Vancouver Chiropractic & Massage Therapy, Chiropractor Vancouver» Massage

Jaw pain? You may have TMJ disorder

Ali — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 18:42:48 +0000

Symptoms of Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder include pain in the jaw and a clicking or grinding noise. The noise may be due to misalignment of the disc between the two bones in the jaw. Many patients complain of the following symptoms associated with TMJ:
-jaw pain
-chronic headaches
-limited jaw mobility or locking of the jaw
-popping, clicking, grinding noise
-ear pain
-neck pain or stiffness

Causes:
-improper bite
-trauma
-tight muscles (neck or jaw)
-poor posture
-stress
-upper cervical dysfunction

You may be surprised to read that poor posture and neck pain are often associated with TMJ disorder. This is due to overlap and proximity of the muscles and joints in the neck and the jaw. It is not uncommon for patients to get significant relief in their TMJ symptoms after treatment to loosen tight muscles and stiff joints in the upper cervical spine.

So what should you do if you have TMJ?
-Get a proper assessment by your chiropractor to identify the likely cause. If the cause is thought to be due to improper bite (occlusion) or intrinsic problem in the joint (disc issue) then you will be referred to your dentist. On the other hand (60-75% of cases) if the likely cause is stress, tight muscles in the jaw and neck, poor posture and upper cervical joint dysfunction then treatment will consist of manipulation and soft tissue release. Most patients have relief within 2-4 treatments and many have full resolution within 4-6 weeks.

Forward Head Posture

Ali — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 20:29:37 +0000

The need for chiropractic care has increased with advances in mobile technology and computer use. The number of patients that we see for neck and shoulder pain and headaches has now surpassed the number of patients that have sports injuries. The forward head posture that primarily contributes to neck and shoulder pain is now known to be more serious than previously thought. Such posture reverses the normal curvature of the cervical spine and accelerates degeneration.

Nobel prize winner, Dr. Alf Breig, says that “loss of the cervical curve stretches the spinal cord 5-7cm and causes disease.” Nobel Prize winner for brain research, Dr. Roger Sperry, found that “90% of the stimulation and nutrition to the brain is generated by movement of the spine.” According to a study in Physiology of the Joints by Kapandji, “For every inch of forward head posture, it can increase the weight of the head by an additional 10 pounds.” According to a study in Cephalgia in 2009 and Dr. Rene Cailliet at University of Southern California, forward head posture decreases respiratory muscle strength and can cause reduced vital capacity of the lungs by 30%. This shortness of breath can lead to heart and vascular disease.

All of this points to the fact that being in an unhealthy position for a prolonged period of time can cause a wide range of health problems. So sit up straight, keep your chin back, and take frequent breaks from sitting or staring at your Blackberry. It might save your life.