Upper Cervical Chiropractic News

The temporomandibular (tem-puh-roe-man-DIB-u-lur) joint (TMJ) acts like a sliding hinge, connecting your jawbone to your skull. You have one joint on each side of your jaw. TMJ disorders — a type of temporomandibular disorder or TMD — can cause pain in your jaw joint and in the muscles that control jaw movement. TMJ disorders have many signs and symptoms. It's often hard to know for sure if you have TMJ, because one or all of these symptoms can also be present for other problems. Your dentist can help make a proper diagnosis by taking a complete medical and dental history, conducting a clinical examination and taking appropriate X-rays.   Some of the most common TMJ symptoms include: Headaches (often mimicking migraines), earaches, and pain and pressure behind the eyes A clicking or popping sound when you open or close your mouth Pain brought on by yawning, opening the mouth widely or chewing Jaws that "get stuck," lock or go out Tenderness of the jaw muscles A sudden cha...

An activity as simple as doing the dishes may not sound like it works the neck, but it can. Think about the extra effort your neck requires to support the head while bending down to load the dishwasher or reaching up to put a dish back in the cabinet. Staying active and doing different tasks throughout the day puts the neck through a wide range of motions and helps keep it in shape. On the other hand, if you spend a lot of time sitting or being relatively inactive, your neck muscles become deconditioned. When the neck muscles are weaker and tighter, they’re more susceptible to painful strains and sprains.      Benefits Of Neck Exercises Neck exercises can help you to release tension, tightness, and stiffness. They can reduce pain and increase flexibility. A strong neck can help to prevent neck and cervical spine injuries as well. Researchers in a 2007 study recommended long-term neck muscle training to reduce pain and increase neck muscle strength and range of motion. Thi...

 The trigeminal nerve is one of 12 pairs of nerves that are attached to the brain. The nerve has three branches that conduct sensations from the upper, middle, and lower portions of the face, as well as the oral cavity, to the brain. The ophthalmic, or upper, branch supplies sensation to most of the scalp, forehead, and front of the head. The maxillary, or middle, branch stimulates the cheek, upper jaw, top lip, teeth and gums, and to the side of the nose. The mandibular, or lower, branch supplies nerves to the lower jaw, teeth and gums, and bottom lip. More than one nerve branch can be affected by the disorder. Rarely, both sides of the face may be affected at different times in an individual, or even more rarely at the same time. What is trigeminal neuralgia ? Trigeminal neuralgia (TN), also called tic douloureux, is a chronic pain condition that affects the trigeminal or 5th cranial nerve, one of the most widely distributed nerves in the head. TN is a form of neuropathic pain, a...

Neck pain exercises are a common part of almost any treatment plan for neck pain. A typical neck exercise program will consist of a combination of stretching and strengthening exercises, aerobic conditioning, and possibly trigger point exercises. This article focuses on neck exercises to relieve neck pain caused by posture problems, as well as the necessary precautions to take before starting such an exercise program.            Forward and Backward Tilt This can be done while you're seated or on your feet. Keep your moves slow and smooth. Start with your head squarely over your shoulders and your back straight. Lower your chin toward your chest and hold for 15-30 seconds. Relax, and slowly lift your head back up. Tilt your chin up toward the ceiling and bring the base of your skull toward your back. Hold for 10 seconds, then return to the start position. Repeat the set several times. Do it every day. Side Tilt Do this while standing, with your feet hip-wi...

The trigeminal nerve is the biggest and most intricate nerve of the 12 cranial nerves. It extends from the base of the skull to the face. It is primarily responsible for transmitting sensations from the face to the brain. Trigeminal neuralgia is a type of chronic pain that occurs as a result of this nerve misfiring. There are number of treatments which are suitable for people who Struggling with Trigeminal Neuralgia and give relief from the pain.  Trigeminal neuralgia has been called the suicide disease due to the severity of the pain associated with it. The first step in avoiding pain is to avoid triggers. If your pain is due to wind, then you can avoid sitting near a window. Wearing a scarf can also help. At times hot and spicy food can also trigger the pain and thus they should be avoided. TN is associated with a variety of conditions. TN can be caused by a blood vessel pressing on the trigeminal nerve as it exits the brain stem. This compression causes the wearing away or damag...

  What Is Meniere's Disease ? Ménière's disease is a condition of the inner ear that causes sudden attacks of: feeling like the room is spinning around you (vertigo) a ringing noise inside the ear (tinnitus) pressure felt deep inside the ear hearing loss Symptoms of Ménière's disease During an attack of Ménière's disease, you may: feel dizziness with a spinning sensation (vertigo) feel unsteady on your feet feel sick (nausea) or be sick (vomit) hear ringing, roaring or buzzing inside your ear have a sudden drop in hearing These symptoms typically happen all at once and can last minutes or hours, but most commonly last 2 to 3 hours. The condition usually starts in 1 ear, but can spread to both ears over time. It can take a day or 2 for the symptoms to disappear completely. You may feel tired after an attack. Symptoms vary from person to person, but an attack of hearing loss without vertigo is uncommon. Attacks can happen in clusters, or several times a week, or they may ...

Meniere's disease can occur at any age, but it usually starts between young and adulthood. It's considered a chronic condition, but various treatments can help relieve symptoms and minimize the long-term impact on your life. Meniere's disease is a disorder of the inner ear that can lead to vertigo and hearing loss. Meniere's disease affects only one ear in most cases. Symptoms The symptoms of Meniere’s disease are caused by the buildup of fluid in the compartments of the inner ear, called the labyrinth. The labyrinth contains the organs of balance and of hearing . It has two sections: the bony labyrinth and the membranous labyrinth. The membranous labyrinth is filled with a fluid called endolymph that, in the balance organs, stimulates receptors as the body moves. The receptors then send signals to the brain about the body’s position and movement. In the cochlea, fluid is compressed in response to sound vibrations, which stimulates sensory cells that send signals to th...

Although concussion is a common sports injury, there are few published data on effective treatments. Many current recommendations are based on anecdotal evidence and consensus. Even when the search is expanded beyond the realm of sports, to include all forms of concussive brain injury, data remain scarce. The following article reviews the current recommendations for the management of sport-related concussion and some of the previously studied, potential therapies for the signs and symptoms of concussive brain injury in general. It is not an exhaustive review of all possible candidates for therapy, but rather a discussion of some of the more common recommendations, common therapies, and potential medications with the most published data available. The terms concussion and mild traumatic brain injury are used interchangeably. However, concussions are not always mild. Exactly when a mild traumatic brain injury becomes moderate is unclear. Most often, the difference between mild, moderate,...

Concussions are brain injuries that result from the brain hitting the skull or a strain on neural tissue due to excessive force. This force can be direct, like a hit to the head, or indirect, like whiplash in a car accident. Concussion symptoms range from mild to severe and include: loss of consciousness headache, which may range in intensity from mild to severe poor memory or concentration sensitivity to noise, light, or both dizziness or vertigo blurred vision sudden mood changes, including irritability, unexplained crying, or depression nausea or vomiting poor balance drowsiness fatigue reduced hearing trouble sleeping While concussions can cause a loss of consciousness on impact, this doesn’t always happen. In fact, 81% to 92% of concussions don’t involve loss of consciousness. In addition, symptoms can appear anywhere from the time of impact to several days after the initial injury. Concussion Natural Remedies The following are a few of the most effective natural remedies for post...