Jaw pain (also in ear and neck)

It is not unusual to wake up one morning with or on both sides of the jaw, which is worsened by any gesture that causes us to open our mouth, such as yawning or especially chewing, and which rarely improves spontaneously, which sometimes does.

These annoyances are due to alterations of the jaw joints or the muscles that surround it, which in medicine is known as Temporo-Mandibular Syndrome (STM) or Costen Syndrome.

Uses of the temporomandibular joint

The temporo-mandibular joint receives that name because it is the joint where the mandible connects with the skull in the temporal bones, located on both sides of the head.

Its basic function is allow us to open and close our mouths, being one of the most used joints in our body. The we constantly use when chewing, talking, swallowing, yawning, etc. To locate it and explore its operation, we must press with our fingers in front of each ear, while opening and closing our mouths.

Temporo-mandibular tension syndrome symptoms

A high percentage of the population suffers from it, around 80 percent, and the typical patient would be a woman of middle age (between 30 and 50 years old). This syndrome is characterized by a varied range of manifestations:

• Ear pain: pain in one or both ears, one or both temporomandibular joints, which may radiate to the jaw, face, throat or the nape, neck or shoulders and which may be worse when chewing, yawning or opening the mouth.
• Popping: cracking, grinding sounds with jaw movement.
• Tinnitus: perception of noise in the ears (ringing or buzzing)
• RigidityDifficulty when opening the mouth fully, with a <> sensation of the jaw while trying to open or close the mouth or when chewing.
• muscle spasm in and around the jaw area
• Difficulty chewing, swallowing, and opening your mouth
• Feeling of congestion in the ear
• Head noises
• pains in the head and neck region.
• Swelling in the joint area and numbness of the skin of the face, itching in the ear canal, itchy throat or dry mouth.

Causes of pain

On many occasions the exact origin of MTS is unknown. There are various causes that can lead to injuries to the temporo-mandibular joint, including:

• Stress causes excessive tension in the jaw muscles, which results in pain and discomfort on both sides of the face.
• Related to dental disorders, such as the misalignment between the lower and upper teeth or the, which consists of the involuntary habit of clenching or grinding the teeth unconsciously and which can also cause headaches, jaw, neck and ear.
• arthritis and osteoarthritis are two processes that affect the temporo-mandibular joint and that cause a limitation of movement of the joint.
• Direct trauma to head, neck and jawAs well as injuries produced by sudden movements in the absence of direct impact, such as whiplash, which are typical of traffic accidents, can cause STM.

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