Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Exuberance



The exuberance of nature on a sunny spring day is almost overwhelming to my indoor-accustomed senses. The intensity of colour. The smells and sights and sounds.  And the relief I'm experiencing this year in being - just a little bit - out and about and able and willing to take photographs once again is hard to describe.

But today I'm having to deal with a pinched nerve in the jaw after a session in the dentist's chair a few weeks ago with my mouth jammed open too wide for too long, and the change in my bite following a new crown.  The throbbing pain radiating out from the temporomandibular joint set in a few days later after each time I chewed on that side and even sometimes when I didn't.   According to the cranial osteopath, who worked her usual magic on releasing and soothing spasmed muscles and connective tissue, the battered nerve and tissue should gradually calm down over the coming weeks. It's a bit better after her treatment but I still have to be careful how I eat.   Soft foods only on the menu right now. I speak to the osteopath on the phone this afternoon for my reassurance (she's very good at that) and  I'm seeing the dentist again later this week. Gulp. 

In short, facial pain is a pain. Ice packs are at the ready.

So the daily walks are both a therapy and a distraction.  I've acquired a small reference book of British trees. Embarrassing how few species I can name with any confidence, aside from the obvious ones (weeping willow, oak, holly etc.) After rifling through the pages I  think the beautiful specimen above is a sycamore in flower. If I'm wrong I'm sure someone will tell me.


Oh and Mars has turned direct today.  Hooray.
 


2 comments:

Jenny Woolf said...

What a lovely photo. May I offer a suggestion about the tooth? I had a very similar problem, and nobody seemed to be able to figure out what it was. It turned out that that the tooth filling was too "high" The dentist had filled it a tiny fraction too much, not that he would notice but your tooth might!

With me, it meant that every time I bit on the newly filled tooth, it aggravated the nerve, so instead of getting better it unfortunately got worse until it was a really grim problem. The good news was that someone eventually told me to return to the dentist and get him to take the tooth down. The dentist didn't seem to believe me that the filling was too high but I insisted and I am glad I did. Afterwards, the problem went away almost at once and was gone in a few days.

You might be able to tell for yourself by closing your mouth and noticing whether the new filling is in fact taking a little more pressure than the other teeth.

Good luck.

mm said...

Jenny, thanks so much for sharing your experience. Yes my problem too started with a change to my bite. A pinched nerve in the jaw and a ligament strain/tear followed. The initial cause has now been rectified but it will take a some time for the ligament to heal ....