Teeth grinding is another issue frequently experienced by those of us with FM. For this reason, I had my dentist make me a mouth guard, which I'm embarrassed to say I don't wear every night. Grinding wears down tooth enamel, can cause teeth to break, and exacerbates the pain of TMJ.
For people who suffer from fibromyalgia, performing even the simplest tasks can produce agonizing pain. Facial and jaw pain could result from something as common as chewing, yawning, or talking. Experiencing this pain on a daily basis, multiple times per day, may lead fibromyalgia sufferers to brace their jaw muscles.
FM patients may present with numerous oral complaints, such as xerostomia, glossodynia, and dysgeusia. Xerostomia, known as dry mouth, is a subjective sensation of dryness in the mouth, which often accompanies salivary gland hypofunction.
According to research administered by the National Institutes of Health, fibromyalgia patients have a high incidence of TMJ disorder and exhibit classic TMJ symptoms such as clicking or popping sounds during mouth movement, along with facial pain and muscle pain in the head and neck.
It can present as headaches, and difficulty with opening and closing the mouth. Stress has a major impact on both fibromyalgia and TMJD. Stress can cause some to clench or grind their teeth, causing continued stress on the muscles and the TMJ, making both joint and muscular TMJD worse.
Bruxism can be associated with some mental health and medical disorders, such as Parkinson's disease, dementia, gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), epilepsy, night terrors, sleep-related disorders such as sleep apnea, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Jaw and facial pain
It's possible for fibromyalgia to be linked to pain in the muscles of the jaw and face (temporomandibular joint disorder) or to myofascial (skeletal muscle) pain in one part of the body. Such occurrences could be considered forms of regional or localized or incomplete fibromyalgia.
Extreme sensitivity. Fibromyalgia can make you extremely sensitive to pain all over your body, and you may find that even the slightest touch is painful. If you hurt yourself, such as stubbing your toe, the pain may continue for much longer than it normally would.
Dry eyes: A relatively common eye problem due to fibromyalgia is dry eyes. The mucous membranes in the nose, mouth, and eyes can dry up. Dry eyes can be especially uncomfortable for people who wear contact lenses. Using eye drops with vitamin A can help to keep your eyes moist and alleviate discomfort.
Crohn's Disease
It has a variety of symptoms and effects, but it can also impact your dental health. Crohn's Disease can cause swelling in your mouth, particularly in your gums. It is uncomfortable and can lead to shifting teeth. Plus, you become prone to mouth ulcers which are excessively uncomfortable.
What causes bruxism? Oral health specialists often point to too much stress and certain personality types as causes of bruxism. Bruxism often affects people with nervous tension, such as anger, pain, or frustration. It also affects people with aggressive, hurried, or overly competitive tendencies.
Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are disorders of the jaw muscles, temporomandibular joints, and the nerves associated with chronic facial pain. Any problem that prevents the complex system of muscles, bones, and joints from working together in harmony may result in temporomandibular disorder.
Avoid foods that require heavy chewing or jaw widening; Use thermal therapies like warm compresses or ice packs to ease jaw stiffness and pain; Practice relaxation techniques to reduce stress in your life; Ask about muscle relaxants or other medications that might help.
Does TMJ show up on brain MRI? TMJ does not typically show up on a brain MRI scan. This is because TMJ affects the jaw joint and surrounding muscles, which are located outside the brain.
For example, trigger points in the masseter muscles cause jaw pain, temporalis trigger points cause temple headaches, and the sternocleidomastoid trigger points cause neck and ear pain. TMD can cause these symptoms in patients with fibromyalgia.
Previous studies have repeatedly found distinct brain morphometric changes in patients with fibromyalgia (FM), mainly affecting gray and white matter abnormalities in areas related to sensory and affective pain processing.
Physical and emotional stress are the most common triggers of fibromyalgia flares. Other triggers include lack of sleep, weather changes, and hormone imbalances.
Fibromyalgia is often triggered by an event that causes physical stress or emotional (psychological) stress. Possible triggers include: a serious injury, such as after a car accident. an infection, such as Epstein-Barr virus or Lyme disease.
Fibromyalgia (fi·bro·my·al·gi·a) is a condition that causes pain all over the body, also called widespread pain. Fibromyalgia also causes sleep problems, fatigue, and emotional and mental distress.
Unfortunately, fibromyalgia is still a somewhat controversial diagnosis, because it is not yet fully understood and its symptoms can overlap with many other conditions.
The symptoms can be similar, but people with fibromyalgia are more likely to experience depression, irritable bowel syndrome, and widespread, persistent pain. Symptoms more common with MS include weakness, vision problems, muscle spasms, and bowel or bladder issues.