue

• Hyperawareness: fight or flight mode is situational - work, driving, or being in a crowded area makes her anxious and “hyperaware”. Feels on edge, restless, fearful.

• Numbness in left hip & upper thigh

• Alternating loose stools/constipation

• Sinus pressure, trouble breathing through the nose

• Dry mouth

• Tinnitus

Dates of treatment:

5/23/25: She felt TMJ relief, more relaxed in her neck and back, less facial pain, & felt lighter as she walked out of treatment. Relief for 4 days. Then her symptoms fluctuated up and down.

Fatigue is better.

Anxiety is the same.

Energy is good as she starts to exercise again (pilates).

5/30/25: TMJ and facial tension from midface down to neck is much better. Gets to an 8/10 at the most now. Gets some temple to vertex pressure but is diminishing to a few times a week vs every day.

Started mouth taping, but doesn’t notice any changes with it yet.

Less stressed. Managing it better. 6/10

Fatigue is getting better. 6/10

6/23/25: less TMJ pain (2-3 days of pain) since last tx. More runny/soft stools, 2-3x/day, after eating. Less pressure in head, only in temples now (down to 6-7/10), only happens 2x/week (vs everyday when she came in). Starts midday, gets worse throughout the day.

Fatigue and anxiety have been the same since working 7d/week for the past 2 weeks (covering for someone).

Urination feels more frequent. Discomfort/pressure in stomach more often.

6/27/25: 1 day of ibuprofen for TMJ pain this week.

BM was runny, 3-4x/day, every time she eats (eating more greens). Anxiety and restlessness improved “a lot”. Tiredness comes after a full day of work and pilates. Felt pretty good this week. Less brain fog, clearer mind.

Urinary discomfort/pressure went away after last tx.

7/21/25: feels pretty good overall. No TMJ pain anymore. Jaw/head/temple tension is gone. Feels more SCM tightness than anything.

Feels like anxiety and restlessness has subsided.

Fatigue has lessened , doesn’t notice it as much.

Neck tension is the focus.

9/12/25: TMJ is no longer a problem. Here for digestion and sinuses. Pebbles to runny BM that is dependent on food. More constipated right now. Bloating, gas 4d/week; no pains.

Notices more ease with nose breathing since coming.

9/26/25: some stress at work - TMJ flare up yesterday with stress, 3-4/10. Otherwise, TMJ has not been bothering her. Dry mouth and skin lately.

No sinus issues since last visit - can breath deeper now.

Regular BMs - not as runny as they once were.

Energy levels are better.

9/29/25: TMJ went from 4/10 to a 2/10 after last visit. Dry mouth gone. Feeling good overall.

10/10/25: TMJ is ~1/10.

Just finished her period, so she had some body aches in her neck/shoulders.

Digestion is good. Back to “normal”.

Energy is good.

Slight stuffiness but able to breath through nose now.

Key takeaways:

• Acupuncture can be a viable option for TMJ pain. Especially when combined with tools such as a night guard or gua sha.

• Runny stools are not always a bad thing. Sometimes, increased circulation, fiber, or anti-pathogenic supplements/herbs can increase BMs as a way to clean out the body.

• There are always ebbs and flows in life. You can see the TMJ pain was not a problem for many weeks, and then a stressful time caused a little “flare”. Though this time, it was less painful and debilitating. The goal is to bring the pain ceiling down so that when life inevitably happens, the problem doesn’t get nearly as bad as before.