Are You Suffering With Jaw Pain?
If you’ve been told your only option for jaw pain is steroid injections or invasive surgery, then minimally invasive regenerative alternatives could can help you get your lifestyle back.
Your jaw joint is actually called your temporomandibular joint, or TMJ for short. It’s in front of each ear linking your lower jaw – the mandible – to the temporal bone at the bottom of your skull. Its complex sliding and hinging action enables you to open and close your mouth, and move your jaw backwards, forwards and sideways. Between the two bones is a tough, rubbery disc called a meniscus and many TMJ problems are the result of damage or displacement of this disc. Not surprisingly, it gets a lot of use as you talk, eat and yawn – roughly one in ten people in the UK experience problems with it. They can develop at any age, but happen most often between 20 and 40, and are more common in women.
What are the symptoms of TMJ damage?
It can sometimes be difficult to tell that you’re suffering with a TMJ disorder because you often feel pain in your ear. Many people also don’t realise the TMJ joint can develop the same diseases as any other in your body, such as arthritis.
Symptoms include:
- pain and tenderness of your jaw joint
- pain spreading up the side of your head/face and into your neck
- clicking when you open and close your jaw
- locking of your jaw either open or closed
- pain when eating or yawning
- pain in and around your ear.
Our renowned medical team provides a range of treatments, from the traditional to the innovative:
Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate (BMAC) is a non-surgical, minimally invasive, regenerative treatment that harnesses the natural ability to heal the body through the assistance of biological growth factors. BMAC utilises the regenerative stem cells collected from bone marrow to aid in the acceleration of healing moderate to severe osteoarthritis and tendon injuries. Read more here.
This is an effective and well-researched procedure that’s a potential alternative to surgery. It takes advantage of the blood’s natural healing properties to reduce pain and improve joint function. It uses a specially concentrated dosage of platelets prepared from your own blood to repair damaged cartilage, tendons, ligaments, muscle and bone. Treatment is administered via an injection and depending on the injury two to six injections may be required, performed at weekly intervals. Patients usually see their symptoms improve within four to six weeks of having the injections. PRP is a safe treatment option which, because your own blood is used, carries no risk of allergic reaction. Read more clinical evidence supporting PRP here.
For pain relief, injections can be more effective than an oral medication because they deliver medication directly to the exact anatomic location that is generating the pain. Typically, a steroid medication is injected to deliver a powerful anti-inflammatory solution directly to the area causing pain.
If you’re interested in seeing any of our specialists, please leave an enquiry via the form below.