Facial Pain – Muscular Pain
Facial pain in the head and neck area can emanate not only from the jaw joints, but also from muscles, tendons, or ligaments. Any pain in the head and neck area that is not related to a tooth is more than likely coming from disturbances in the surrounding musculature or the associated nerves. This group of disorders falls under the general umbrella of TMJ disorders.
Trigger Point – Tender Muscles
If there is an imbalance in the musculature because of overuse, over time the muscles overdevelop and become tender. These tender points develop into nodules called “Trigger Points“. And for those people who have these, they can tell you how painful they are. But there are many other stages the muscles will go thru before developing a trigger point. Initially, the muscles will be sore and tight. They may cause limitations in the movements because of the pain they cause. The terms often used to describe the pain associated with trigger points are deep, penetrating, sharp, jabbing, and constant.
Limited Range of Motion
With facial pain, there is often a reduction in the range of motion. Very similar to having sore muscles elsewhere in the body, the movement is limited because any movement causes pain. And as the movement approaches its extremes (opening wide) the pain and tightness are felt the most.
These patients often visit the dentist to report their pain. But sometimes a tooth is mistaken as the culprit. These cases will see no resolution of the pain after therapy because the pain wasn’t caused by a tooth.
Dr. Eslampour has specialized training in treating patients with facial pain. Contact us now for your appointment.