“I am experiencing pain in my facial muscles. What should I do?”
Since yesterday I am experiencing pain in my facial muscles and I am unsure why. It hurts when I talk. What can I do to treat this pain?
3 Answers
Complicated question. See a pain doctor or oral surgeon. Causes of pain in jaw can be:
1. TMJ (temporomandibular pain)
2. Shingles or nerve irritation in the facial nerve distributions mandibular or maxillary
3. Tooth abscess
4. Tooth pain
5. Nerve irritation in the neck that radiates to the jaw
6. From some form of throat cancer (rare)
See an orthodontist to evaluate and treat. If no Dx or relief, see a pain doctor. Make sure multiple causes are ruled out, i.e., teeth grinding, nerve irritation in the face, etc.
BOTTOM LINE, SEE SPECIALISTS TO RULE OUT MOST COMMON TMJ DENTAL, THEN FURTHER WORK-UP IF IT PERSISTS. NEED DOCTOR, ORTHODONTIST, ETC., TO SCREEN YOUR HX. PROBABLY SIMPLE, BUT SCREEN FOR HIGH RISK.
GOOD LUCK, HOPE I HELPED SOME. MOST LIKELY EASILY TREATABLE.
DR. W
1. TMJ (temporomandibular pain)
2. Shingles or nerve irritation in the facial nerve distributions mandibular or maxillary
3. Tooth abscess
4. Tooth pain
5. Nerve irritation in the neck that radiates to the jaw
6. From some form of throat cancer (rare)
See an orthodontist to evaluate and treat. If no Dx or relief, see a pain doctor. Make sure multiple causes are ruled out, i.e., teeth grinding, nerve irritation in the face, etc.
BOTTOM LINE, SEE SPECIALISTS TO RULE OUT MOST COMMON TMJ DENTAL, THEN FURTHER WORK-UP IF IT PERSISTS. NEED DOCTOR, ORTHODONTIST, ETC., TO SCREEN YOUR HX. PROBABLY SIMPLE, BUT SCREEN FOR HIGH RISK.
GOOD LUCK, HOPE I HELPED SOME. MOST LIKELY EASILY TREATABLE.
DR. W
Hello,
You may have masseter tension due to stress, grinding, or TMJ dysfunction. A nightly mouth guard, magnesium at night, meditation/de-stressing, and a muscle relaxant can be helpful if this is the case. In some instances, botox is used to relax the masseters.
Sincerely,
Nichelle C. Renk, M.D.
You may have masseter tension due to stress, grinding, or TMJ dysfunction. A nightly mouth guard, magnesium at night, meditation/de-stressing, and a muscle relaxant can be helpful if this is the case. In some instances, botox is used to relax the masseters.
Sincerely,
Nichelle C. Renk, M.D.
David Wahba
Pain Management Specialist
This could be muscle spasms or could be trigeminal neuralgia. Further physical exam findings would help answer
