No matter what the cause of insomnia, massage may be able to help!
WTH IS TMJ?
TMJ refers to the temporomandibular joints. Acts like a sliding hinge, connecting your jawbone to your skull. You have one joint on each side of your jaw.
TMD is a temporomandibular disorder, one or both of the temporomandibular joints may be affected, as the condition causes problems using the jaw and/or pain in the area of the joint and its associated muscles. These disorders can affect a sufferer’s ability to chew, swallow, speak, make facial expressions, and sometimes even to breathe.
TMDs often cause pain that may present itself as a migraine or sinus headache, an earache, and/or stiffness of the neck or shoulders. In reality, this pain involves the muscles of the head, face, and neck, as well as the jaw joints.
The exact cause of a person's TMJ disorder is often difficult to determine. Your pain may be due to a combination of factors, such as genetics, arthritis or jaw injury. Some people who have jaw pain also tend to clench or grind their teeth (bruxism), although many people habitually clench or grind their teeth and never develop TMJ disorders.
In most cases, the pain and discomfort associated with TMJ disorders is temporary and can be relieved with conservative care or nonsurgical treatments.
*Surgery is typically a last resort after conservative measures have failed.
Fortunately, we can treat these conditions and their associated pain and discomfort!
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF A TMD?
The potential symptoms of TMDs may include any or all of the following:
HOW CAN I TELL IF MY TMJ IS DISPLACED ?
The best way to observe the action of the jaw joint is by placing your fingers on your jaw joints in front of your ears on the sides of your face. Carefully open and close your mouth, and you will be able to feel the movement. It should feel smooth, with no clicking or popping when opening, closing, or moving the jaw from side to side.
WHAT ARE THE CONSERVATIVE TREATMENT OPTIONS?
Treatment options depend on an individual patient’s condition, needs, and desired results.
The first line of conservative treatment will typically be the use of a splint or oral appliance. A TMJ splint is worn to reduce the stress on the jaw. This allows the muscles to function properly and may reposition the lower jaw to fall properly into the TMJ socket.
TMJ appliances are a conservative and reversible treatment option that may provide pain relief.
The second conservative treatment but not less important, is treating the muscles. A good release/massage on the muscles that conform the TMJ will help your joints and muscles to take out a lot of stress and will provide pain relief.
TIPS FOR TMD RELIEF:
Avoid chewing on gum, ice or anything too hard or sticky
Avoid caramel, apples, hard or crunchy foods
Avoid extreme jaw movements, as much as possible
Sleep on your back
Try to reduce any extra stress
TMJ massage can be uncomfortable but our approach with the TMJ massage program is as gentle as possible. The TMJ massage treatment can be a full session devoted to the muscles of the head, maxilla, neck and shoulders, or be incorporated into one of our relaxation treatments.
Book your next massage appointment and try TMJ therapy as an “Add on"!. That will be an additional 15 minutes to your massage treatment.
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Great News for Southern Cross Members!
Sleep? Ain't no body got time for that!
If you’ve ever spent a night tossing and turning, you already know how you’ll feel the next day — tired, cranky, and out of sorts. But missing out on the recommended 7 to 9 hours of shut-eye nightly does more than make you feel groggy and grumpy.
The main symptom of ongoing sleep loss is excessive daytime sleepiness, but other symptoms include:
yawning
moodiness
fatigue
irritability
depressed mood
difficulty learning new concepts
forgetfulness
inability to concentrate or a "fuzzy" head
lack of motivation
clumsiness
increased appetite and carbohydrate cravings
The long term effects of sleep deprivation are real. It drains your mental abilities and puts your physical health at real risk. Science has linked poor slumber with all kinds of health problems, from weight gain to a weakened immune system.
Memory Issues: During sleep, your brain forms connections that help you process and remember new information. A lack of sleep can negatively impact both short and long-term memory.
Trouble with thinking and concentration: Your concentration, creativity and problem-solving skills aren’t up to par when you don’t get enough rest.
Mood changes: Sleep deprivation can make you moody, emotional, and quick-tempered. Chronic sleep deprivation can affect your mood and lead to anxiety or depression, which may escalate. reduced tendency to think positively, bad moods, a decreased willingness to solve problems, intolerance and less empathy toward others, poor impulse control, inability to delay gratification.
Weakened immunity: Studies show that people who don't get quality sleep or enough sleep are more likely to get sick after being exposed to a virus, such as a common cold virus. Lack of sleep can also affect how fast you recover if you do get sick. During sleep, your immune system releases proteins called cytokines, some of which help promote sleep. Certain cytokines need to increase when you have an infection or inflammation, or when you're under stress. Sleep deprivation may decrease production of these protective cytokines. In addition, infection-fighting antibodies and cells are reduced during periods when you don't get enough sleep.
Accidents: being drowsy during the day can increase your risk for car accidents and injuries from other causes.
High Blood pressure: If you sleep less than five hours a night, your risk for high blood pressure increases.
Risk of heart disease: Sleep deprivation may lead to increased blood pressure and higher levels of chemicals linked to inflammaction, both of which play roles in heart disease.
Risk of diabetes: A lack of sleep affects your body’s release of insulin, a blood sugar-lowering hormone. People who don’t get enough sleep have higher blood sugar levels and an increased risk for type 2 diabetes.
Weight gain: With sleep deprivation, the chemicals that signal to your brain that you are full are off balance. As a result, you’re more likely to overindulge even when you’ve had enough to eat. It's believed to be because sleep-deprived people have reduced levels of leptin (the chemical that makes you feel full) and increased levels of ghrelin (the hunger-stimulating hormone).
Low sex drive: People who don’t get enough sleep often have a lower libido. In men, this decreased sex drive may be due to a drop in testosterone levels.
HOW MUCH SLEEP DO WE NEED?
The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) 2015 recommendations for appropriate sleep durations for specific age groups are:
Newborns (0 to 3 months): 14 to 17 hours each day
Infants (4 to 11 months): 12 to 15 hours
Toddlers (1 to 2 years): 11 to 14 hours
Preschoolers (3 to 5 years): 10 to 13 hours
School-age children (6 to 13 years): 9 to 11 hours
Teenagers (14 to 17 years): 8 to 10 hours
Adults (18 to 64 years): 7 to 9 hours
Older adults (over 65 years): 7 to 8 hours
Most of us need around 8 hours of good-quality sleep a night to function properly – but some need more and some less. What matters is that you find out how much sleep you need and then try to achieve it.
As a general rule, if you wake up tired and spend the day longing for a chance to have a nap, it's likely that you're not getting enough sleep.
A variety of factors can cause poor sleep, including health conditions such as sleep apnoea. But in most cases, it's due to bad sleeping habits.
HOW TO CATCH UP ON LOST SLEEP?
If you don't get enough sleep, there's only one way to compensate – getting more sleep.
It won't happen with a single early night. If you've had months of restricted sleep, you'll have built up a significant sleep debt, so expect recovery to take several weeks.
Starting on a weekend, try to add on an extra hour or 2 of sleep a night. The way to do this is to go to bed when you're tired, and allow your body to wake you in the morning (no alarm clocks allowed!).
Expect to sleep for upwards of 10 hours a night at first. After a while, the amount of time you sleep will gradually decrease to a normal level.
Don't rely on caffeine or energy drinks as a short-term pick-me-up. They may boost your energy and concentration temporarily, but can disrupt your sleep patterns even further in the long term.
HOME MANAGEMENT
The good news is that most of the negative effects of sleep deprivation reverse when sufficient sleep is obtained. The treatment for sleep deprivation is to satisfy the biological sleep need, prevent deprivation and "pay back" accumulated sleep debt.
Some suggestions for good sleep habits include:
going to bed when tired
following a routine for bed and wake-up times, keeping it consistent every day of the week
avoiding eating 2 to 3 hours before bedtime
if unable to fall asleep after 20 minutes of trying, going to another room and trying to read until feeling sleepy, then returning to bed
engaging in regular exercise during the day
keeping the bedroom quiet, dark and a comfortably cool temperature
turning off electronic devices when you go to bed
EVERYONE NEEDS A BUTT MASSAGE. Part 2
Ahhhh, the gluteus medius. AKA: the glute med!
Unless you are a runner, ballet dancer or a yogi, you probably have never heard of this muscle before.
It is one of the three gluteus muscles, along with the gluteus maximus and minimus and originates on the outer surface of the ilium (pelvis) just below the iliac crest and converges as a large flattened tendon onto the lateral greater trochanter of the femur (thigh bone).
AND WHAT IS HIS FUNCTION?
The main function of the glute med is abduction of the hip. Abduction is when you move the leg away from the center of the body. Is also responsible for external rotation of the hip when the hip is extended and internal rotation of the hip when it is flexed…more accurately; it prevents external rotation when flexed.
But, the most important job of the glute med, however, is stabilization of the pelvis. Activation of the muscle prevents dropping of the pelvis when standing on one leg. When the glute med is injured or weak, it allows the opposite hip to drop when weight bearing on one leg such as when walking or running.
It also helps your bigger gluteus maximus muscle flex and extend your leg. Having strong glutes is important because we use our glutes in everyday life when you push off the ground while walking, running, or stepping.
WHAT HAPPENS IF ITS DISFUNCTIONAL?
When the gluteus medius does not function well, there are implications down to the lower limbs.
A person with weak gluteus medius may exhibit the Trendenlenburg sign during walking:
The pelvis will drop on the opposte side. If this situation is not addressed, there will be risks of structural overload to the lumbar spine, sacroiliac joint , hip and knee – and may cause excessive wear and tear at these joints.
A weak gluteus medius can lead to the inward collapse on the knee, placing more pressure on your knee
The figure above shows three different trigger points in the muscle and the pain referral pattern for each. All three of these referral patterns present on a regular basis. Patients come in with low back pain and are surprised to learn it’s not their low back at all, but their glutes. The glute med is constantly firing when we are upright so it makes sense that the muscle is overworked.
INJURIES INFLUENCED BY A POORLY FUNCTIONING OR OVERLOADED GLUTEUS MEDIUS
The injuries include, but are not limited to:
Gluteal Tendinopathy
Gluteal Muscle Strain or Tear
Patellofemoral Joint Pain Syndrome / Anterior Knee Pain
ITB Friction Syndrome
Achilles Tendinopathy
Hamstring Injuries
Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis
Piriformis Syndrome
Trochanteric Bursitis
HOW DO I TRAIN MY GLUTEUS MEDIUS?
Gluteus Medius is most active when performing isolated single-limb exercises.
Research shows that integration of trunk and lumbar stability exercises can further reduce loading onto and requirements of the Gluteus Medius.
We’d recommend the following exercises.
Clams
Bridges with theraband
Ball at the wall squat
Crab walk
Monster walk
SO, AFTER ALL, DO I NEED A BUTT MASSAGE?!
Fun fact, the Gluteus muscles are the largest muscle in the body. If that area gets skipped over your therapist is missing a huge portion of the body. Now you might be totally cool with that, but if you have back pain, knee pain, hip pain or even leg pain? Your glutes may be the reason for it.
Massage in this area will be important to everyone, athletes, arm chair athletes, desk workers, people that stand all day...you get the picture. Muscles all have origin and insertion point that pull and shorten when put under any stress.
If you are a bit shy, always let the therapists know any of your reservations. Glutes can easily be worked on top of the sheet or through clothing. Or the therapist will always drop modestly with a sheet working one side at a time.
So, at your next massage, remember to get the glutes worked on! Your back, legs, hips & knees will thanks you!