Has your jaw hurt you before? If your jaw is popping that is one of many possible symptoms of TMJ disorders. TMJ related jaw pain can cause a variety of symptoms, including headaches, muscle aches, blurry vision, spasming, popping/crackling noises, etc..

Until your appointment I'd recommend avoiding any hard foods, nothing too chewy - no gum! - trying to put ice on it when it hurts, or heat if that feels better.. but ice works best if you feel it's swelling and the heat you can alternate to try to loosen the muscles a bit. Stress can trigger jaw pain, as well as night time clenching or grinding.

The good news is that most people who have TMJ disorders recover from them - there is no "cure" so to speak, but out of the millions of people that suffer from this, many do find relief and a way to manage it without it becoming severe. TMJ disorders are so complex, it seems there is no one size fits all diagnosis or treatment. But there are definitely things you can do now, self care at home, and lots you can learn. I have TMJ disorder and have for many many years, to the point where it's severely painful and I'm unforunately one of the many on the flip side that don't recover quickly and end up with a long term situation.  If you want to learn more, and get some advice from others in your shoes, we do have a website www.tmjhope.org . There is also a blog on there with many articles on how you can help yourself at home and things you can do until your August appt... as well as what you can expect at this appointment, questions to ask, common symptoms and treatments, and a lot more. It's a community of people in your shoes if you'd like to join, you're welcome!

Hope this helps a little.

n.