When is a headache not a headache? Everyone gets headaches from time to time, but for millions of Americans, a headache can be the primary symptom of a condition called temporomandibular joint disorder, also known as TMJ. According to numerous estimates, TMJ is the third most common medical ailment in the United States. So when is a headache not a headache? For many people, the answer is when the headache is actually TMJ.
TMJ is when your jaw is improperly aligned. While this may sound simple, it actually manifests itself with a host of painful and potentially damaging symptoms. Some of the most common ones are headaches, facial numbness, tingling in the arms, legs and fingers, neck pain, ringing in the ears, chipped teeth, and grinding teeth.
While TMJ is very common, diagnosing it is not very easy. Only a qualified medical professional - in most cases, a neuromuscular dentist - can properly diagnose TMJ. It involves special scans and computer modeling, so that your bite position can be analyzed.
Neuromuscular Dentists: The TMJ Experts
Many people don't think of dentistry as anything beyond teeth, but neuromuscular conditions are an important aspect to good dental health. Only a neuromuscular dentist has the training and equipment to diagnose and treat TMJ. In fact, it's for this very reason that TMJ is so often misdiagnosed - doctors simply don't think to consider it as a possible cause of headaches.
"As a neuromuscular dentist, I keep the position of the temporomandibular joint in mind during all of my cosmetic dentistry procedures," says Dr. Dennis Ikuta, a neuromuscular dentist in Reedley, California. "Not only are neuromuscular dentists specially trained to diagnose and treat TMJ, but they are trained to prevent it from developing."
Neuromuscular dentists are singularly well equipped to treat TMJ. The most common, and generally most successful, treatment for TMJ is TENS. TENS is short for transcutaneous electrical neuromuscular stimulation. Gentle electrical current is run through your jaw muscles, which relaxes those muscles, stopping spasms and relieving pain.
Additional treatments include jaw re-alignment, often involving a custom-made mouthpiece the patient wears at night. In most cases, TMJ can be treated quite effectively with pain-free, non-invasive procedures.
Say Goodbye to Headaches
The results are life changing. Because TMJ is a chronic condition, TMJ sufferers often become somewhat accustomed to on-going pain. Once the TMJ is treated, however, that pain lifts. On-going TMJ-related aches can lead to depression, irritability, and general discomfort. TMJ treatment improves both the physical and the psychological aspects of TMJ.
If you suffer from on-going headaches, it's important to meet with a neuromuscular dentist. A neuromuscular dentist has additional training - above and beyond traditional dental school - and is the type of medical professional most qualified to diagnose, and subsequently treat, TMJ.
A headache can be more than just a headache. It can be a warning sign of TMJ. If you suffer from headaches, jaw pain, eyestrain, tingling in the arms and legs, or similar symptoms, it is absolutely worth your time to meet with a neuromuscular dentist. TMJ is a very common problem, yet one which the general public is largely unfamiliar with. Even physicians tend to overlook TMJ as a possible cause, since the symptoms of TMJ are so varied and vague. Only a neuromuscular dentist - typically - has the training and experience necessary to correct TMJ.
About the Author
Contact Dr. Ikuta to discuss your symptoms by visiting his website or calling (559) 638-6321.
The Expansion of Rejuvenation for Your Face by Patricia Woloch
Rejuvenation means to reverse the process of aging and to get the full advantage of modern techniques, you must consider all the options. These options, nowadays, include facial cosmetic surgery, a practice that has escalated exponentially from secret procedures practiced by movie stars and parvenus to a popular and open practice in just a few short decades and is now available to the "everyday" person.
Available Procedures
For those looking to improve just about any area of the face, cosmetic surgeons and aestheticians have found a solution. These include:
· Face, forehead, eye and neck lifts· Ear and nose reshaping· Chin and cheek implants· Botox® injections· Face and neck liposuction· Injectable fillers· Glycolic, citric, and lactic acid peels· Laser skin resurfacing· Microdermabrasion· Lymphatic drainage
...along with waxing, tinting, bleaching and more.
A Few Stats
According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), close to 11 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures were performed in 2006, an increase of 7 percent in only one year. And of those procedures, liposuction, eyelid surgery and nose reshaping were among the top five most performed. (Although liposuction encompasses other parts of the anatomy, it also entails the face and neck.) Minimally invasive procedures were up 8 percent, with Botox® injections, chemical peels, laser hair removal, microdermabrasion and hyaluronic acid injectables (dermal fillers) - all facial procedures - making up every one of the five most-performed procedures. These numbers affirm the fact that every day, more and more people across the country are wanting to look better - and are doing something about it.
Multiple Procedures Common
Many cosmetic surgery clients have realized that more than one procedure can help them. For instance, a minimally invasive facelift, such as the highly successful Simplicity lift, improves their check, neck and jaw line, but to improve on a furrowed brow or droopy eyes, they can opt to have additional procedures like the forehead lift or an eyelid lift done at the same time.
As Speed of Procedures Goes Up, Costs Go Down
New minimally invasive surgical techniques are revolutionizing facial cosmetic surgery, such as those used by Dr. Michael Jasin of the Jasin Facial Rejuvenation Institute in Florida. This doctor employs the "pulley" stitch as part of his suturing techniques and makes far fewer incisions than are made in traditional facelifts, thus decreasing the time of facelift procedures from three to five hours to right around an hour - and without the use of general anesthesia. These factors are not only making cosmetic surgery safer and shorter, they're making it affordable to more people than ever.
Rejuvenation - It's Do-able!
Rejuvenating the face does not have to be the stuff of daydreams any longer. Doctors performing facial cosmetic surgery today have a variety of procedures, exceptionally trained staffs, the latest in technology and knowledge - and most of them offer financial arrangements to pay for it. Cosmetic surgery has reached a new level of do-ability - why not take advantage of it?
About the Author
If you are considering cosmetic surgery, contact the surgeons at Jasin Facial Rejuvenation Institute in Tampa, FL today.
Available Procedures
For those looking to improve just about any area of the face, cosmetic surgeons and aestheticians have found a solution. These include:
· Face, forehead, eye and neck lifts· Ear and nose reshaping· Chin and cheek implants· Botox® injections· Face and neck liposuction· Injectable fillers· Glycolic, citric, and lactic acid peels· Laser skin resurfacing· Microdermabrasion· Lymphatic drainage
...along with waxing, tinting, bleaching and more.
A Few Stats
According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), close to 11 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures were performed in 2006, an increase of 7 percent in only one year. And of those procedures, liposuction, eyelid surgery and nose reshaping were among the top five most performed. (Although liposuction encompasses other parts of the anatomy, it also entails the face and neck.) Minimally invasive procedures were up 8 percent, with Botox® injections, chemical peels, laser hair removal, microdermabrasion and hyaluronic acid injectables (dermal fillers) - all facial procedures - making up every one of the five most-performed procedures. These numbers affirm the fact that every day, more and more people across the country are wanting to look better - and are doing something about it.
Multiple Procedures Common
Many cosmetic surgery clients have realized that more than one procedure can help them. For instance, a minimally invasive facelift, such as the highly successful Simplicity lift, improves their check, neck and jaw line, but to improve on a furrowed brow or droopy eyes, they can opt to have additional procedures like the forehead lift or an eyelid lift done at the same time.
As Speed of Procedures Goes Up, Costs Go Down
New minimally invasive surgical techniques are revolutionizing facial cosmetic surgery, such as those used by Dr. Michael Jasin of the Jasin Facial Rejuvenation Institute in Florida. This doctor employs the "pulley" stitch as part of his suturing techniques and makes far fewer incisions than are made in traditional facelifts, thus decreasing the time of facelift procedures from three to five hours to right around an hour - and without the use of general anesthesia. These factors are not only making cosmetic surgery safer and shorter, they're making it affordable to more people than ever.
Rejuvenation - It's Do-able!
Rejuvenating the face does not have to be the stuff of daydreams any longer. Doctors performing facial cosmetic surgery today have a variety of procedures, exceptionally trained staffs, the latest in technology and knowledge - and most of them offer financial arrangements to pay for it. Cosmetic surgery has reached a new level of do-ability - why not take advantage of it?
About the Author
If you are considering cosmetic surgery, contact the surgeons at Jasin Facial Rejuvenation Institute in Tampa, FL today.
Findings on Brittle Diabetes by Roger Guzman, M.D.
Brittle diabetes is not easy for all those concerned. It is a difficult condition not only for the patients but also to the health care providers and family. While this condition most often occurs in the 15-30 age group, there have been reports of brittle diabetes causing problems for the elderly.
This was why Drs. Susan Benbow of Liverpool's University Clinical Department of Medicine and Geoffrey Gill along with Angela Walsh of Liverpool's Diabetes Center were prompted to study the characteristics and causes of brittle diabetes in the elderly.
What they did was sent out questionnaires to all United Kingdom hospital clinics for diabetic adults. In this way they were able to obtain reports for 55 patients who met the standards for brittle diabetes among the senior population. What are these criteria? In order to become participants for this research, first, they have to be 60 years old or over.
The second standard is that they have to be treated with insulin. And they have had their lives disrupted by glycemic instability. Moreover, they must have been hospitalized for a long period and this hospitalization should have been not only of long duration but often.
After calculating the mean age, the result came up as 74 years old. The number of cases for females is a high 71%. The researchers classified the brittle diabetes among the senior population into three categories:
. varied instability in 44%
. repeated ketoacidosis in 29%
. recurrent hypoglycemia in 15%
You must wonder why the aforementioned statistics did not arrive at a total of 100%. It's because enough information was not available in some cases. There was not a single cause for brittle diabetes among two-thirds of the participants which amounted to 66%brittle diabetes. In fact, the researchers found many causes for this diabetes in this age group,
As for the single cause of this condition, they discovered that the main reason for this condition is medical disease. The researchers did not identify the medical disease although another study reported that their cases also involved other chronic diseases. Another cause is that only 6% of the participants were unaware of the hypoglycemic event.
Problems about behavior and memory were found not to be common. Only four cases were found showing patients who intentionally manipulated the treatment. And 84% of the elderly who were afflicted with brittle diabetes were living alone.
Among the four cases who manipulated the treatment, two with repeated ketoacidosis were thought of as seeking attention by leaving out insulin. One had problems with her marriage and possibly was suffering from depression. She seemed to be wanting to gain personally from her glycemic instability.
The last subject who manipulated the therapy case was deemed to be calculating and depressed. Her hypoglycemic events all occurred in public. However in all these cases there were other issues that may have led to the instability. Most of these would be the chronic non-diabetic medical condition.
Among the younger cases, the main characteristic of brittle diabetes is recurrent ketoacidosis but this research seems to indicate that brittle diabetes in the elderly have different causes and patterns. With the older group now making use of insulin treatment, we may see more of the same cases.
The diabetes health care team found many causes of the condition but it is more important to note that this survey found that brittle diabetes among the senior population exists. And this problem should not be ignored. It is quite a problem not only for the health care team but for the family as well.
When the elderly is admitted to the hospital for diabetes, the reason given is usually varied. The most cause is mixed brittleness whereas for the younger patients, ketoacidosis is the most common reason for hospitalization. There are more females than males among the elderly but this does not come as a surprise so it is not considered as statistically important.
There is not enough publications on unstable diabetes in the elderly. The report in Birmingham, UK is that 25% of those with repeated episodes were over 59 years old. That most of these have mixed brittleness was found by Griffin and Yudkin. They did not identify any clear cause for the instability.
Gale et al from Nottingham in 1981 reported that 33% of diabetic patients who were admitted to the hospital over a period of 7 years were over 50 years old. There is a need therefore to think of strategies to face the clear indication that brittle diabetes in the elderly is a reality. Multidisciplinary approach is the way to go when dealing with prevention and management.
About the Author
Roger Guzman, M.D. was Director of Forensic Psychiatry at Centracare for ten years and published numerous articles in the Journal of the American College of Forensic Psychiatry and other medical magazines. For more information, please visit these sites:
Brittle Diabetes
Diabetes Diet
This was why Drs. Susan Benbow of Liverpool's University Clinical Department of Medicine and Geoffrey Gill along with Angela Walsh of Liverpool's Diabetes Center were prompted to study the characteristics and causes of brittle diabetes in the elderly.
What they did was sent out questionnaires to all United Kingdom hospital clinics for diabetic adults. In this way they were able to obtain reports for 55 patients who met the standards for brittle diabetes among the senior population. What are these criteria? In order to become participants for this research, first, they have to be 60 years old or over.
The second standard is that they have to be treated with insulin. And they have had their lives disrupted by glycemic instability. Moreover, they must have been hospitalized for a long period and this hospitalization should have been not only of long duration but often.
After calculating the mean age, the result came up as 74 years old. The number of cases for females is a high 71%. The researchers classified the brittle diabetes among the senior population into three categories:
. varied instability in 44%
. repeated ketoacidosis in 29%
. recurrent hypoglycemia in 15%
You must wonder why the aforementioned statistics did not arrive at a total of 100%. It's because enough information was not available in some cases. There was not a single cause for brittle diabetes among two-thirds of the participants which amounted to 66%brittle diabetes. In fact, the researchers found many causes for this diabetes in this age group,
As for the single cause of this condition, they discovered that the main reason for this condition is medical disease. The researchers did not identify the medical disease although another study reported that their cases also involved other chronic diseases. Another cause is that only 6% of the participants were unaware of the hypoglycemic event.
Problems about behavior and memory were found not to be common. Only four cases were found showing patients who intentionally manipulated the treatment. And 84% of the elderly who were afflicted with brittle diabetes were living alone.
Among the four cases who manipulated the treatment, two with repeated ketoacidosis were thought of as seeking attention by leaving out insulin. One had problems with her marriage and possibly was suffering from depression. She seemed to be wanting to gain personally from her glycemic instability.
The last subject who manipulated the therapy case was deemed to be calculating and depressed. Her hypoglycemic events all occurred in public. However in all these cases there were other issues that may have led to the instability. Most of these would be the chronic non-diabetic medical condition.
Among the younger cases, the main characteristic of brittle diabetes is recurrent ketoacidosis but this research seems to indicate that brittle diabetes in the elderly have different causes and patterns. With the older group now making use of insulin treatment, we may see more of the same cases.
The diabetes health care team found many causes of the condition but it is more important to note that this survey found that brittle diabetes among the senior population exists. And this problem should not be ignored. It is quite a problem not only for the health care team but for the family as well.
When the elderly is admitted to the hospital for diabetes, the reason given is usually varied. The most cause is mixed brittleness whereas for the younger patients, ketoacidosis is the most common reason for hospitalization. There are more females than males among the elderly but this does not come as a surprise so it is not considered as statistically important.
There is not enough publications on unstable diabetes in the elderly. The report in Birmingham, UK is that 25% of those with repeated episodes were over 59 years old. That most of these have mixed brittleness was found by Griffin and Yudkin. They did not identify any clear cause for the instability.
Gale et al from Nottingham in 1981 reported that 33% of diabetic patients who were admitted to the hospital over a period of 7 years were over 50 years old. There is a need therefore to think of strategies to face the clear indication that brittle diabetes in the elderly is a reality. Multidisciplinary approach is the way to go when dealing with prevention and management.
About the Author
Roger Guzman, M.D. was Director of Forensic Psychiatry at Centracare for ten years and published numerous articles in the Journal of the American College of Forensic Psychiatry and other medical magazines. For more information, please visit these sites:
Brittle Diabetes
Diabetes Diet
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