Three Offices in NYC Metro Area
Manhattan: 212-265-0110, Nassau & Suffolk: 631-265-3136
Manhattan: 212-265-0110, Nassau & Suffolk: 631-265-3136
Over the course of 25 years practicing in NYC and Long Island, I have seen thousands of patients who complained of persistent pain in their face, ears, teeth, and/or jaw. These pain complaints have often been accompanied by tightness and soreness in their jaw and facial muscles, limited jaw opening, difficulty chewing due to pain, and at times other symptoms such as burning and tingling in the face and lips. Many of these patients have been told by their doctors that their symptoms are “in their head” as a result of past treatment failures. At other times, patients have felt as if they were being personally blamed for having a problem.
If you are one of those people who have facial pain that has lingered, not only is your pain real, it is not your fault! Your facial pain can be understood and effectively treated. Facial pain problems fall into one of five recognizable categories. These are:
Unfortunately, many facial pain problems are often misunderstood and misdiagnosed because of three key factors:
Referred Pain: this means that the location of the pain being experienced is not where the pain is coming from. The most familiar referred pain is the pain experienced in the left arm just prior to or during a heart attack. The phenomenon of referred pain is common in the face, leading to treatment at the site of the described pain, but not at the true source of the pain. As a result, pain continues.
Misinterpreting Pain Intensity: Often facial pain is so intense that patients assume that something is terribly wrong. Though it is known that the intensity of symptoms often has nothing to do with the seriousness of a problem, doctors are often persuaded to order lots of medical tests leading to anxious moments while patients wait for the results. When nothing of concern is discovered, a short moment of relief is replaced with the question: “I still hurt, what do I do now?”
Emotions and Pain: Since most people are not able to accept the concept that emotions and stress, through their influence on muscles, can cause significant pain, and because the majority of doctors are unwilling to adequately explain how this occurs, the most common source of facial pain, muscles, are often neglected. As a result, pain lingers and becomes more difficult to treat over time.
So, if you are one of those people who are suffering, using pain medications frequently and having trouble at work or in school because of your facial pain, help is on the way.
Click for more about: Jaw Problems, Tooth Pain, TMJ, Headaches, Referred Pain, Emotions & Pain, treatments in NYC and Long Island
Our relationship starts with a conversation. This informal collection of information is the most important part of your visit to my office. It has often been said that making an accurate diagnosis can only be achieved by taking a thorough history. For this reason, listening to what you have to say is my first priority. Once accomplished, I will examine not only those places that hurt but also those places that can produce referred pain.
Your jaw joints, jaw, facial and neck muscles will be examined along with your teeth, other oral structures, and the function of the nerves in your face. The examination enables me to determine whether your problem lies within nerves, muscles, joints, teeth or other neighboring structures, and whether we need other tests to make the best decisions for your problem. You can be assured that my careful evaluation process will provide directions of care that will make you feel better, which is the ultimate goal.
It should be remembered that though there are some facial pains that are difficult to manage, the two most common facial pain problems are due to the teeth and the muscles of the face, jaw and neck. Fortunately, these problems have predictable treatment solutions that will be put into place after your evaluation in my NYC or Long Island offices.
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