Sunday, December 28, 2014

splint an old therapy? Alexander Technique.

  • Wedding: September 2009
I’m not talking about just nightguards.  I’m talking about the splints that are meant to realign or push back your jaw to a different position.  My dentist referred me to an orthodontist last year who made me a splint that did just that.  At that point in time I was so tired of my jaw pain and trying multiple different nightguards that I would do anything.  I have worn the splint for a year now and it definitely pushed my jaw back BUT I still have a lot of pain and my bite is still way off.  I get migraines all the time now too.  So today I had an appt with a different person, a medical doctor at my clinic, about all of this.  He said that prescribing a splint to push your jaw back is an old therapy and has never been proven to work.  He says no one does that anymore and that it probably messed up my jaw even more because it pushed it back too far.  No he wants me to stop wearing the splint abruptly (and to help me in this transition there is a powerful psychiatric sedative drug they can put me on at night so I don’t grind my teeth to shreds – I don’t really want to be on that though!).
Sure enough, I look up bruxism on wikipedia and one of the things it says is that splints to push back your jaw do not work well and should be avoided.  Wish I had looked that up a year ago!

Anyways, I’m just upset about all this and needed to rant I guess.  I don’t know what to do now.  Which doctor do I believe too?  The orthodontist or my the medical doctor I saw today?

Anyone else ever wear a splint that pushes their jaw back too?  Did it work for you?
Member
555 posts
Busy bee
  • Wedding: February 2010 
  • Wedding: December 2009
I had a bite splint for about three months, but unfortunately it made me drool like a saint Bernard so it didn’t get worn much past that.  Migraines for me are mostly triggered by stress, which is why a more holistic approach worked a lot better for me than a dental or orthodontal approach.
I use massage therapy to help with my TMJ and it has helped a lot, but it took me years to find someone comfortable enough with TMJ problems to really make a difference.  Another thing you can try is to find an Alexander Technique practitioner, who can help you learn to realign and relax your own jaw.

Member
678 posts
Busy bee
  • Wedding: August 2010
Yeah, I had one of those.  It didn’t help.  It realigned my jaw, but then my teeth weren’t aligned, so biting and chewing (even talking) was then MORE painful b/c my mouth would have to go back to the old alignment.  It sucked.
I have an achy jaw almost all the time (dull ache) and sometimes sharp headaches, but not all the time migraines.  I have noticed that when I try to sleep with my whole jaw on the pillow (i.e. further up than you usually sleep on a pillow) and with my mouth open I am less likely to start clenching during the night & am less likely to have headaches as a result.
@Draonsus – I would love to know more about the Alexander Technique thing & massage therapy.  I have never heard of either.  Is that kind of thing usually covered by insurance?
Member
1196 posts
Bumble bee
  • Wedding: December 2009
It depends – I have found some insurance companies to be very receptive to holistic medicine and I know a lot of places definitely cover massage therapy.  If not, look for a place called Massage Envy – they do a membership program that gets you a massage a month for about 50$ and it’s only $40 if you want more than one a month.  Ask about who has experience with TMJ and they should be able to get you set up with a qualified therapist.
You live in LA so there are MANY Alexander practictioners in your area (it’s also a popular acting/singing tool) so it should be no problem to find someone nearby.  Check around and see who takes insurance (and what your insurance will cover)
I hope this helps!

Read more: http://boards.weddingbee.com/topic/anyone-wear-splints-for-tmj/#ixzz3NAk56prx


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