Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders (TMJD) include a heterogeneous group of disorders with overlapping--but not identical--signs and symptoms. Symptoms of TMJDs vary, but typically include pain in the jaw joint and surrounding muscles. Other symptoms may include limited or no movement of the jaw joint, clicking or grating in the jaw joint when opening or closing the mouth, headaches, and shoulder or back pain. Most people with TMJDs have relatively mild forms of these disorders with symptoms that diminish without treatment. However, a small number of individuals develop significant, long-term problems, including persistent and debilitating pain and loss of jaw function. Although some TMJDs are due to a specific known cause, such as jaw injury or arthritis, the causes of many TMJDs are unknown. While the level of understanding about these conditions has evolved with scientific advancements, diagnosis and treatment are difficult because the exact causes and patterns of symptoms remain unclear. The National Institutes of Health (NIH), an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), funds research on the causes of, treatments for, and other aspects of TMJDs. The NIH is organized into 27 …

Email following up on a conference call with updates for the contact information for Jillian Baxter and John McClelland.