Pain in the head and face can occur due a variety of conditions including all types of headaches, an underlying infection in the sinuses, teeth, or jaw. Nerve inflammation and muscle spasms in the neck, jaw or face can also cause significant head and face pain.
The type of pain might be burning, dull, throbbing, or sharp, constantly, or intermittently. The discomfort might be associated with numbness, tingling, weakness, or nausea. Common head and facial pain causes include TMJ disorders, neuralgias (nerve pain), migraine and tension headaches and myofascial pain syndrome.
A common cause of head and facial pain that Dr. Britney Green addresses frequently at The Strong Ties Oral Health Clinic are temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders. Located on both sides of the head right in front of the ears, the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is where the lower jaw connects to the skull.
This important joint is responsible for allowing you to eat and speak by opening and closing the jaw. Causes range from teeth grinding to arthritis or structural problems from birth within the jaw itself.
Symptoms of TMJ include:
Treatments for TMJ and Facial Pain include:
