The Price of Chewing Gum

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The Price of Chewing Gum

 

By Ben Kim, D.C.

 

If you chew gum on a regular basis, please consider

the following:

 

Chewing gum causes unnecessary wear and tear of the

cartilage that acts as a shock absorber in your jaw

joints. Once damaged, this area can create pain and

discomfort for a lifetime.

 

You use eight different facial muscles to chew.

Unnecessary chewing can create chronic tightness in

two of these muscles, located close to your temples.

This can put pressure on the nerves that supply this

area of your head, contributing to chronic,

intermittent headaches.

 

You have six salivary glands located throughout your

mouth that are stimulated to produce and release

saliva whenever you chew. Producing a steady stream of

saliva for chewing gum is a waste of energy and

resources that could otherwise be used for essential

metabolic activities.

 

Most chewing gum is sweetened with aspartame. Short

and long term use of aspartame has been closely linked

with cancer, diabetes, neurological disorders, and

birth defects.

 

If your gum isn't sweetened by aspartame, it is

probably sweetened by sugar. Sugar is most likely the

single greatest dietary cause of chronic health

problems like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and

emotional disorders.

 

The next time you think about chewing gum, please

remember the price that your body pays for it.

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A Natural Treatment Plan For Jaw Pain

 

By Ben Kim, D.C.

 

Since beginning private practice ten years ago, I have

treated a number of cases of jaw pain and dysfunction.

During my early years of being in practice, I treated

most cases with a carefully applied manual adjustment

to the temporo-mandibular joint, also known as the jaw

joint, found in front of each ear. This is the

protocol that I learned as an intern from a

supervising clinician.

 

Over time, I observed that this treatment approach did

not produce good long term results for most people. A

few people experienced significant relief with a

manual adjustment, but the majority continued to

suffer with jaw pain and dysfunction.

 

In 2002, a young man walked into my practice

complaining that he could not fully open his mouth

because of pain in his lower cheek and jaw region.

Whenever he tried to open his mouth, he felt soreness

and tightness that kept him from being able to open

his mouth fully and comfortably.

 

During our history taking session, I discovered that

he loved chewing gum. If he wasn't sleeping or eating

food, chances were good that he was chewing gum.

 

When I performed a physical evaluation, I wasn't

surprised to find that the muscles in his jaw region

were extremely tight. I found multiple knots of

tenderness.

 

I proceeded to treat his tight jaw muscles with some

simple massage and stretching techniques. I also

applied some stretching and joint mobilization

techniques to tight areas that I found in his neck

that were likely contributing to his dysfunctional jaw

joints. Finally, I asked him to stop chewing gum.

 

After three treatments over a five-day period that was

gum-free, he made a full recovery.

 

That one case is one that I remember very clearly

because since then, I have used a similar protocol of

massage and stretching to successfully help a number

of people overcome various chronic jaw problems.

 

Here are some thoughts and guidelines that I keep in

mind when helping people achieve long term relief from

jaw pain and dysfunction:

Except for cases in which there is an overt

subluxation or frank dislocation of the

temporo-mandibular joint, it is best not to do any

direct work to this joint. The temporo-mandibular

joint has a disc that is critical in allowing the

joint to work properly. This disc is very delicate and

easily damaged when abrupt mechanical force is applied

to the region. Such damage and potential ensuing scar

tissue formation can create structural changes to the

region that can lead to permanent problems.

 

Don't chew gum.

As I mentioned in an article that I wrote on why

chewing gum is bad for you, unnecessary use of your

muscles of mastication can damage these muscles and

the disc that lies in the temporo-mandibular joint.

 

Stretch your neck on a regular basis. Tight neck

muscles and/or dysfunction in the joints of your neck

can contribute to improper movement of your

temporo-mandibular joints.

 

Apply pressure to your jaw muscles. Use your

forefinger to palpate the muscles in your jaw region,

particularly those fibers that are just above the

sharp angle of your jaw. Once you locate tender

points, apply deep pressure to these points with your

forefinger or thumb, enough pressure to create a dull,

achy sensation. Hold this pressure for as long as you

can tolerate it, or up to 30 seconds. You can do this

several times a day.

 

Apply pressure to your jaw muscles, just as described

in step four, but add slow, controlled movement of

your jaw joint. While you apply pressure to a tender

point, slowly open and close your mouth. Only open as

far as you can without causing sharp pain. Maintain

deep pressure on the tender points in your jaw muscles

while you open and close your mouth.

 

Follow sound nutritional principles. As is the case

with all of the muscles, joints, and discs throughout

your body, your jaw muscles and temporo-mandibular

joints heal best when supported with a strong blood

circulatory system that delivers a constant supply of

health-promoting nutrients.

To the extent that your digestive system will allow

it, eat plenty of plant foods and small amounts of

clean animal foods like soft boiled organic eggs.

Lightly steamed vegetables and soft fruits like

avocados and ripe pears are good choices because they

don't require as much chewing as raw vegetables and

crisp fruits like apples.

 

Find out if you are grinding your teeth and/or

clenching your jaw muscles while you sleep at night.

If you are, address this problem by adopting

stress-relieving habits such as playing sports,

meditating, praying, and writing in a journal.

Emotional stress is a leading cause of developing

tight muscles throughout the body, including in the

jaw region.

 

My experience has been that most cases of acute and

chronic jaw pain and dysfunction that are not related

to an infection in or around the mouth respond well to

the suggestions listed above. I hope that these

suggestions prove to be helpful to those who are

searching for an effective natural treatment plan for

jaw pain and dysfunction.

http://drbenkim.com/articles/jaw-pain-treatment.htm

Copyright 1997-2006 by Ben Kim

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Personal anecdote:

One thing left unmentioned was that peoples,jaw pain

or no, must SMILE more:18 muscles used for frowning= a

lot of tension.

That's how i cured myself of TMJ. My dog had died & not

long after that the pain began.So a bit of

'Sherlockian' deduction bought forth the antidote...