jaw/head pain while diving?

Have any of you experienced jaw pain while diving, or immediately
afterwards, or been diagnosed with temporal mandibular dysfunction? It's
also referred to as divers mouth syndrome. I'm doing research for a magazine
article and I'd like to hear about your experience
Thanks,
Hannah

On Fri, 30 Jan 2004 12:52:45 -0500, "Hannah Hoag" <hoag@nasw.org>
wrote:

>Have any of you experienced jaw pain while diving, or immediately
>afterwards, or been diagnosed with temporal mandibular dysfunction? It's
>also referred to as divers mouth syndrome. I'm doing research for a magazine
>article and I'd like to hear about your experience
>Thanks,
>Hannah
>
Is it normal for a "researcher" to trawl newsnet for information.

Never heard of "mandibular dysfunction" myself, never heard anyone
else suffer from jaw pain that was not toothache.
--
Steve Barlow
"Raise your right hand if you like the French..

....Raise both if you are French"

> >Have any of you experienced jaw pain while diving, or immediately
> >afterwards, or been diagnosed with temporal mandibular dysfunction? It's
> >also referred to as divers mouth syndrome. I'm doing research for a
magazine
> >article and I'd like to hear about your experience
> >Thanks,
> >Hannah
> >
> Is it normal for a "researcher" to trawl newsnet for information.
>
> Never heard of "mandibular dysfunction" myself, never heard anyone
> else suffer from jaw pain that was not toothache.

Sounds like jaw fatigue from having huge heavy regs, or biting on them too
hard for too long. Only time i've ever heard of jaw pain. I assume this
isn't what they're talking about??

David

"Hannah Hoag" <hoag@nasw.org> wrote in message
news:ZRwSb.35368$lt1.688050@wagner.videotron.net.. .
> Have any of you experienced jaw pain while diving, or immediately
> afterwards,

Yup, my hood was too tight.

S.C.

"Hannah Hoag" <hoag@nasw.org> wrote in message
news:ZRwSb.35368$lt1.688050@wagner.videotron.net.. .
> Have any of you experienced jaw pain while diving, or immediately
> afterwards, or been diagnosed with temporal mandibular dysfunction? It's
> also referred to as divers mouth syndrome. I'm doing research for a
magazine
> article and I'd like to hear about your experience

On cold water dives, I have suffered a lateral displacement of the mandible
to the left. I have abandoned a dive once only, and had about three dives
where the muscles pulled left in mid-dive. After leaving the water, it
takes warmth and relaxation for about an hour before the jaw can be
realigned and work naturally again. Some muscle strain is felt for several
hours after the event.

I no longer dive in cold water areas, and limit myself to tropical latitude
dives. The reason for the pull to the left is probably due to muscle damage
on the right side of my face.

HTH
Graham

Hi David,

Yes, that what I'm talking about. You mention that having heavy regulators
can be a problem. Is this then maybe more common among those who are
learning or new to the sport (and then renting equipment, which may not be
top of the line?)

Or is it fairly common among divers in general?

HH

"David Walker" <wbsdavenews@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:bve81g$4st$1@wisteria.csv.warwick.ac.uk...
>
>
> Sounds like jaw fatigue from having huge heavy regs, or biting on them too
> hard for too long. Only time i've ever heard of jaw pain. I assume this
> isn't what they're talking about??
>
> David
>
>

HH wrote:

> Hi David,
>
> Yes, that what I'm talking about. You mention that having heavy regulators
> can be a problem. Is this then maybe more common among those who are
> learning or new to the sport (and then renting equipment, which may not be
> top of the line?)
>
> Or is it fairly common among divers in general?
>
> HH

Have you seen http://scuba-doc.com/lkdjw.html ?

Adrian

> Yes, that what I'm talking about. You mention that having heavy regulators
> can be a problem. Is this then maybe more common among those who are
> learning or new to the sport (and then renting equipment, which may not be
> top of the line?)

Ooh - good guess! :O)

As far as I remember i've only felt it once, which was (if I remember
rightly after a week's diving in Cornwall last year). That was doing a
couple of diver per day for 5 or 6 days (although we had a day off in the
middle), and using club kit (Apeks TX40 regs). I was also fairly new to
diving at that time (a couple of months after my first dive), so not sure
whether it was just because of using the relatively large reg for a week, or
whether it was because I was new and biting a bit too hard, or if they're
just rubbish mouthpieces. Never had a problem since, although after that
time the only long trips (ie more than a couple of days repetitive diving)
have been on my own kit with smaller lighter regs, so i'll never know what
caused it.

Not aware of anyone who gets a still jaw from diving, certainly not
regularly from a day or two day's diving, so must be associated either with
multi-day diving with heavy regs, or beginners biting too hard, or both...
thats my theory anyway! :O)

David

David

On Fri, 30 Jan 2004 13:54:39 -0500, "HH" <hoag@nasw.org> wrote:

>Hi David,
>
>Yes, that what I'm talking about. You mention that having heavy regulators
>can be a problem. Is this then maybe more common among those who are
>learning or new to the sport (and then renting equipment, which may not be
>top of the line?)
>
>Or is it fairly common among divers in general?
>

>
Its not commonly complained about.
You might try asking on Longstreath
but apart from a Kirby hard hat rubbing the underneath of your chin in
shallow water,
and sore gums using a rebreather for clamming (probably due to rubbing
of the mouthpiece during the constant left-right head movement) I
think you will find little evidence.

--
Steve Barlow

> Is it normal for a "researcher" to trawl newsnet for information.
>
> Never heard of "mandibular dysfunction" myself, never heard anyone
> else suffer from jaw pain that was not toothache.


Sounds like you haven't heard of much.

Back to the question.

Yes, I have experienced jaw pain and headaches after diving and snorkelling,
this was due to holding my reg/snorkel too tight - this is apparently common
in novice divers I suppose it is fear that it might fall out!!!

See http://scuba-doc.com/lkdjw.html for more or
http://bjsm.bmjjournals.com/cgi/cont...stract/35/2/84

As a biomedical scientist I know too well how much effort is needed to
research any topic... so best of luck and hopefully you get some useful
info.

Ka
Learn and Explore
www.diveology.com


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