Over 2,500 out of approximately 3,000 newborn infants,
ranging in age from one
hour to 21 days old, have been treated for breast
feeding difficulties over a seven-
year period with chiropractic spinal adjustments and
cranial and TMJ procedures.
The newborns were all delivered without drugs by a
midwife either at the Gentle
Birth Center (a free-standing birth center) or at
home. The babies were all very
healthy at birth, and the majority were seen by the
pediatrician within a 24-hour
period following birth. Birth trauma seems to occur
in all babies, especially to the
cranium. All the babies were unable to breastfeed
with ease utilizing proper
technique. All babies treated exhibited a unilateral
or bilateral TMJ syndrome as the
primary cause. In all cases, AK cranial and TMJ procedures,
and/or Upledger
cranial procedures, eliminated or greatly improved
infant breast feeding performance
after only one adjustment, in 90 percent of newborns
seen within 21 days after birth.
The newborn is usually seen once a week for 2-4 visits.
From clinical experience,
the most dramatic and powerful single adjustment with
a 99.9 percent success rate
in eliminating and/or preventing breastfeeding difficulties
occurs when the newborn is adjusted several minutes
to 48 hours after birth.
Source: Victoria Arcadia, DC --, Dynamic Chiropractic,
2003.
Temporal Mandibular Joint Syndrome or TMJ as it is more
commonly called, is a
condition of facial pain in the joints of the jaw caused
by misalignment of the Jaw.
TMJ can be a frustrating and sometimes debilitating
problem. Since it is a problem
of the jaw, it affects us in some of the most common
activities of daily living such as
eating and talking.
-
Pain
in the TM Joints associated with Jaw movements
-
Intermittent
locking episodes
-
Limited
range of vertical opening
-
Facial
pain a sense of facial muscle fatigue
-
Noises
in the TM Joints associated with Jaw movements (clicking,
snapping,
crunching, etc.)
-
Grinding
of teeth at night
-
Secondary
symptoms associated with TMJ disorders include:
-
Ear
aches not associated with an infection
-
A
sense of fullness in one or both ears
-
Frequent
headaches
-
Ringing
in the ears
-
Neck
Shoulder pain
TMJ disorders affect about 20% of the population,
and that 20% spans all age
groups, pre-teen, teens, young adults, the middle
aged, and seniors.
A 41-year-old woman who sought chiropractic care
with complaints of pain at the
TMJ on both sides, ear pain, ringing in the ears,
vertigo, decreased hearing ability,
and a sensation of pressure or fullness in both ears.
She also reported that movements
of her jaw while talking or chewing provoked pain
at the TMJ.
Before seeking chiropractic care she was treated
for her TMJ by two medical
doctors. She was also referred to an eye, ear, nose,
and throat specialist, who
diagnosed her with TMJ syndrome. Additionally, she
was referred to a dentist for
the problem. Medical recommendations were to apply
heat to the area, reduce
talking and yelling, and change her diet to a soft
diet. Even with all this medical
and dental care her symptoms steadily continued to
get worse.
Eventually she sought the care of a chiropractor.
After an examination it was
determined by the chiropractor that the patient had
an Atlas subluxation, (first bone
in the neck). Care was begun by a series of adjustments.
After only a few visits the
patient reported significant improvement in her symptoms.
After two and a half
months she reported complete relief from the TMJ symptoms.
She also reported a
decrease in the frequency and severity of her headaches.
Prior to starting chiropractic
care, she was experiencing 1 to 2 migraine headache
attacks per month. The effects
of the chiropractic care were long term as shown at
her 1-year follow-up where she
had not experienced any headache symptoms for a period
of 9 months and her TMJ complaints had completely
resolved.
Source: January 2002 edition of the peer reviewed
scientific journal, the Journal of Manipulative and
Physiological Therapeutics, (JMPT)
There are potential solutions to the anguish of TMJ
pain, and evidence suggests
chiropractic may provide the best option. A recent
study revealed that chiropractic
treatment using a specific adjusting instrument eased
patients' discomfort after only
three visits a week for two weeks. Before treatment,
patients reported TMJ-related symptoms lasting an
average of eight years, but following chiropractic
care, they
experienced reduced pain and improvements in other
symptoms, with no noted
side-effects.
Source: DeVocht JW, Long CR, Zeitler DL, et al. Chiropractic
treatment of temporomandibular disorders using the
Activator adjusting instrument: a prospective
case series. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological
Therapeutics, Sept.
2003:26(7), pp421-5.
Take some positive steps toward a having a pain-free life.
Call today for an appointment.