CHICAGO TMJ Testimonials: Over 100 Video Testimonials listed for Chicago TMJ Testimonial

I have treated thousands of patients over the last 35 years in Wisconsin and Illinois for TMJ disorders, Sleep disorders, chronic headaches, migraines, cluster headaches and other disorders.

In  the last 18 months over 100 video testimonials have been made by my patients and they are available on youtube.  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk9Bfz6pklC7_UluWFHzLrg

The value of these videos is that patients can identify with other patients who have had similar stories.  Thousands of patients visit these videos monthly and I have helped countless patients as a result.

My Highland Park website is www.ThinkBetterLife.com and it is conveniently located on the Metra line and has Saturday appointments available.

Patients who have suffered with pain for years appreciate the personalized precision approach to eliminating pain and dysfunction and restoring their quality of life.

Services offered include a Diagnostic Neuromuscular orthotic to reversibly. address pain and dysfunction, Trigger point injections, Sphenopalatine Ganglion Blocks, Prolotherapy and much more.

Improving your quality of life is our goal.

This first video is a patient who has been in constant pain for most of her life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7fQKStzAUo

This was her first visit for a consultation and she now has no pain and is super relaxed and feels great! She has her neurostimulater off for over an hour and it has not been off since it was surgically implanted. If ever off even for a short time she would get an immediate migraine.

When the stimulator was turned off and she felt a migraine begining Janet Travell spray and stretch technique turned off the migraine as myofascial triggers were relieved.

Brittany now understands much of her pain comes from her muscles. "It has been a long time since I felt this good, since I was a kid."

This second video is a disabled Israeli Veteran who has been in constant pain from fibromyalgia for over nine years.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5xUFtuZe_Y

The next patient experiencd over 50 years of migraine before finding relief:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJRU8uLzF-A

This patient suffered with TMJ problems for over 25 years :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1qdCHNB0F8

This next patient suffered constant pain for over nine years and was told by Mayo Clinic Neurologist that there "Was No Hope"!   
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOJTPQEGr1w

These are just a few of the over 100 videos on the youtube channel.
 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk9Bfz6pklC7_UluWFHzLrg

  This patient declared "If you're in pain there is hope!"
All of these patients have rediscovered hope.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sS3oJsmtwz0
They all have one thing in common, they found a reason to have hope again.

British Study Show That Botox Offers 'little help' for migraines.

The BBC news reproted that experts say there is "limited evidence" for using botox to treat migraine.


Botox has been licensed in the UK and US as a preventative treatment for chronic cases.

The BBC reprted that "But a review of evidence by the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin said it could not "see a place" for giving botox to migraine sufferers."

NEW ARTICLE IN JOURNAL PAIN LINKS TEMPLE HEADACHES TO TMJ DISORDERS

TENSION-TYPE Headaches in the temples are positively correlated to TMD dysfunction. This correlation extends to all of the various TMJ symptoms.

It has long been known that headaches are almost a universal symptom of TMJ disorders. Treatment of TMJ disorders usually leads to significant reduction in headache pain. Neuromuscular Dentistry should always be considered diagnostic work-up of chronic headache patients. The majority of patients experience elimination or very significant pain relief within a brief time period after being treated with a diagnostic neuromuscular orthotic. PPatients frequently consider the results "miraculous"

Learn more about Neuromuscular Dentistry:
Sleep and Health Journal
http://www.sleepandhealth.com/neuromuscular-dentistry

What is not as well known is that TMD is only one of a large family of craniomandibular disorders and problems related to the trigeminal nervous system. The Trigeminal Nerve and its central nervous system connections are involved in almost all headaches. The use of Neuromuscular Dentistry is extremely effective in treating TMJ disorders and associated headaches.

Neuromuscular Dentistry is also extremely effective in treating Chronic Daily Headaches, Tension-Type Headaches, Classic Migraine, Atypical Migraine , Migraine Staticus, Sinus and facial pain, occiptal headache and other chronic pains of the head and neck.

Physicians who do not have the same thorough understanding of the Trigeminal Nerve frequently underplay the importance of the Trigeminal Nerve in almost all headaches. This leads them to approach treatment of headaches with powerful drugs that often have dangerous side effects.

Neuromuscular Dentistry works by reducing noxious input to the central nervous system thru the Trigeminal Nerve.

Pain. 2010 Dec 31. [Epub ahead of print]
Influence of headache frequency on clinical signs and symptoms of TMD in subjects with temple headache and TMD pain.
Anderson GC, John MT, Ohrbach R, Nixdorf DR, Schiffman EL, Truelove ES, List T.

University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, Department of Developmental and Surgical Sciences, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Abstract
The relationship of the frequency of temple headache to signs and symptoms of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders (TMD) was investigated in a subset of a larger convenience sample of community TMD cases. The study sample included 86 painful TMD, nonheadache subjects; 309 painful TMD subjects with varied frequency of temple headaches; and 149 subjects without painful TMD or headache for descriptive comparison. Painful TMD included Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders diagnoses of myofascial pain, TMJ arthralgia, and TMJ osteoarthritis. Mild to moderate-intensity temple headaches were classified by frequency using criteria based on the International Classification of Headache Disorder, 2nd edition, classification of tension-type headache. Outcomes included TMD signs and symptoms (pain duration, pain intensity, number of painful masticatory sites on palpation, mandibular range of motion), pressure pain thresholds, and temple headache resulting from masticatory provocation tests. Trend analyses across the painful TMD groups showed a substantial trend for aggravation of all of the TMD signs and symptoms associated with increased frequency of the temple headaches. In addition, increased headache frequency showed significant trends associated with reduced PPTs and reported temple headache with masticatory provocation tests. In conclusion, these findings suggest that these headaches may be TMD related, as well as suggesting a possible role for peripheral and central sensitization in TMD patients. Subjects with painful temporomandibular disorders (TMD) showed significant trends for increased signs and symptoms of TMD associated with increased frequency of concurrent temple headaches.

Copyright © 2010 International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
PMID: 21196079 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Headaches since June, Back of head that last 1 1/2 days and end with throwing up.

Rachel: I have on going headaches since June. They are in the back area of the head and I usually have them for 1 day and half. Most of the time I end up throwing up

Dr Shapira response: Dear Rachel,

I assume that you have visited you physician to discuss your headaches due to the dramatic change. If nothing is found medically occipital headaches are frequently helped by a neuromuscular orthotic. Symptoms that you describe can also be caused by Atlas/Axis problems and you might want to consider seeing an Atlas Orthogonal or NUCCA chiropracter..

If the pain is primarily muscle ait may be easy to relieve utilizing Travell vapocoolant spray and stretch. Does the pain go away immediately after vomiting? When you vomit it causes instant but temporary release of closing jaw muscles.

It is always important to consider organic disease when a new type of headache occurs. Never assume that there is not an undrlying disease process. Neuromuscular Dentistry is probably one of the safest and most effective treatments for chronic headaches and migraines but when a new type of headache occurs it is important to rule out other medical causes.

Objective diagnosis is the key, you do not want to become a drug guinea pig diagnosed by serial drug experiments.

Trigger point injections are an essential part of TMD, Migraine and Headache treatment for many patients

The importance of this study though extremely limited is that it explains why understanding Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction is essential when chronic pain problems including neck pain, headache and TMD disorders. In this study a single injection in the trapezius muscle (shoulder) gave significant reduction in pain in the masseter region along with reduction in EMG values.

There are hundreds of trigger point areas. It is essential to see a physiian or dentist who understands Myofascial Pain and knows how to preform trigger point injections as well as trigger point deactivation with vapocoolants.

Treating patients with drugs and not addressing underlying causes of pain is like painting your ceiling every time it rains instead of fixing where your roof leaks. Neuromuscular Dentistry is used to create a healthy environment where trigger points do not return.

Pain. 1993 Dec;55(3):397-400.
Reduction of pain and EMG activity in the masseter region by trapezius trigger point injection.
Carlson CR, Okeson JP, Falace DA, Nitz AJ, Lindroth JE.

Department of Psychology, College of Dentistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40536.
Abstract
In this open, uncontrolled trial, 20 patients with upper trapezius muscle trigger point pain and ipsilateral masseter muscle pain received a single trigger point injection of 2% lidocaine solution (without epinephrine) in the upper trapezius muscle. Following the trapezius injection, there was a significant (P < 0.001) reduction in pain intensity ratings for pain in the masseter region. In addition, there was a significant (P < 0.03) reduction in EMG activity in the masseter muscle. Overall, however, a significant relationship between EMG activity in the masseter and the self-report of pain was not found with the present data set. These clinical findings support the contention that sources of deep pain can produce heterotopic sensory and motor changes in distant anatomical regions.

PMID: 8121703 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

TMJ Treatment: Is Neuromuscular Dentistry the TMJ Treatment?

Neuromuscular Dentistry treats TMJ disorders by correcting the underlying problems rather than just treating the symptoms. The old fashioned mechanical approach to TMD treatment only addresses the current symptoms. Long term correction of chronic headaches, joint pain and muscle pain is actually the result of healing when underlying pathology is eliminated. Neuromuscular Dentistry is the best way to correct function and permit long term healing.