OROFACIAL PAIN

What is facial pain?

We have seen many patients in our practice who complain of persistent pain in their faces, ears, teeth, and/or jaws. Their pain is often accompanied by tightness and soreness in their jaw and facial muscles, difficulty opening their mouths, difficulty chewing due to pain, and sometimes, burning and tingling in their face and lips. Others have lingering headaches that have defied diagnosis.

Why Facial Pain Is Often Misunderstood & Misdiagnosed

You Have Referred Pain

Referred pain occurs when the location of the pain is not where the pain is actually coming from. The most familiar example is when people experience pain in their left arm just before or during a heart attack. They feel pain in their arm, but the problem is actually in their heart. Referred facial pain is often the reason that treatment fails and pain continues.

The Intensity Of Your Pain Has Been Misinterpreted

Your facial pain may have become so intense that you’re convinced that something is terribly wrong with you. Although the intensity of symptoms often has nothing to do with the seriousness of a problem, some doctors will order lots of medical tests, which can cause you tremendous anxiety while you wait for the results. If the test results showed nothing wrong, your initial relief is replaced by, “My face still hurts; what’s wrong with me?”

The Connection Between Emotions And Pain

Emotions and stress can cause muscles to become fatigued and tense, which results in significant pain. Not only can the concept be difficult for patients to understand, but many doctors are also unwilling to explain the connection between emotions and pain adequately. This is why it’s been so difficult for you to find appropriate treatment for your facial pain.