Happy Fall, yall!
I know 2020 has been quite a year, but I hope October has been treating you well! This month’s newsletter discusses a very important topic: pain. There’s MUCH that can be said about pain, but check out the TMJ Tid-Bit and Wellness Wisdom sections below to learn about referred pain in the jaw/head/neck as well as a little insight on the chronic pain cycle.
TMJ TID-BIT
Myofascial Pain? Referred Pain? What is it?
“Myo” means muscle and fascia is the clear casing around our muscles that is intricately woven throughout our musculoskeletal system. This fascia is the main source of the saying “it’s all connected” when it comes to the body. Myofascial pain then, refers to discomfort associated with muscles and the fascial system- usually related to restrictions, or tightness; in other words, the muscles and fascia are not moving, gliding, or contracting optimally creating spots of “stickiness”.
Referred pain is a special form of discomfort that is felt in an area distal to the actual myofascial impairment known as a “trigger point”. These hyperirritable spots of muscle tension, along with our nervous system, send predictable pain patterns to other locations other than the localized “knot”. For example, a trigger point in the upper traps near the shoulders can be felt in the infamous “Ram’s horn” distribution along either side of the head and around the ears. Both myofascial pain and referred pain are commonly associated with TMD and can be very successfully treated with appropriate manual therapy and exercises, especially dry needling.
For more referred pain patterns, check out this resource! For example, Masseter
WELLNESS WISDOM
A note on Chronic Pain
We’ve all heard of it and many of you may experience it yourself, but what does it really mean? Before we go any further, please know THERE’S HOPE! There’s always hope. Technically, chronic pain is categorized by pain lasting >3 months and there’s an emotional component to the pain. Key word here is emotional- often the patient starts to feel like they are suffering- that’s a pretty strong word right? But that’s definitely how chronic pain can feel.
It’s important to recognize, that although your pain is true and valid, it can absolutely be exacerbated by stress and other negatively draining mental and emotional states. It’s extremely valuable that one becomes educated on how the mind and body relate and contribute to the chronic pain cycle. Outside of emotions, persistent states of discomfort actually start to influence your nervous system. Sensory receptors become more sensitized and things that you once perceived as non-painful start to feel painful. Areas of the brain begin to “smudge” further affecting how we perceive pain. Therapists and providers must be able to compassionately educate patients that not all pain is “bad” pain- that some must be worked through in order to desensitize your system. The amazing news is, the brain can change! So can you sensory receptors! In large part due to manual therapy. Equally as valuable is the education/understanding and proper exercises to retrain your system and get your body out of compensatory and stress holding patterns. We want to give you back your freedom!
Check out this awesome resource to learn more about chronic pain: Why Do I Hurt?
Thanks for reading!
Wishing health & happiness to you all!
Email: samantha@drsamanthatmj.com
Instagram: @DrSamanthaTMJ
Website: https://drsamanthatmj.com/
eBook: Top 5 Exercises for Jaw Pain Management
#DrSamanthaTMJ