Virginia asked:
>1)how it affects ones "vocal life" (is it >necessarily a death sentence for a vocalist??) :(
It hasn't been for me, although I can imagine that more serious cases could pose more serious issues. I wouldn't throw in the towel, though, upon hearing a diagnosis. However, I have known singers who elected to have surgery to correct TMJ problems and THEY ended up being unable to sing. I personally would encourage people to regard surgery as a last resort.
>2)is there relief insight in overcoming it and getting back to some >degree of vocal ease, and healthy voice production (short of wearing >those appliances or retainers)
I have had good luck with Alexander Technique and cranio-sacral work. I wear a mouthpiece at night and it poses no problems. It's mainly to keep me from grinding my teeth into dust. (It took me a week or so to get used to sleeping with a piece of plastic in my mouth, but now I do it easily.)
Plus, any relaxation technique (meditation, yoga, self-hypnosis, acupuncture, etc.) is likely to help with overall stress, which I believe will in turn help with TMJ problems. DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor or any other kind of expert! This is my personal opinion.
Naomi Gurt Lind
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