Neuromuscular Dentistry Ends Woman's Migraines

Kim Reed, 42, suffered with migraines for 10 years. In the last three years, the regularity of theseheadaches increased to three or four a week. She was taking five prescription drugs daily and her neurologist had her placed on short-term disability.

It was during this time that Reed saw a television advertisement regarding neuromuscular dentistry. She discussed this with her neurologist, who had earlier that week received information regarding neuromuscular dentistry from the offices of Dr. Shila Yazdani, a dentist specializing in the field. Reed and her neurologist decided that neuromuscular dentistry was worth a try and so Reed made an appointment with Yazdani's offices. Once Reed started treatment, with Yazdani her life changed dramatically. She was able to once again live pain free, allowing her to enjoy time with her family and even prompting her to rejoin the job market.

"So many things are different from last year." Reed exclaims "Last summer, it was so bad I didn't even want to have fun with my family."

The source of Reed's headaches was a disorder of the tempero-mandibular joint, the joint that hinges the lower jaw to the skull. This kind of disorder is more common than one might think. "About 85% of migraine sufferers have undiagnosed TMJ disorders that have gone with out treatment," Yazdani said.

Fortunately, for Reed and patients like her, Yazdani was able to correct this disorder by determining the optimal position of the jaw through the use of advanced technology and computerized scans which measure the jaw's muscle function in both stressed and relaxed positions. With such findings Yazdani then created a custom orthopedic appliance for Reed, designed to correct the position of the jaw. The orthopedic appliance is currently building up Reed's bite to a comfortable resting position and Reed returns to Yazdani's office periodically for refinements.

After the orthopedic appliance is worn for a period of time, a patient's jaw naturally drops to its most comfortable position and the bite may be permanently restored with porcelain restorations, eliminating the need to wear the appliance.