Myofacial Pain/Neck Pain, Face Pain

[lajp]

So, I got my braces adjusted a few weeks ago with IPR on lower anterior teeth and boy did that hurt like a MF for a week or so. ALSO power chain on the lower arch, and new elastics configuration. Bright side, I got to pick colors!

But since then my jaw as gone back to popping here and there and my neck hurts and my face just like aches. Is this expected since my jaw is moving? Like it feels as though it's getting worse but is it "getting worse" because it is actually moving and adjusting?

Anyone else experience this? And if so, how did you manage the pain of headaches, stiff neck/neck pain, and my face hurts and don't say "well it's killing me" lol.

[wendydong]

My TMJ issue also ebbs and flows during braces. Some days it's better, some.days it's worse.

I would bring up your issue with the Doctor. Of course, I brought it up once with my current ortho, but he replied with just "hmmm" and didn't provide much response

When I was getting a second opinion from another ortho couple days ago, he mentioned that couple of my teeth were hitting the top of my.bottom brackets, and that's the reason for my worsened TMJ

He said I should ask my current ortho to file down the bottom bracket. ..

Also, I could get a non fitted night guard from drug stores and keep my teeth grinding on the bracket

[assertives]

I had the neck pain, face aches and headaches. I didn't really get the jaw popping or hurting though. For me, it hurt the most in that week after some of my adjustments. Then it went away on it's own. I didn't do anything special or extra for it, I just toughed it out. My ortho didn't quite believe I had all that pain from braces.

[lajp]

Thanks wendydong. Good to know that other people have their TMJ issues ebb and flow as well. Oh yeah the bite thing makes sense. I have those bite blocks "tooth pillows" that make it so I cannot hit my brackets directly enough to knock them off I suppose. That sucks the ortho just dismissed it.

Thanks assertives. Yeah the face pain is the weirdest part in terms of pain/ache locations. Neck and head suck but seem expected. Then when my face started aching (on/off now) I was like whut... am I doing something wrong? Sleeping on my face? Lol.

[Braceblues]

Hi lajp,

I am 3 1/3 months in braces and get all of the same things right now. It started at the 3 month mark when I had wire changes. I started with crooked teeth and very bad bite and front teeth behind lower teeth. She is still trying to straighten two more teeth but right now my teeth are at their worst which I think are causing all my tmj pain. My jaw pops on one side. I don’t really have any idea what to do or take for it but if you find something please let me know. I just wanted to let you know I am getting the same thing as you.

[lajp]

Thanks for sharing! Good to know.

What sometimes helps me (not consistently so it's really hit and miss) is making sure I don't lean my face into my hand which is easy to do when I am studying and sleeping on a side of my face on my hand at night (vs naps) seems to affect it.

[wendydong]

Thanks for sharing! Good to know.

What sometimes helps me (not consistently so it's really hit and miss) is making sure I don't lean my face into my hand which is easy to do when I am studying and sleeping on a side of my face on my hand at night (vs naps) seems to affect it.

wow, this is exactly what i did, or rather stopped doing. I stopped sleeping with my hand under my face, seems to help a little bit..

[Braceblues]

Hi lajp,

Thanks for telling me that. I am guilty of doing both. So I guess I won’t be leaning or laying on my hand anymore.