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Chronic Pain Research Alliance Praises Scheduling of Historic Senate Hearing

HELP Committee to Examine Ways to Tackle Epidemic of Chronic Pain, Builds on Landmark 2011 Institute of Medicine Study

2011−A Year We're Proud of and Our Plans for 2012

A Paradigm Shift. We’ve argued for some time that Temporomandbiluar Disorders (TMD) are not just about teeth and jaws, but...

TMJA's Sixth Scientific Meeting: A Paradigm Shift

The TMJA held its 6th international scientific conference June 5-7, 2011, at the Federation of Societies for Experimental Biology Conference...

An Implementation and Biobehavioral Study of TMJMD

A clinical study on TMJ disorders is being conducted in the Dallas, Texas area. The purpose of the study is to evaluate whether early non-surgical...

Duloxetine (Cymbalta) For Treatment of Painful Temporomandibular Joint Disorder

The University of Maryland Dental School has completed recruitment for a clinical trial to see if the drug duloxetine (Cymbalta) relieves pain of...

John: The Importance of Education

Jul 14, 2010

John is a former Professor of Finance at American University in Washington D.C. He is married and has three children. The unpredictable nature of his TMJ symptoms put a strain on his family. In the Fall of 2001, John began to seek relief from TMJ pain–ultimately spending well over $10,000 on treatments that were ineffective.

Finally, in January 2005, he was diagnosed with Lyme disease, a tick-borne infection that caused TMJ issues. The antibiotic protocols which were prescribed to treat the Lyme disease alleviated John’s TMJ problems. As a result of his experience with a systemic illness, John has become a strong advocate for medical research.

John Benjamin wrote: “In my quest for answers, I have gained great insight into the lack of science underlying TMJ treatments as well as the lack of understanding of these conditions. Interdisciplinary research is desperately needed to understand what today we call “TMJ.” I regret that I endured years of suffering, needless dental treatments, and spent thousands of dollars only to learn that I had a systemic underlying illness that caused my TMJ problems. If it had not been for The TMJ Association, I would have had TMJ surgery—a surgery I didn’t need, that would not have addressed the causes of the jaw pain, and which could have caused me more harm.

The TMJ Association is the leading resource for information on TMJ diseases and disorders. Through our publications, educational meetings, and patient support network, the Association reaches out to people, such as John, and provides them guidance in making their healthcare decisions. The needs and concerns of TMJ patients shape the Association’s daily activities and mission.

Chronic Pain Research Alliance

Current Research shows these conditions frequently coexist, overlapping with TMJ Disorders

  • Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
  • Endometriosis
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Vulvodynia
  • Interstitial Cystitis
  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Why Is That?

We're wondering too...

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