Acupuncture Healthcare

I thought I would quickly blog on the first problem Chinese medicine solved for me and numerous patients of mine.  My own bout of TMJ was probably due to a number of factors.  I have a history of orthodontics in my early teens which corrected an over-bite and straightened my teeth.  This alone is cause for a case of TMJ, but my own flare ups began to occur in college around exam time.  The stress and intense studying sessions caused me to clench my teeth at night.  I would wake up to an incredibly sore jaw and my gums felt battered from where my teeth had been pressed into the sockets.  I saw the on-campus dentist who assured me nothing was wrong and sent me on my way.  I thought there was nothing I could do, and so I simply lived with it.

Several years later, I started acupuncture school, and the pain returned when the long hours of studying and exams reappeared.  Luckily for me, this time I knew that acupuncture was helpful for pain, and I made an appointment with one of my teachers.  Five or six treatments later I was TMJ pain free and have been ever since.  Also, I was able to complete the four-year, master’s degree program without the pain and discomfort of my undergrad years.

And in case you are wondering what TMJ is, it’s an umbrella term that covers both acute and chronic inflammation and pain of the temporomandibular joint.

Tags: pain, pain relief, TMJ