Naomi Smith, a mother from Stroud, Gloucestershire, has lived with unrelenting jaw pain for 30 years, recently revealing her fear that the NHS may be neglecting her critical needs. At 48, Naomi can barely open her mouth-just 14mm wide, too small to fit even a 5p coin-and has suffered from worsening symptoms since the pain began at 18.
Her condition, which went undiagnosed for decades, only reached a clear diagnosis of severe temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ) and jaw arthritis in 2025. Prior to this, she experienced a range of debilitating symptoms including chronic facial pain, migraines, dizziness, nausea, vision and hearing loss, and a reliance on a liquid diet after her jaw became too restricted to chew or swallow solid food.
Naomi’s journey through the healthcare system has been fraught with frustration. She has endured ‘endless’ hospital appointments at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital and Cheltenham General Hospital, with conditions such as fibromyalgia and functional bowel disorder initially suspected. Despite recurrent visits, her condition deteriorated, culminating in extreme physical weakness and a forced resignation from her role as a children’s social, emotional and mental health tutor in 2024.
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By 2019, Naomi was admitted to hospital for a bowel blockage and severe malnutrition, complications she attributes to her ongoing liquid diet and long-term painkiller use. She also recalls being dismissed by medical staff during this admission, subjected to comments suggesting her symptoms were imagined.
Despite finally receiving a diagnosis related to her jaw disorder, Naomi remains on lengthy NHS waiting lists for treatment, including an arthroscopy to assess and possibly treat her joint issues. She says appointments have been frequently cancelled or delayed, with no confirmed date for surgery.
In response to media coverage, Naomi briefly received some interventions such as Botox injections and nerve-blocking spinal injections, providing only temporary relief.
To manage pain, Naomi currently takes around 50 tablets daily but has experienced a loss of dexterity in her fingers, inability to raise her arms, and continuing severe pain that she describes as “waking up with extreme pain every day.” She lives with her youngest son, while her other children remain concerned for her wellbeing.
Faced with ongoing NHS delays, Naomi has initiated a fundraiser to cover the estimated £95,000 cost of private bilateral jaw replacement surgery, an operation that would replace the damaged joints at the base of her skull to restore her ability to eat and reduce pain.
Reflecting on her situation, Naomi commented, “I don’t feel like myself – I look skeletal, I just look ill. It’s like the NHS wants to leave me to die.”
A spokesperson for Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust stated: “We are sorry to hear that Ms Smith continues to experience ongoing pain and the impact this is having on her quality of life. Her case continues to be taken seriously and she remains under the care of our clinical teams. We are investigating the concerns she has raised through our formal complaints process and will continue to work with her to address them.”