Posted by Pete on October 16, 2001 at 07:30:10:
During some research on the web about Temporomandibular joint(TMJ) disorders I read that it can cause muscle spasms in the face because the muscles work harder to compensate for a bad bite. Have any of you had any experiences with a TMJ disorder and had it affect your playing in some way? Would you mind sharing your experiences and how it affected your playing?
I am now having some pretty uncomfortable pains in my jaw area and have made an appointment with an oral surgeon. I had thought it was my wisdom teeth doing something funky in there, and they were all impacted so I had them yanked out and gave the holes time to heal, but no changes. This has been going on and off for a while but it is now apparent that I need to tend to it quickly. It seems to affect me most when the horn is on my face constantly like my personal practice sessions. When playing in an ensemble situation I am not bothered so much yet because I have rest periods, especially with the orchestra.
Thanks
Pete