Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago
After a deep cleaning in January 2026, my patient's TMJ pain and jaw joint dysfunction just took off, to the point where she couldn't speak for more than 2-3 minutes without her jaw locking closed.
Before that, she could manage her flare-ups with massages. But at this level, as an educator, it affected her job, and she had to take FMLA.
I started treating her for her TMJ pain, and we got her to about 50% relief, where she could actually talk again for about 3 hours. But because of a head injury she also had, she booked an appointment with a neurologist.
She thought she would be met with a diagnostic plan, but instead this male neurologist rolled his eyes, laughed at her, and said: "None of your pain can come from TMJ." 🤯 😡
This is the reality of medical gaslighting. Because the trigeminal nerve pathway links the jaw directly to head and neck pain, severe TMJ is routinely dismissed as "female anxiety" or hysteria.
Your pain is not a joke. It’s a structural, mechanical issue that requires specialized care. I feel awful that this happened to my patient, and I will continue to speak out about men dismissing women.
Sound off below: Have you ever had your chronic pain laughed off by a doctor? Let’s talk about it in the comments. 👇
After a deep cleaning in January 2026, my patient's TMJ pain and jaw joint dysfunction just took off, to the point where she couldn't speak for more than 2-3 minutes without her jaw locking closed.
Before that, she could manage her flare-ups with massages. But at this level, as an educator, it affected her job, and she had to take FMLA.
I started treating her for her TMJ pain, and we got her to about 50% relief, where she could actually talk again for about 3 hours. But because of a head injury she also had, she booked an appointment with a neurologist.
She thought she would be met with a diagnostic plan, but instead this male neurologist rolled his eyes, laughed at her, and said: "None of your pain can come from TMJ." 🤯 😡
This is the reality of medical gaslighting. Because the trigeminal nerve pathway links the jaw directly to head and neck pain, severe TMJ is routinely dismissed as "female anxiety" or hysteria.
Your pain is not a joke. It’s a structural, mechanical issue that requires specialized care. I feel awful that this happened to my patient, and I will continue to speak out about men dismissing women.
Sound off below: Have you ever had your chronic pain laughed off by a doctor? Let’s talk about it in the comments. 👇
