Oh my darling girl, there isn't a woman or man on this site who wouldn't wish to take your pain away if they could to let you live your life as you should but it seems that the Lord has this test of character for you and you need to be strong.
The shooting pains can be dulled by using pain blockers but you need to speak to your Dr to see which is best for you .. And your back you can ask for lydocaine patches that can be applied directly to the area that is causing you the most pain and you can wear more then one but only for 12 hours at a time .. So you decide if it's best to wear them while you are sleeping and repair any damage done during the day and to aid a restful nights sleep or through the day to avoid so much pain while you walk around.
There's no miracle wonder drug but there is us and there's always someone who can offer up some kind of advice for you x

I've been in the dental field my whole adult life. See your dentist. Ask about a good night guard. Will relax the whole tmj joint and allow healing and lessen pain. There are over the counter ones that might help at Walgreens, pharmacies. Check around. Warm moist heat and eating soft foods also. Probably no gum or ice chewing till better. Your dentist may refer you to an oral surgeon to evaluate with 3D head imagining to ck for other issues.

I also have TMJ. I have suffered with it for about 30 years. I try to remember to not yawn with your mouth really wide open as it can lock your jaw! I've had it happen twice & I wouldn't wish this pain on anyone. My jaw seems only to get sore on the left side especially when I am stressed. I find merysndol really relieves my pain, when nothing else I have tried will.

Hi Samantha, I too am having some recent problems with my mouth , sucking motion that I can't stop grinding teeth day and night , always feeling very tense. Your comment led me to research TMJ as I had never heard of it until recently. I went to one of my favorite sites for medical advice Mayo Clinic and found some useful information, and some self help solutions. You may want to check it out it was very informative and helpful , somthings I will try for myself . Hope this is helpful, if you find anything that works for you I'd like to know. Good luck and gentle hugs from Karen 🍁

A night guard can help with the TMJ. Funny you were told that you had growing pains too. I had them so bad as a child and nothing helped. This has been going on for so long.