From Dr. Natalie Meiri’s clinical pearl stories: Chiropractor West Palm Beach: Relief from T.M.J. Pain with Acupuncture
This is my clinical pearl story about Chiropractor West Palm Beach: Relief from T.M.J. Pain With Acupuncture. She was a 45 year old female patient. Her chief complaint was temporomandibular joint (T.M.J.) pain. To be HIPAA compliant, I will call her Gene instead of her real name.
Gene had suffered from T.M.J. pain for a year. Gene stated her T.M.J. pain was from grinding her teeth from stress. She felt the pain in her jaws and face. Additionally, her symptoms included clicking, popping, or grinding noises in the jaw. Furthermore, at times she had some difficulty opening or closing the mouth. Gene felt Jaw “stiffness or locking”. Moreover, she even felt ear pain and/or fullness along with mild dizziness and headaches.
However, since she was perimenopausal she felt her hormones were causing some of her issues of aches and pains. Also, she wasn’t sleeping well.
Before Gene came to see me, she went to her dentist. He gave her a (mouth guard) splint and a prescription for NSAIDS (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). Gene’s dentist told her she “grinds her teeth”. By his recommendation, she tried a splint at night which helped a little.
Finally, Gene came to see me since she still had TMJ pain.
Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Anatomy
The TMJ is composed of:
–Synovial cavity– space between the bones in a synovial joint that’s filled with synovial fluid (nourishing thick fluid).
–Articular cartilage– specialized type of connective tissue that covers the ends of bones in joints. It provides a smooth surface for joint movement.
-Articular capsule– fibrous connective tissue encloses the joint capsule
–Several ligaments- ligament is a band of tissue that connects bones and joints. Ligaments hold the TMJ in place and help move it properly.
–Disk- articular fibrocartilaginous structure located between the mandible (jaw bone) and the temporal bone (sides of skull).
TMD refers to a group of disorders affecting the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), the joint connecting the jaw to the skull.
Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Pain/ Temporomandibular diseases (TMD) and Causes
Temporomandibular diseases (TMD) refers to a group of disorders affecting the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), the joint connecting the jaw to the skull.
TMJ problems can be due to developmental abnormalities, intracapsular diseases, and dysfunctional conditions:
-Developmental abnormalities include hypoplasia/hyperplasia (under or over development of TMJ)
-Impingements (pinching) of the various TMJ structures (e.g. coronoid process, synovial fold)
-Ossification (calcification) of TMJ ligaments (e.g. stylohyoid ligament; Eagle syndrome).
-Intracapsular (located within a capsule) diseases (e.g. disk adhesions/displacements, degenerative arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, infections, and gout)
– Postural stresses, muscle tone, malocclusion/dysfunction of the teeth can affect the TMJ.
-Women experience a higher incidence of oral (mouth) diseases including periodontal diseases and temporomandibular joint disease/pain. This points to the role of estrogen on TMJ structures. Low levels of estrogen during menopause predisposes the TMJ to degeneration (osteoarthritis). Furthermore, it leads to alveolar (bony ridge that contains the sockets of the upper teeth) bone loss.
Chiropractor West Palm Beach: Relief from T.M.J. Pain with Acupuncture-Gene’s Examination
Upon examination, Gene’s mandibular “gait” (way lower jawbone moves) was out of alignment. Tendinitis and trigger points were found by increased tenderness in the belly and tendons of the masseter (muscles on mandible that help close the mouth) and temporalis (muscle on temporal bone that help move jaw bone). Plain film x-rays are virtually useless for TMJ disorder diagnosis (except perhaps for fracture). And since there was no history of trauma, x-rays were not performed. Gene would try a course of 12 acupuncture treatments.
Chiropractor West Palm Beach: Relief from T.M.J. Pain with Acupuncture-Gene’s Acupuncture Treatments
Gene’s Acupuncture treatments consisted of the insertion of very thin metal needles. These were inserted into the skin and underlying tissues of the appropriate acu points. Her sleep and stress issues were also addressed through acupuncture. The outcome for Gene was pain relief and improved T.M.J. function. Gene symptoms of temporomandibular diseases (TMD) was resolved.She also stated, “more energy, better sleep and less stress” with her treatments!
How Does Acupuncture Help T.M.J. Pain, Disorders and Dysfunction?
Firstly, in one study (1), they utilized Acupuncture’s effectiveness for pain relief and muscle relaxation. They looked at the possibility of acupuncture treatment altering the the occlusal forces and mandibular movements in patients with deep-bite malocclusion (overbite). The study confirmed that acupuncture may become an alternative treatment on improving the occlusal force of deep-bite patients.
Secondly, a study (2) at the TMD Clinic, at the School of Dentistry, The University of Manchester was done. It compared the effect of real acupuncture and sham acupuncture in the treatment of temporomandibular joint myofascial pain. This was to establish the true efficacy of acupuncture. The “results demonstrated that real acupuncture had a greater influence on clinical outcome measure of TMJ myofascial pain than those of sham acupuncture”.
Thirdly, Neuroscientists at Harvard Medical School looked at the underlying neuroanatomy of acupuncture. Specifically, that acupuncture activates a nerve signaling pathway. The signaling affects the function of other parts of the body, including organs (and neuromusculoskeletal body parts).
Chiropractor West Palm Beach: Relief from T.M.J. Pain with Acupuncture
Acupuncture has been used for over 4000 years to treat pain and other health problems safely and effectively. The acupuncture treatment stimulates the imbalanced pathways called meridians. This activates the body’s natural healing abilities. Ultimately, this brings balance back to your body. Indeed, Acupuncture has a beneficial effect when treating many diseases and painful conditions.
Meiri Chiropractic offers acupuncture for T.M.J. Pain and many other ailments. Dr. Natalie Meiri is a chiropractic physician, board certified in acupuncture with over 20 years of experience. Call today for your acupuncture treatment for T.M.J. Pain and Dysfunction at 561-253-8984.
References:
- (1) Effects of short-term acupuncture treatment on occlusal force and mandibular movement in patients with deep-bite malocclusion J Dent Sci . 2019 Mar;14(1):81-86. doi: 10.1016/j.jds.2018.11.003. Epub 2018 Dec 4. Chih-Yu Fang, Jian-Hog Yu, Chia Chi Chang, Jhia Chi Chang, Jui Ting Hsu, Yu Chen Lee Heng Li Huan
- (2) The efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of temporomandibular joint myofascial pain: a randomised controlled trial PHilip Smith, Daniella Mosscrop, Stephen Davies, Philip Sloan, Ziad Al-AniAffiliations PMID: 17095133 DOI