TMJ Pain Treatment

Anyone who has lived with chronic pain understands what a toll it can take on all aspects of life. TMJ (temporomandibular joint) pain is no exception. The TMJ is located on each side of the head where the jaw meets the skull. It is used during eating, talking, and swallowing. TMJ pain can make even these basic functions difficult and uncomfortable. But you don't have to live with debilitating TMJ pain – there's an innovative new solution: BOTOX®. Dr. Ashwani Singh has the skill to perform this TMJ pain treatment in Edmonton.

To learn more about treating your TMJ pain, request a complimentary consultation online or call us at (780) 428-9333 to schedule a time to meet with Dr. Singh.

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Before TMJ Pain Treatment	After TMJ Pain Treatment


Before TMJ Pain Treatment	After TMJ Pain Treatment

BOTOX Cosmetic is FDA-approved for the treatment of wrinkles and most patients in Edmonton use BOTOX Cosmetic for wrinkles. Yet, many physicians have discovered that it can do much more. These "off label" uses of BOTOX are exciting and have the potential to provide vast improvement for excessive sweating, migraine headaches, TMJ pain, and more. However, off-label uses of BOTOX require the medical knowledge of an experienced physician. Dr. Singh is such a physician, and he has even been recognized as an advanced injector by Allergan (the maker of BOTOX) and trains other physicians about proper injection technique.

TMJ Pain Basics

Although the causes of TMJ pain can be complex and multi-faceted, a contributing factor can be dysfunction of the masseter muscles. These muscles are essential for movement of the jaw, but can become hypertrophic (enlarged), especially in patients who clench or grind their teeth. Evidence suggests that hypertrohpic masseter muscles contribute to TMJ pain.

Various treatments have been suggested to eliminate or alleviate TMJ pain. These range from non-invasive self-care (such as diet adjustments) to irreversible surgery. For most patients, none of these options were ideal. Now, BOTOX has become a recognized treatment for TMJ pain caused by hypertrophic masseter muscles. It is covered by most 3rd party insurance companies.

TMJ Pain Treatments

To treat TMJ pain, BOTOX will be injected directly into the masseter muscle on each side of the head. Once injected, BOTOX will reduce the force with which the muscle contracts and ease the TMJ pain. Several treatments may be necessary to achieve the desired improvement. Results are temporary, but they can be maintained up to 6 months with repeated treatments.

For some patients, this procedure offers the potential for cosmetic enhancement as well. This is because BOTOX injections in the masseter soften the appearance of a square jaw. In fact, many people (especially those of Asian descent) are choosing the procedure for its aesthetic benefits alone.

Real Patients of CosMedics

I went to Dr. Singh after reading about BOTOX being able to relieve the tension, headaches, and jaw pain resulting from TMJ. After treatment, there was literally no down time, and I experienced the results almost immediately the next morning after. Dr. Singh and his assistant Heather were amazing, and answered all of the questions that I was nervous about. I told Dr. Singh that I was very afraid of needles, and he was able to administer the injections with absolutely zero pain. I would highly recommend both his procedure and Dr. Singh as I could not be happier with my results.

Some days it was too much. I have been in several not-at-fault car accidents, and I suffer from facial pain daily (the other injuries are not relevant to here). I have been given anti-inflammatory medication, but even the types of these medications that aren't supposed to upset the stomach upset mine, which means more pain, plus nausea. I have been prescribed Gabapentin, but it only worked well when taken in larger doses, and the side effects were quite unpleasant. I have a very expensive mouth splint, which helps, for sure, but it doesn't take all of the pain away. And opiate pain medication is not a long term solution.

A while ago, while surfing the web, I came across a site that promoted BOTOX for jaw pain. My general understanding was that BOTOX stops muscles from contracting so much, so it made sense to me that BOTOX would reduce or prevent "clenching," which seemed to be the major cause of the pain, and more clenching equals more pain. More pain brings on more clenching, which increases the pain; and so on.

I went for the BOTOX treatment and was very pleasantly surprised by the outcome. I was clench free! Needless to say, it took very little time to appreciate this virtually pain free state. However, I didn't really realize the breadth of the success of the treatment until, down the road, when it started to wear off. At first the returning clenching was manageable. Soon, it was really bad again, which is when I clearly knew the difference between having the BOTOX treatment and not having it. The pain peaked over a week end, and I called Monday morning to see if they could get me ASAP. Dr. Singh squeezed me in, which was awesome.

It is also worth noting that the BOTOX treatments got rid of pain in other areas of my face as well. I am very thankful to have found this great, side effect free way to reduce the pain in my face.