Wednesday, November 18, 2020

Relief from TMJ


Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMJD) are caused by a dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and impact over 10million Americans yearly.  Commonly known as "lockjaw," TMJ causes pain and discomfort of the jaw as well as headaches, clicking of the jaw, ear pain, ringing in the ears, dizziness, unexplained tooth pain, grinding of the teeth, pain in the face and cheek, and muscle stiffness.  TMJ can also cause issues with the shoulders and neck including muscle soreness, loss of range of motion, and numbness or tingling in the hands and fingers.  When you open your mouth, the rounded upper ends of the mandible on each side of the jaw glide along the joint socket at the base of the skull. Then when you close your mouth they slide back to their original position. This is where many people with TMJ hear popping in their jaw.  While TMJD can be hard to approach in terms of care as they are often comprised of many factors, all of those factors have one thing in common: dysfunction occurs at the base level.  While many therapies focus solely on pain relief, such as needling, facial injections, and even surgery, one treatment focuses on removing the cause of  TMJD.  That treatment is specific cervical chiropractic adjustments.  By removing interference to the trigeminal nerve, the joint is able to move properly as well as release tension of the surrounding ligaments and muscles.  Have more questions about TMJ and other disorders of the jaw?  We can help.


Yours in health,

Dr. Nicholas J. Knutson, DC
Owner/Doctor

MOUNTAIN ISLAND CHIROPRACTIC

10917 Black Dog Ln., Suite 101 

Charlotte, NC 28214

Tel (704) 394-8556

Fax (704) 395-8556

mtnislandchiro.com



Tuesday, November 10, 2020

Keep Your Lymphatic System Moving


 As we enter into colder months where we are exposed to less sunlight and are more sedentary, our body needs to keep its lymphatic system clear and moving to avoid getting sick.  Our immune systems and lymphatic systems are directly related.  The lymphatic system helps defend the body against illness-causing germs, bacteria, viruses and fungi. The system builds immunity by making special white blood cells (called lymphocytes) that produce antibodies which are responsible for immune responses that defend against these diseases.  The lymphatic system is also responsible for removing excess fluid from our tissues, as well as absorbs fatty acids and subsequent transport of fat, (chyle), to the circulatory system.  Furthermore, our nervous system is in charge of sending the signals to the lymphatic system to properly function and fight off disease by making immune-responsive cells.  When our lymphatic system isn't draining properly, you may feel congestion, runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing, coughing, headaches, sinus pressure, tender or swollen lymph nodes, and overall malaise or weakness.  It is important to help our lymphatic system function properly by helping it to drain so we don't feel these symptoms.  Look at the picture above to see just how many lymph nodes we have throughout the body!  Neurologically-based specific chiropractic adjustments help to keep our nervous system functioning properly to ensure direct communication to the lymphatic system.  Drinking extra water, percussion of the lymph nodes, exercise, detoxifying the gut, and soft tissue stimulation also can help the lymph nodes to drain in times of over-activity.  

 

Yours in health,

Dr. Nicholas J. Knutson, DC
Owner/Doctor

MOUNTAIN ISLAND CHIROPRACTIC

10917 Black Dog Ln., Suite 101 

Charlotte, NC 28214

Tel (704) 394-8556

Fax (704) 395-8556

mtnislandchiro.com