There are many symptoms of TMJ disorders that can present themselves in a variety of ways. The abbreviation “TMJ” literally refers to the joint but is often used to mean any disorders or symptoms of the jaw joint region. Many TMJ related symptoms are caused by the effects of physical and emotional stress while others can be caused by trauma to the head, neck or jaw.

If you grind or clench your teeth, you might become the victim of a TMJ-induced headache or migraine. Stress from the movement of your jaw muscles can have a chain reaction effect on the rest of your head, causing widespread pain. Thankfully, there are treatment options available to people who suffer from this pain.

Neck pain associated with TMD is often triggered by some sort of trauma, ranging from clenching your teeth to getting hit in the jaw. You might feel neck pain from opening your mouth too widely or chewing. Even emotional stress can cause your neck to ache.

TMJ disorders can cause pain and discomfort ranging from mild and infrequent to severe and constant. TMD is typically a progressive condition. Depending on the symptoms and level of pain, treatment may differ from person to person. Treatment can also be addressed through different options based on the suspected causes.

Sleep apnea is a condition characterized by temporary breathing interruptions during sleep. The pauses in breathing can occur dozens or even hundreds of times a night. The result of this interrupted breathing pattern is severely fragmented sleep, as the individual must wake up enough to regain muscle control in the throat and to reopen the airway. You may have sleep apnea if you snore loudly and you feel tired even after a full night’s sleep.