STRESS = Muscle Spasms and Physiotherapy

Ok, So I had my appointment with the Surgeon yesterday. He was running behind schedual and I have never seen so many people in his waiting room. There were 2 people who had just been discharged from hospital the day before and I felt their pain as they both sat their with extreme puffy faces and lips. Can't believe that was me 6 months ago, feels like a life time ago now! So much has been going on since May with finishing my degree and my work/internship.

There was also a few pre op patients waiting to see my surgeon before me. A young girl with a cleft palate, one with a very noticible underbite and a girl who looked around my age with an extreme overbite/recessed profile. She would difinietly have to be the most 'challenging' (I don't like to say worse) case I've ever seen. When she looked down, at her phone, her face seemed to dissapear completely into her neck, it was almost like she was missing the entire lower half of her face! her lower jaw was so far back from her top jaw and she really had NO chin. I really don't know how she eats at all, poor girl :( I thought my chin was non-exsistent, well take my pre-op profile and exaggerate it even MORE!! Besides the fact that she does have a VERY weak profile and will definietly need a double Osteotomy and Genioplasty, she was actaullay really naturaly pretty! I would love to see her post op results.

Anyways so the reasons why I am getting pain and tightness in my right TMJ is because I am experiencing muscle spasms in that area. This is mainly caused by stress, fatigue and posture. The last few weeks had been mayhem for me with finishing my major work for graduation and I have been doing alot of computer work also. Because I have been stressed and tired I have not been relaxing my jaw properly and it has been clenched during the day and at night, thus relsulting in muscle spasms. I also have a twitching (muscle spasm) eye at the moment, which is also another sign of being under extreme stress. Basically the surgeon said everything is fine with the position of my jaw/bite and that the noise that I am hearing in my right ear is grating from the TMJ joint, but should only be temporary. To fix these symptons, I will need to start Physiotherapy ASAP as gentle muscle streching, mobilisation, massage and exercise helps to reduce pain and stiffness in the jaw joint and improve the strength, range of motion and posture of muscle around the joint. When I get my braces off on the 12th December, my Orthodontist will provide me with contact details for my nearest physio who specialises in jaw related therapy.

I am extremely happy that nothing siginificant has happened with my jaw, I was freaking out that the right side of my jaw had shifted or that the screws and plates had become loose! (apparently that came happen!!) I am on a 'semi' soft food diet untill my braces come off in 2 weeks. I need to try and relax my jaw as much as I can, so I'm staying away from food that requries a lot of effort to chew. Now that uni is finished, I will have a bit more time to relax over the Christmas period. I don't have a full time job yet, but thinking I wll take a break from job hunting till the new year as my body really needs time to REST after a very hectic year.