Hey...need some help/opinions please. I will try to keep this short, but the full story is below.

I bought a horse from a really good friend of mine back in September, but prior to me purchasing him, I have known him for 6 years (she lived next door and I helped her with him).  He was starting to be stiff and kinda gaping his mouth when asked to do any type of circling work. I went with her to get his teeth done, then a couple weeks later, I offered to bring him with me to the chiropractor to get him checked there too. Chiro checked him out and said his ribs, SI, and TMJ were the worst that were out and sore. He recommended taking him to get his TMJ injected. When he palpated his TMJ, he told me that it was worse on the right side (which was evident when he raised his head away). I sent the video and informed my friend that he needed to get his TMJ injected.  She brought him a couple weeks later to her vet who said that his TMJ was worse on the left side, so he only injected the left side. Well she told me that when he stuck the needle in that he jerked his head away. Fast forward to 4 days later, she calls me and says she can't put a halter on him or touch his head hardly. She calls the vet and he told her he would check him. Meanwhile I get a frantic call from her saying he is acting like something is wrong. She said he was pawing and throwing his head around like he was choking. By the time I got there he was settled down and wanted to eat. I went with her to the vet when he checked his head. He said there was no heat around the injection site and he cleaned his ears really good and said there was nothing he could see, but it was possibly just mental from a past experience before she got him. We get him home and tried to do groundwork with him, but it's obvious something is still going on. This is when I purchased him. I have Chiro, bodywork, and acupuncture done a couple times over the next couple months. He finally lets me put a halter on him normally, and I decided to try and ride him in just a halter. He refused to walk forward and kept shaking his body (like they do after rolling) pawing and bucking in place. This was VERY out of character for him. Fast forward to him being way better 2 months later in November, I took him back to my vet and he said he was a little off in his right front but it wasn't consistent and his stifles were sore. We injected his stifles and I just started riding him the first week of December. I started out walking a lot and just added 5 mins trotting this week.  He's feeling much better, and is healthier now, I also gave him protazil and vitamin E as a precaution. I have noticed though that he will still tilt his head a little when he eats and when I ride him, he feels so tense and tight and anxious like he's in a hurry and chomps when you ask him to give his nose a little either way. I always end our riding sessions with backing up 10 steps and bending each way to my stirrups for treats lol. Lately he has been balking after 3 or 4 steps back. He is also hesitant to back on the ground more than 3 or 4 steps and when I pick his feet out, you can tell he's uncomfortable with picking up his back feet higher than just enough for me to pick them out. 

I am so sorry this is soooo long, but none of this started until the TMJ injection on just the left side after the Chiro and video said it was worse on the right side. I am worried there is nerve damage, or if it's just his SI joints needing injecting, or both sides of his TMJ this time. Any help or advice is appreciated! I have an appt with a very good performance vet the 2nd week of January, just looking for opinions and advice here first !! Thanks so much !! 

That's a lot going on. Good luck getting it figured out.

Thank you ! I appreciate it !! I think I have it narrowed down to the front of his right ear at the base is still really sore, this poor guy. I just want relief for him and I know ears can effect so much ! 

Who floated the horse's teeth? It doesn't  hurt to get them check especially since all this started after getting teeth floated.  I would start at the ground and work up. Start with how the horse is shod/trimned. That is critical for over all health. Have vet check gutters pouch.  Evaluate for EPM. I am not a vet and there are many other things going on her. I suggest evaluation by a good EQUINE vet. 

If you can find someone in your area I would recommend trying acqusope/myopulse. While it may not cure the issue, it can help with the soreness and even pinpoint the problem areas. 

His teeth were done in July and I took him to Stanton Williams in October to have them re-checked and touched up.  He is missing a permanent tooth, so I know that will factor into the jaws as well.

He was being shod by a farrier who set the shoes back, rolled his toe over with wedge pads on the front and did the same thing on the rear, but with no pad or wedge, he just left a lot of shoe hanging on the sides and out the back.  We are currently working to get his feet back balanced and on the correct angles because I know how crucial even the smallest detail places a huge role when it comes to how they are shod and their overall health.  I know it will take some time for his body to adjust to this as well.  I have also treated him for ulcers and he has been treated for EPM with protazil as well (not at the same time lol).  He will currently let me ride him at a walk and a little bit of long trotting, not more than about 7 minutes trotting, but does not handle a bit very well right now.  He holds his mouth open and tries to over compensate when you ask for his nose (more so to the right) and will back up about 5 steps before stiffing his neck and not wanting to backup anymore.  I can ride him with a one ear headstall and a jim warner hack and hes a lot more comfortable.  If I put a headstall with a browband/throat latch on him, you can tell hes not comfortable and is trying to rush through everything to get done (again just walking/light longtrotting with an occasional circle thrown in the mix).  He has comes leaps and bounds from September to now from not even letting me put a halter on him, refusing to move forward under saddle to walking and light long trotting.  I know hes still not there yet because the two days after I ride him, if he sees me grab anything resembling a rope to catch him, he will run to the back of the pasture and not come until he knows its either feeding time or I don't have a rope with me.  

I have an appointment with Dr Buchanan from Signature Equine this coming Monday and I am hoping to get my boy feeling better and get some answers.  I am so excited about this horse, like I said I have known him for 6 years and none of this started until just the left side of his TMJ was injected in August.  

If you are in the area where Stanton Williams is, I would take my horse to one of the following depending on how far you want to travel. Dr Honnas in Bryan TX. Not cheap but the best. Red River Equine in Bossier, Dr Findlay in S LA. 

Have any Xrays been taken?