Sore face

Facial pain and facial pain can be painful and frightening. Facial pain can be caused by a cold, sinusitis, muscle tension in the jaw (i.a. chewing myalgia) and / or neck, dental problems, nerve irritation (e.g. trigeminal neuralgia) or trauma.

Also read: Jaw Headache - When the jaw hurts your head!

One of the most common causes is sinusitis, but another common cause is malfunction of the jaw muscles and jaw joint, often called TMJ (temporomandibular) syndrome, it can also be caused / occurs after trauma - which in turn can lead to jaw injury or meniscus irritation. In the case of major trauma, jawbone fractures or fractures of the face may also occur. Jaw tension can also be due to or worsen avg malfunction of the neck og shoulder. Myalgia in the neck can also refer to the face pain in so-called active myalgias (overactive muscles). Displaced nasal wall, poor dental hygiene, nerve problems, sinusitis, and infection are also conditions that can cause pain in the face. More rare causes can be acoustic neuroma, multiple sclerosis (MS), glaucoma, migraine, herpes zoster, polymyalgia rheumatism or fibromyalgia - or major infections.

Where and what is the face really?

The face is central when it comes to perception, expression of emotion and communication. Fun fact: Did you know that not all animals have faces?

Also read:

- Complete overview of muscle knots and their reference pain pattern

- Pain in the muscles? This is why!

Anatomy of the face

In the picture we see the facial muscle and some of the most important anatomical landmarks on the face.

When muscles and joints ache in the face

Masseter myalgia - Photo Travell and Simons

Masseter (the large masticatory muscle) and pterygoid myalgia - Photo Travell and Simons

Also read: 5 Exercises for Jaw Pain

Image: In the photo we see one of the main muscular causes of facial pain. Excessive tension in the large gum and internal jaw muscles is called respectively masseter myalgia and pterygoid myalgia. Myalgia simply indicates muscular dysfunction or muscular tension. Tight jaw muscles can also help or aggravate headache.

Sternocleidomastoid myalgia - Photo Wikimedia

Sternocleidomastoid myalgia - Wikimedia Commons

Image: As you can see in the picture, sternocleidomastoid myalgia can also cause facial pain. This can be exacerbated by malfunction of the muscles and joints of the neck, upper back and shoulder. Other known myalgias that can contribute to facial pain are upper trapezius myalgia, suboccipitalis and temporalis.

What is pain?

Pain is the body's way of saying that you have injured yourself or are about to hurt you. This is an indication that you are doing something wrong. Not listening to the body's pain signals is really asking for trouble, as this is its only way to communicate that something is wrong. This applies to pain and aches all over the body, not just back pain as so many people think. If you do not take the pain signals seriously, it can lead to long-term problems, and you risk the pain becoming chronic. Naturally, there is a difference between tenderness and pain - most of us can tell the difference between the two.

When the pain is attenuated, it is necessary to weed out the cause of the problem.

Some common causes / diagnoses of facial pain are:

Cervicogenic headache

Poor dental health - cavities or gum disease

Cold

Offset nose (if the thin leg separating the nostrils is not in the middle, then it is considered offset)

Joint restrictions in the neck and jaw

Mild infection

Myalgia / muscular malfunction (eg. upper trapezius myalgia)

Referred pain from the jaw and jaw muscles (i.a. masseter (gum) myalgia may cause referred pain or 'pressure' against the cheek / ear)

sinusitis / sinusitis

tension headaches

TMJ syndrome (temporomandibular syndrome - often composed of muscle and joint dysfunction)

Trauma (biting, irritation, burns and the like)

Pain in the teeth

Otitis

Rare causes of facial pain:

Acoustic neuroma

Fibromyalgia

Infection (often with high CRP and fever)

Cancer

Lupus

Migraine

Nervous pain (including trigeminal neuralgia)

Polymyalgia rheumatism

Trigeminal neuralgia / trigeminal neuralgia

Make sure you do not walk with sore face for a long time, rather consult a clinician and diagnose the cause of the pain - this way you will make the necessary changes as early as possible before it has a chance to develop further.

Reported symptoms and pain presentations in the face pain:

- Burning pain in the face

- Electrical pain in the face (may indicate nerve irritation)

- Hypersensitivity

Itching of the face (may occur with acne or herpes zoster)

- Numbness in the face (may indicate nerve irritation or myalgia)

- Light sensitivity

- Stinging in the face

Reddish swelling of the face

- Pain in the face (a pain or burning sensation in parts or the whole face)

- Pain in the face and headache (on both sides or sometimes only on one side)

- Visual disturbances

- Sores on the face (wounds in parts or the whole ear)

- Ear pain

- Pain in the cheek

- Sore jaw (do you have muscle or joint pain in the cheek or jaw joint?)

- Pain in the gums

- Pain in the teeth

- Pain in the forehead

Clinical signs of facial pain and facial pain

Swelling can occur around a trauma or through an infection.

- Headaches can occur in the form of migraines or severe headaches in the forehead or mind

- Pressure tenderness over the jaw joint near the ear may indicate defects in muscular or joint function.

How to prevent facial pain

- Live healthy and exercise regularly
- Seek well-being and avoid stress in everyday life - try to have a good sleep rhythm
- Make sure you have good oral and ear hygiene
- chiropractor og manual therapists can both help you with joint and muscle pain in the jaw, neck, chest back or shoulder

Did you know: Jaw complaints and jaw tension can also, like muscle and neck malfunctions, contribute to headaches?

Conservative treatment of jaw pain (which can be a cause of facial pain)

home Practice is often printed and used to address improper use of musculature, with the intention of providing a long-term, long-lasting effect. Ultrasound can be used both diagnostically and as ultrasound therapy, the latter works by providing a deep-warming effect aimed at musculoskeletal problems. Joint Mobilization or corrective chiropractic joint treatment increases the movement of the joints, which in turn allows the muscles that attach to and near the joints to move more freely. Chiropractic joint therapy is often combined with muscle work in the treatment of TMJ syndrome and jaw tension.

Massage It is used to increase blood circulation in the area and thus reduce muscular tension, which in turn can cause less pain. heat treatment used to give a deep-warming effect on the area in question, which in turn can give a pain-reducing effect - but it is generally said that heat treatment should not be applied to acute injuries, as is ice treatment to prefer. The latter is used for acute injuries and pains to help ease the pain in the area. laser treatment (also known as anti-inflammatory laser) can be used at different frequencies and thus achieve different treatment effects. It is often used to stimulate regeneration and soft tissue healing, plus it can also be used anti-inflammatory.

List of treatments (both much alternative and more conservative):

acupressure
Acupuncture
aromatherapy
behavioral therapy
Atlas Correction
Ayurvedic medicine
Bioelectromagnetic therapy
blockade Treatment
Soft tissue work
Bowen Treatment
Coxtherapy
Electrotherapy
Ergonomics
Dietology
Reflexology
Physiotherapy
gonstead
Healing
home Practice
Homeopathy
Hydrotherapy
hypnotherapy
Infrared light therapy
insoles
Intramuscular needle therapy
Ice therapy
remedy
kinesiology
Kinesiotape
chiropractic
Cognitive processing
crystal Therapy
contrast Treatment
Cupping
Cold Treatment
Laser
Joint Correction
Joint Mobilization
Medical treatment
Lymphatic drainage
Light Therapy
magnet Treatment
manual Therapy
Meditation
Muscle Relaxing Medications
muscle Knute treatment
Myofascial technique
Naprapathy
Naturopathy
Neurological rehabilitation training
qigong
Osteopathy
breathing
reflexology
Shockwave Therapy
Pain medication
Spinology
Sports support
Stretch bench
Power Management
sole Customization
Thought Field Therapy
TENS
Thai Massage
Traction
Exercise
Trigger point therapy
Shockwave Therapy
Dry needle
stretching
Vacuum Treatment
heat treatment
Hot water therapy
Yoga
Exercises

Chiropractic treatment of jaw pain (as a possible cause of facial pain)

The main goal of all chiropractic care is to reduce pain, promote overall health and improve quality of life by restoring normal functioning of the musculoskeletal system and nervous system. In case of jaw pain, the chiropractor will treat the jaw locally to reduce pain, reduce irritation and increase blood supply, as well as restore normal movement in nearby structures such as the neck, thoracic spine and shoulder. When choosing a treatment strategy for the individual patient, the chiropractor places emphasis on seeing the patient in a holistic context. If there is a suspicion that the jaw pain is due to another disease, you will be referred for further examination.

The chiropractor treatment consists of a number of treatment methods where the chiropractor mainly uses his hands to restore normal function of the joints, muscles, connective tissue and nervous system:

- Specific joint treatment
- Stretches
- Muscular techniques (many use both trigger point therapy and dry needling)
- Neurological techniques
- Stabilizing exercise
- Exercises, advice and guidance

What does a chiropractor do?

Muscle, joint and nerve pain: These are things that a chiropractor can help prevent and treat. Chiropractic treatment is mainly about restoring movement and joint function that can be impaired by mechanical pain.

This is done by so-called joint correction or manipulation techniques, as well as joint mobilization, stretching techniques, and muscular work (such as trigger point therapy and deep soft tissue work) on the involved muscles. With increased function and less pain, it may be easier for individuals to engage in physical activity, which in turn will have a positive effect on both energy and health.

Women's advice for facial pain

We choose to bring some advice against the pain in the jaw. We have also tried to understand the meaning behind them and thus put a little explanation in brackets.

- Drink ginger tea (Ginger reduces muscle pain)
- Rest in the sun (The sun provides the basis for vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to increased muscle pain)
- red bell pepper powder (Red bell pepper has among the very highest content of vitamin C - needed for soft tissue repair)
- Eat blueberries (Blueberries have a pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effect)
- Eat onions and garlic (This one we are not sure about, but we assume it should have some kind of dissolving effect on the sinuses?)