Pain in my Jaw

[JeremyScott]

The right side of my jaw is causing me a lot of pain as of the last couple days. I can't open or close my mouth too much without really feeling the hurt. The housemate has suggested it could be a stress issue. On the other hand, my mother has had some issues with TMJ, so I may have some sort of genetic predisposition. But if it's not, what kind of doctor would one consult to diagnose/treat TMJ? If this doesn't go away in the next week, I definitely want to get it looked and get the TMJ pain treatment done.
Have any of you have gone through anything similar before? If yes, then please share your experience.

 

[JanAtheCPA]

On the other hand, my mother has had some issues with TMJ, so I may have some sort of genetic predisposition.

Hi Jeremy:

I'm not entirely sure you realize that this forum is for TMS - Tension Myositis Syndrome, and that the work we do here is based on the findings and theories of Dr. John Sarno, MD.

However, your roommate, without knowing it, seems to have connected TMJ with what we call TMS, and he wouldn't be wrong.

If you do a keyword search on "TMJ" on this forum, you will find plenty of discussions about TMJ being the result of stress and muscle clenching.

Mind you, it's important to get any physical symptom checked out by a medical professional so you can rule out a physical cause before deciding to work on the problem as TMS. But TMS is what we work on here, not TMJ.

Along with seeing the right kind of doctor (see the discussions, or maybe someone who knows will respond) also be sure that you've read one of Dr. Sarno's books so you know what we're talking about on this forum when we talk about TMS! I recommend The Divided Mind (available everywhere).

As for your mother - we often joke about "inherited TMS" here. That's because anxious, perfectionist, people-pleasing personality types tend to raise anxious, perfectionist, and people-pleasing offspring - and TMS is the result of those personality traits.