I've slipped a disc... in my jaw!

Often when taking a case history with a patient suffering headache or neck pain I find they have a clicky jaw. It’s not just backs that can have a slipped disc. The jaw joint is called the temporamandibular joint and is made up of an articular disc. When you hear a click when chewing it is the disc displacing. This can interfere with the smooth gliding of the jaw bone the mandible on the temporal bone of the skull. The disc is often displaced due to the straining of the masseter (chewing) muscle and the lengthening o the lateral ligaments. The pain that comes from a slipped disc in the jaw or associated muscle spasms can range from annoying to debilitating. I have been very interested in treating this area for some time now and have built up this specialist service. A clicky jaw in itself may not cause you a problem but it may be having a knock on effect somewhere else.

Osteopaths now realise that the way the jaw and teeth operate affect the balancing of the whole body structure. You may remember the old adage ‘ the hip bones connected to the knee bone’ but did you realise how intricately and fundamentally the jaw bone is connected to the hip bone?

Teeth meet together 2000 times a day and so an uneven bite transmits itself down the skeleton to accommodate the uneven bite the head tilts slightly, the eyes levelling with the horizon, so the neck kinks. The lower spine compensates to prevent you falling over by creating a sideways S curve. This in turn causes the pelvis to tilt. This can cause pain in the back, knees, feet, uneven gait and wear and tear on the joint.

An uneven bite can be caused by birth trauma, stress, teeth grinding and clenching as well as muscle and joint conditions. With teeth grinding and clenching excessive forces occur on the ligaments, the disc and the jaw joint. At the very least muscle bruising can result but over a period of time one can experience debilitating headaches, difficulty chewing, neck and facial pain all of which affect a person’s quality of life.

It has been said that pain in other parts of the body such as back pain can often be tolerated until symptoms become severe enough to seek treatment but pain in the face and jaw causes significant distress and worry and has an effect on employment, sleep, relationships and daily life.

Chronic orofacial pain presents challenging diagnostic problems and often benefit from the multidisciplinary holistic approach offered by an osteopath and a correct diagnosis requires time, understanding and listening to a patient’s chief complaints and a thorough pain history, We use gentle soft tissue techniques on the muscles around the neck and the jaw muscles and look at rebalancing the tensions in the face . We also can use manipulative techniques to those cervical and thoracic vertebra which are affecting the slippage of the articular disc. Patients find much relief from these targeted techniques and our expertise.

Kinesiotaping now available!

Seen or heard of taping at the Olympics? Alison has now completed her first taping course is very excited about its possibilities in sports injuries, disc and postural problems.  

When applied properly, ROCKTAPE lifts the skin away from the muscle, which promotes blood flow. This increases endurance by promoting blood flow during an athletic event and the decompressive nature of the tape aids healing and pain relief. 

For more information visit: http://www.rocktape.net

Back Awareness Week 2012

8th-12th of October is Back Care Awareness week. The campaign's focus is on Builders back pain in particular and we will have a builders success story on our website soon. 

We are offering 25% off all 1st Osteopathic appointments for the whole of October. 

Please mention this to friends and family who may be suffering (not just builders!) and if they book you will receive 25% off your next appointment. Quote ref 'autumn'. 

Are you wearing the right bra?

Today I tackle bras! Over the years, you've gained weight, lost weight, perhaps had a baby, and begrudgingly endured the effects of gravity. Your body has changed since your teens and early 20s, but has your bra?

Every clinic day I see patients in underwear and every single day I admonish about bra fittings and it seemed timely, to give my penny's worth. My patients often talk about going to the gym, exercises for backs and about correct driving and computer posture when talking about alleviating back and neck symptoms. They are often surprised when I tug at a gapping bra.

From an engineering point of view a structure will topple and have strains if it is without support! Bras are engineering challenges that have been compared in the industry to suspension bridges. In a bra, the wires, straps and other engineering features redistribute the weight in the bra to the band around the torso and challenge the forces of gravity. How much more then do they challenge your body! Women now have bigger curves and lingerie shops are now adapting to the real size of women.

With my neck and back pain patients a discussion on boobs and breathing mechanics follows – how can you breathe as intended if your shoulders are rounded in (protracted) thereby squashing your diaphragm and altering your spinal mechanics? If you are not breathing with your diaphragm you will use the accessory muscles of respiration your scalene muscles which surround your neck. And that's were the calamity occurs so If your bra is not supportive enough, your muscles have to do all the work. Overworking causes neck pain. So I send my patients to get properly fitted by a bra fitter (personal favourite Bravissimo in Broad Street Oxford) and to follow my TSB breathing exercises. (link). At the next appointment I can guarantee delighted patients, reduced pain, better educated patients who have realised the importance of good bra and admit they feel a million dollars ( and I always get the thumbs up from partners)!