This series on jaw pain and TMJ is based on the case study of Rodney D. If you missed the beginning, go back to Part 1. So what do I think about when someone comes into my Neuromuscular Therapy office near Boston saying that they have TMJ pain or jaw pain? The lateral pterygoid! Sounds […]
This is a series on jaw pain and TMJ (temperomandibular joint) pain. If you missed the case study on Rodney D., go back to part 1. Jaw pain is most commonly caused by tension in the muscles that close the jaw for chewing and clenching or grinding. There are three. The masseter lies on the […]
This is a series on jaw pain and TMJ pain. If you missed the case study about Rodney D., go back to part 1. After discovering that Rodney had a difference in the length of his legs, I understood why his jaw and shoulder were troublesome. That perpetuating factor, if left uncorrected, would have prevented […]
Rodney had been coming regularly to the Massage Therapists in our Neuromuscular Therapy center in Metro West Boston for over a year mostly for maintenance, but he also had specific complaints of jaw and shoulder pain. He decided to try some Neuromuscular Therapy to see if he could get more relief for the shoulder and […]
These five stretches target the most important muscles that cause headache pain. Forward flexion for the suboccipitals: Sitting up straight, bring your chin in toward your throat and try to tuck it in the notch between your collar bones. Clasp your hands behind your head and gently pull so that you feel a stretch at the […]
During the treatment of Melinda W., suffering from years of chronic headache pain, she told me that one of the most important things she learned in her healing process was to “touch the places that hurt.” That’s a hard thing to do when it causes more pain, but holding pressure on places that hurt will […]
As a Neuromuscular Therapist, how do I think about chronic headache pain? If medical reasons for headaches have been ruled out, the cause is probably muscular Trigger Points. Examining the muscles in the neck and shoulders usually turns up at least one cause. But finding unhealthy muscles with Trigger Points is only targeting the symptoms. […]
In the case of Melinda W., I found a scoliosis and lower limb length inequality (LLLI) that were tilting her shoulders, causing tension in the jaw (TMJ) and neck musculature and giving her chronic headaches. I recommended trying a heel lift to level her out, and she scheduled a TMJ evaluation at a major Boston […]
After four months of weekly Neuromuscular Therapy treatments in my clinic southwest of Boston, Sally began to respond. Symptoms gradually reduced in all of the muscles, tendons and ligaments in the lumbar spine and the muscles in the buttocks and hips. As time allowed, other treatments included the muscles of the thigh, and muscles along […]