The five common question doctors ask to analyze TMJ problems.)

Are you aware or have you been made aware of clenching your teeth?

Do you ever wakeup in the morning with awareness in your teeth or jaw that you have had them clenched in your sleep?

Do you have had pain in your jaw joints or on the side of your face about your ears?

Do you have chronic headache?

Do you have chronic neck or shoulder pain?

(1) Why are backs so trouble some?

Aside from the rare inherited abnormalities or damages done by accident injury, the fault lies with human anatomy and posture and habits that aggravate the weakness of both. The spine though a masterpiece of structural engineering has weak spots and standing improperly puts the stress in the wrong place. The wrong place usually turns out to be the lower back or more specifically the lumbosacral area, where the spinal "S" terminates in five fused vertebrae. This is standing and sitting also puts enormous stress on the lumbar region. By improper sitting the soft, sock-absorbing discs between the vertebrae are compressed and the muscles weakened. Sedentary lifestyles and poor working habits can also back pain.

(2) Is self-diagnosis and self- treatment work for Arthritis?

You can't determine what kind of arthritis you have. Different kinds require different treatment. While you experiment with unproven remedies, you can dangerously damage your joints. Medicines you might take without proper medical guidance can also have serious side effects. It is dangerous to believe that self-diagnosis and self-treatment work for arthritis.

(3) Is Arthritis mostly an old people's disease?

Many people have had arthritis since they were relatively young. Some forms of arthritis can start in infancy. Most, however, begin during adulthood. It is not true that arthritis is an old people's disease.