The Importance of Craniosacral Therapy in the Treatment of Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMJD)
The importance of Cranisoacral treatments & bodywork as adjunctive therapies in the treatment of Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction
In the traditional treatment of TMJD, a dental appliance is fitted to the bottom jaw in an attempt to stabilize & reposition the jaw joints in their optimum position. The jaw joints are not seen as having any relationship with the surrounding facial & cranial bones, nor with the stabilizing axis of the body, namely the atlas & axis bones, where the skull meets the neck bones, the hip bones, the knee's, ankles & feet.
In the new approach to treating TMJD, the body is considered as a whole unit, with all the parts interdependent & cooperating with each other to create a harmonious organism. When there is an injury to the body, the whole organism is affected, with resulting pain & stress to bones, joints, muscles, organs etc. which create compensations as the body & brain attempt to heal the injury & also keep the body functioning.
Patients with TMJD may be surprised when they are asked if they have pain anywhere else in their body, but it is a significant detector for the diagnosis of TMJD, as TMJD may be the last symptom to surface after an injury, especially impact injuries such as motor vehicle accidents, sports injuries, falls onto the tailbone, head injuries etc. In a motor vehicle accident where a person suffers a whiplash injury for instance, at first the pain is primarily in the neck & shoulders, but the impact of the injury travels throughout the body, creating secondary areas of trauma, which begin to surface only after several weeks. As the stability of the body is compromised, apparently unrelated symptoms may appear, creating more & more pain & dysfunction. Eventually, after going to see many doctors & specialists - having test after test which all are "normal ", the person shows up in the office of TMJD specialist.
Once the diagnosis of TMJD has been made, then co-treatment with adjunctive therapies may be indicated, so that the jaw joints are not just being treated in isolation, but are seen in relationship to the surrounding cranial & facial bones and also to the body as a whole. Sometimes, after a severe trauma, craniosacral treatments & bodywork may be recommended before the treatment of the TMJD begins, in order to decompensate the major areas of tissue trauma. This approach speeds up the healing time & ensures a satisfactory resolution.
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