One of the most common causes of facial joint and neck pain is temporomandibular joint dysfunction, or TMJ. Craniomandibular dysfunction, or CMD, is another common condition that causes headaches, jaw pain, facial discomfort and migraines, report doctors at the Michigan TMJ/Headache Institute. Although the causes are not always easily identifiable, there are treatments available.
Identification
Oftentimes jaw and neck pain result after years of use and misuse. If the jaw and teeth develop out of place, a misalignment creates pain. Doctors at the Michigan TMJ/Headache Institute report that most people use their jaws more than 5,000 times a day to talk, eat and swallow. The repetition often creates the misalignment. Facial and neck pain also may be the result of nerve damage or a trauma or injury.
Considerations
The first line of defense to treat facial, jaw and neck pain should be noninvasive therapy, report doctors at the National Institutes of Health's MedlinePlus website. Physical therapy and changing daily habits can relieve many instances of jaw and neck pain. Stretching and massaging the muscles and joints of the neck and face can help to relieve tension that causes pain.
Options
A condition called trigeminal neuralgia, or tic douloureux, is a neurological disorder common in women over 50, report doctors at the Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch. It is caused by pressure on a small nerve that runs from the spine up the neck. Pain is usually intermittent, though it can be quite severe in the jaw, forehead or cheek. Medications are used first to treat the nerve damage.
Over-the-counter pain medication also can be used to treat TMJ symptoms. Coupled with cold packs and moist heat, regular weekly facial exercises also can alleviate the symptoms.
Prevention/Solution
Through the use of orthopedic appliances that are custom-made for the mouth, a misaligned jaw can be corrected. Patients wear the equipment over their teeth when they sleep to slowly help reposition the jaw and decompress the stress that has resulted from the dislocation. According to MedlinePlus, the long-term use of orthopedic appliances is not recommended because they can change the bite too drastically.
Potential
When noninvasive therapies fail, surgery often is required. The nerve damage caused by tic douloureux is treated with surgery that treats the nerve with radio frequencies and heat. A more invasive surgery sometimes is performed that involves drilling a small hole in the skull and removing the cause of the pressure on the nerve. Dentists at the American Academy of Craniofacial Pain report that dental surgery often is required to reshape the placement of the teeth with bridges, crowns and extractions.
