Migraine headaches, tension headaches and chronic daily headaches are frequently associated with TMJ disorders. A new website is dedicated to evaluation and treatment of headaches by utilizing Neuromuscular Dentistry. Neuromuscular Dentistry was the result of the work of Dr Barney Jankelson a Seattle prosthodontist but has grown worldwide and is becoming an increasingly important resource for patients who suffer from headaches and the physicians that treat them. TMJ disorders or TMD has been called The Great Imposter because of the wide variety of symptoms associate with these common disorders. A previous Sleep and Health Journal article “SUFFER NO MORE: DEALING WITH THE GREAT IMPOSTOR” https://www.sleepandhealth.com/story/suffer-no-more-dealing-great-impostor has been well recieved and is very helpful to patients with TMJ problems.
Patient Testimonial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOJTPQEGr1w
Temporomandibular Disorders are considered “The Great Imposter” because of the many and varied sypmtom including but not limited to:
Clicking and/or popping in the jaw joints
Limited jaw movement or jaw locking
Jaw Pain
Ear pain or Otalgia
Headaches Tension-type or Chronic daily Headaches
Facial Pain
Migraines
Sinus Fullness or Stuffiness
Sinus Pain and/or recurrent infections
Eustacian tube dysfunction or feeling of ear fullness
Dizziness
Vertigo
Poor Posture
Difficulty swallowing or dysphagia
Difficulty chewing
Broken, chippped, worn or loose teeth
Sensitive teeth
Bruxism
Teeth clenching
Occipital headaches
Parietal headaches
Throat Pain
Sensitive teeth
Neck and Shoulder Pain
Numbness in hand or fingers
Tinnitus
Depression
Excessive medication use
Fibromyalgia
In the simplest terms TMJ disorders are repetitive motion disorders. MANY OF THESE PROBLEMS ARE DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE TRIGEMINAL NERVE OR THE DENTISTS NERVE which is also known to be responsible for most headaches. A new website http://www.ihateheadaches.org is deicate to helping patients learn about the effectiveness of NMD or Neuromuscular Dentistry in treating headaches. An article on Neuromuscular Dentistry that was originally in “Contact” from the American Equilibration Society (AES) has been reprinted in Sleep and Health Journal at https://www.sleepandhealth.com/neuromuscular-dentistry and is an excellent primer into the field that simplifies this complex field into easily understandable terms. Neuromuscular Dentistry is an excellent method to treat both TMJ disorders and the associated symptoms. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institute of Health (NIH) considers sleep apnea to be a TMJ disorder. Their excellent report “CARDIOVASCULAR AND SLEEP-RELATED CONSEQUENCES OF TEMPOROMANDIBULAR DISORDERS” can be found at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/meetings/workshops/tmj_wksp.pdf
ICCMO is the International College of CranioMandibular Orthopedics and is the organization devoted to Neuromuscular Dentistry. The Las Vegas Institute or LVI has become the most important educator in the field of Neuromuscular Dentistry in the United States and is very involved in ongoing research. This research is led by Dr Norman Thomas, the unquestioned leading expert in Neuromuscular Dentistry. There is extensive research into Neuromuscular Dentistry in both Italy and Japan. The International ICCMO meeting was just held in Japan.