Posted by Annie (169.207.90.97) on July 18, 1999 at 01:33:02:
In Reply to: TMJ posted by Donald A. Bradley on July 17, 1999 at 19:41:42:
Hi all. I too have TMJ, and while the TMJ can flare up
independently of the CH, and not CAUSE a CH, when I
have a CH it makes the jaw ache, and the pain radiates
into the jaw joint, into my teeth on that side
(same side as CH). Probably there is just too much pain
in a CH for the brain to contain it all so it spills
over. One thing I found that REALLY helps TMJ is
using one of those pillows you see advertised on late nite
TV, with some sort of seed hulls for stuffing instead
of foam or feathers. This pillow sort of conforms
to the shape of your neck and jaw and head, and so your
neck vertebrae remain straight and aligned instead of the
top of the head tipping down. The jaw remains supported and does not relax
into slackness in sleep, which means the muscles don't
automatically clench to keep it in place nor does the jaw
joint pop out of place in your sleep if you move wrong.
I bought mine at a Walgreens for about $20 and it is an
probably one of the best investments I've made in my
sleep quality. You could probably find something
similar at a futon shop since I believe the principle is a
Japanese invention.
Annie