Temporomandibular Joint Disorder - Relief with CranioSacral Therapy

Temporomandibular Disorder (TMJ or TMD) – relief through CranioSacral Therapy

One of the most commonly seen disorders in people who seek CranioSacral Therapy is Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD). TMD is what people suffer from when they have had problems with their jaw and the facial muscles that are related to jaw movement. The temporomandibular joint is a hinge that connects the jaw to the temporal bones of your cranium. These bones are located in front of each ear. These bones allow your jaw to move up and down and also side to side.

If someone has problems such as pain or limited movement with such things as talking, chewing, or yawning, it is likely they have a temporomandibular disorder. Most common symptoms include discomfort in your face, jaw, neck, shoulders, or trouble when trying to talk or when opening your mouth to do things like chewing food. You may hear a pop or a click when opening your mouth. This is a common symptom and is sometimes painful. Also when chewing, your teeth may feel like they are not aligning properly and your bite is uneven.

Some common causes of TMD include injuries to your jaw, the jaw joint, or muscles in your head and neck such as a forceful hit or whiplash from an event like a car accident. The pain can be extreme at times and last for a short while or even as long as several years.

Through a full body assessment during CranioSacral Therapy, I would find what areas of the body are restricted and may be leading to misalignment of your jaw. Most commonly the temporal bones are unstable and not moving properly.  After relieving any restrictions throughout your body such as sacral problems (which can be directly related to jaw issues, or issues in your neck and chest area (thoracic inlet)), I would then go to your cranium and evaluate the cranial bones. If there is a torsion in the sacral area, it can affect your whole body until it is resolved and in correct alignment. Starting at your frontal bone (forehead), I would work my way through the parietal, sphenoid and nasal bones.  I would place more focus on your temporal bones since they are the most common culprits. But without releasing the constraints in the other bones first, the temporal bones do not have as much of a chance to release all of their restrictions. They would not be able to move as freely as they would be able to after the other cranial bones are first moving without limitations.

CranioSacral can give relief to people suffering with TMD relatively soon – depending on how long and how severe it has been an issue. Most people should notice small amounts of relief after only a couple sessions. CranioSacral is a gentle non-invasive technique that uses very light touch to promote changes. By gently relieving the tension in muscles located inside the mouth with gentle techniques, we are “opening the avenue of expression” which can sometimes bring up emotions for people. If people have been having pain associated with their mouths, they haven’t been able to say everything that needs to be said at certain times. Some of their emotions have likely been held in.  When releases occur in the mouth, people may feel more emotional while their bodies realign and get back into balance. This is a normal occurrence and should not be feared. People should allow whatever emotions come up to easily and gently release. 

I would like to end this article with a quote from Dr John Upledger –

“The bottom line could be anything from childhood anxiety that perpetuates into adulthood and causes them to clamp their teeth together hard. Or they could have a little bite off, or they could have a bad low back that ultimately transfers back up into their head and throws their temporomandibular joint balance off.”

I believe that quote says a lot about what all of the possibilities of what could possibly be going on causing jaw pain and dysfunction.

Stephanie A Stanton

LMT, BSNH

Natural Health :)

In November of 2010 I earned my Bachelor of Science in Natural Health degree. Through this program I studied many different subjects and gained an understanding of various health issues.

I learned about various herbs and how they can assist in certain health problems. For example –

·  Cayenne Pepper

• One of the greatest heart stimulants, increases the pulse and tones the heart muscle.
• It is a great carminative, motivating the digestive process and helping with constipation and congestion.

·  Valerian

• Helps with relaxation/sleep.

·  Ginseng

• Increases endurance, stamina, and builds and enhances resistance to stress factors.
• Provides stimulation to the entire body to overcome stress and fatigue and get past weaknesses and deficiencies.

·  Ginger

• Primary herb for the reproductive, respiratory, and digestive systems.
• Helps improve poor circulation to the pelvis – helps with reproduction.
• Nice diaphoretic – encourages sweating.
• Makes digestion better and makes it easier for the entire body to move waste out.

·  Astralagus

• Superb energizing and tonic herb.
• One of the most exceptional herbs for enhancing the immune strength and enlivening the entire body, especially the spleen and lungs.
• Encourages circulatory health and increases regular metabolism of dietary sugars.

I also learned a great deal about exercise and the importance of movement in your daily life. Any form of exercise that helps to increase your heart rate helps lower levels of the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol.

• Adrenaline and cortisol are released in larger amounts the longer stress goes on.
• The more these hormones are released, the more problems they start to create like headaches, digestive issues, trouble sleeping, mood changes, etc.
• Exercise includes many benefits, such as increasing your cognition, lowering heart disease and cancer risk, easing pain, and lessens your chance of acquiring diabetes.
• Mind Body exercises like Yoga and Tai Chi can help lessen stress and make your mind clearer so you can handle life issues with greater ease.
• More intense work like running, swimming (non-impact), biking, or weight lifting are great options as well.
• Physical exercise is critical for disease reduction, optimal mental, emotional, and physical health, and longevity.
• Start slow and increase your time and intensity according to your body.

I would love to sit down and talk to you about your health/exercise goals. Or help you reduce your pain/stress through bodywork.  :)

Stephanie Stanton LMT, BSNH

828.450.5050

Training - Continuing Education

To maintain my license and my certifications I am required to do a certain amount of continuing education each year. I enjoy this time. It is a time for me to learn something new and expand my modalities. Most of my continuing education classes have focused on CranioSacral Therapy/SomatoEmotional Release. I love this therapy and it is what I mainly focus on during my sessions with clients. I also see clients who want a therapeutic upper body massage to relieve pain and tension throughout their bodies. It is great to be able to see the relief on my client’s faces as they leave their session.

This year I will attend a stretching class.  I have seen the benefits in using more stretching in my sessions with clients so I want to learn more ways to stretch more areas better and in a more effective way.  I’m hoping that, through this class, I will be able to help my clients’ relief last longer and also to be able to give them tools to use at home when they start to feel tension building up again.

Stretching is a great way to keep moving throughout life. Stretching allows us to be flexible and more with more ease throughout our days. Even 5-10 minutes a day can help more than you think.

Do you have to do continuing education for your job? What is your favorite thing to learn? Why?

Have a great week! Be good to yourself and others :)

Mindful sessions

Mindful Sessions.

I’ve been reading several articles lately about mindful sessions. So it got me thinking – what do you consider to be a “mindful” session? Is it one where you are able to lay there and process while you and the therapist stay quiet? Or is it one where you and the therapist communicate about what restrictions are found and what ways you can possibly relieve them?

During a typical session with me, I follow what my intuition is telling me. I follow what your tissues are leading me to do.  If it means I hold an area or support an arm or a leg while it gently releases, then that’s what I do. Sometimes people talk and sometimes they are quiet. I feel like whatever people choose to do during their session, it ends up working well for them. I think people have to find what works best for them and what helps them release the most. Is it staying quiet or is it dialoguing with me as the session goes on?

When I get worked on, I try to lay there with a clear and open mind and just allow whatever comes into my mind to come in. I try to process the ideas that come into my mind while I’m laying there. Sometimes I say them out loud and sometimes I stay quiet. I think it’s important for people to find what works for them.

When I’m working on a client – I take the first few minutes to truly ground myself and connect with my client and observe what is going on in their body. If they want to talk during their session or stay quiet I am ok with either option.  Whatever they find is the best for them to be able to release what needs to be released.

Through SomatoEmotional Release (a part of CranioSacral Therapy) we are taught that the body holds emotions and when those areas of the body are released, the emotion comes out as well. CranioSacral Therapists are trained in dialoguing and helping people move past these emotional restrictions or blocks.

How do you like to have your bodywork sessions? Do you stay quiet or do you like to talk/process what is going on as it is happening?

Share your ideas or thoughts below :) Thank you for reading my blog!

More CranioSacral/SomatoEmotional Release Facts :)

Breakdown Of Why CranioSacral/SomatoEmotional Release Works For Certain Ailments

• Headaches
  
  • By gently correcting the movement of the cranial bones, restrictions are lessened and the cerebrospinal fluid is able to flow better throughout your body reducing pain.
  • When emotions are released through SER, pain is lessened or goes away completely. When we hold emotions and they aren’t serving a positive purpose in our lives, pain usually results – sometimes through headaches.
• Chronic Pain
  
  • By releasing restrictions in the fascia, muscles, and other areas in your body caused by past trauma, pain is reduced or taken away completely because the cerebrospinal fluid can flow through all areas of your body correctly.
  • By allowing the restrictions to release around the sacrum it is able to move the way it needs and is meant to which greatly reduces back and leg pain.
  • By allowing the restrictions to release in the cranial bones, those bones are able to move the way they need to – reducing pain and stiffness.
  • By allowing restrictions to release in the fascia in various places of the body, chronic pain is reduced and movement becomes easier and more fluent.
• Digestive Issues
  
  • When the fascia on the abdomen gets stuck, digestion becomes difficult.
  • When the fascia is released and moving freely, digestion is able to flow freely and in the best way.
  • Unwinding of the abdomen truly helps with digestive issues as well. Unwinding simply means allowing the restrictions to let go. This is a gentle process of simply following the way the fascia wants to release.
  • Unwinding can also be done on your legs, arms, or neck. The easy process of allowing the fascia to gently release and be supported in a way that the restrictions can release greatly takes away pain and discomfort.
• Emotional Issues
  
  • As humans we hold emotions in our bodies. After any kind of traumatic event, emotions are held in our body.
  • When these emotions get stuck or do not have a proper way to release, pain often results. This can come in the form of headaches, body aches, or a variety of other forms of pain.
  • We need to have a proper way to comfortably release these emotions.
  • Through SER, you are in a comfortable, safe place where it is ok to let these issues go. This can be done either through gentle dialogue between therapist and client or through the simple release of a part on the body that safely lets the past feeling go through breathing, crying, talking, etc.
  • SomatoEmotional Release is not something that can be done to you (i.e. the therapist cannot cause it to happen in your body). Your body must be ready to release the emotion or emotions.
  • SomatoEmotional Release is very powerful. Clients who have had this experience leave feeling lighter, more clear headed, and with a sense of openness and ease. It is a truly beautiful thing to see.