Alternatives?

Davide and I spent hours and hours, days in a row, searching for anything that would reduce my TMJ pain, an alternative to the excessive use of drugs. An alternative that could give us back a little of our life prior to the arthrocentesis - no pain, no medication side-effects, no frustrations. And especially, an alternative that would allow me to follow my dream (the IODP scientific cruise in Japan) and grab the opportunities that I had been offered recently (summer internship in Norway). We found a chiropractic clinic close to where we live, offering acute and chronic pain relief through the use of neurostimulation technology (InterX therapy). We arranged an appointment for the following week (January 31st, 2012), hoping the chiropractor B. M. would be able to help me.

Usually in B. M.'s clinic, the initial consultation and examination (including X-rays) is one hour long, followed by a second appointment where the findings are reported, and a treatment plan is proposed. However, my initial consultation took almost two hours, and I still had to go back to the clinic on the following day for more physical examinations and X-rays. I was not the first patient with TMJ disorder that B. M. had seen, but I was definitely his worst case.

TMJ MRI scans

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a radiology technique used to visualise in detail internal structures of the body. MRI scanners produce strong magnetic fields and radio waves that interact with atoms that make up certain substances, making them detectable by the scanner. This type of scan is especially used for soft tissue imaging, being quite effective to diagnose health conditions that affect organs, muscle tissues, bones and joints.

So far, I had three MRI scans in order to check the condition of my TMJs. The first one was back in 2005, requested by my first oral-maxillofacial surgeon in Portugal. The other TMJ MRIs were done in November 2010 and November 2011, both at Cardiff University Hospital under Mr. C.'s care.

Fortunately, I didn't have to pay of any of these. The health insurance I had in Portugal covered the first MRI expenses. The last two were done free of charge, thanks to the welsh public health system. The waiting time can considerably long through the NHS (National Health Service). However, depending on the severity of the health condition in question, it might be preferable to wait a few months than to pay the full cost of the scan.  MRIs are really expensive, generally priced above £200 (UK).

Although a MRI is a safe and harmless procedure, it may be quite uncomfortable, and it is certainly painful for people affected by TMJ disorders. Therefore, it is best to be prepared and to know what to expect beforehand.