A Problem of Complicated Proportions
She told me that she suffered from Temporomandibular Joint disorder (TMJ) and hadn't been able to eat solid food for months. Temporomandibular Joint disorders and diseases are characterized by pain in the jaw and associated muscles, limiting the range of movement normally required for speech, facial expression, eating, chewing, and swallowing.Maggie had developed TMJ after undergoing an operation on her cervical spine. The surgeon had accessed the ruptured disc through the front of her neck and after the surgery her neck muscles began to spasm, ultimately manifesting the TMJ symptoms. Additional post-operative disorders appeared. Maggie experienced ringing in her ears (a condition known as tinnitus) and developed Mastoiditis, which produced such profound dizziness that she was unable to work or drive for more than a few minutes at a time.
Often resulting from the spread of an inner ear infection, Mastoiditis is an infection of the skull's mastoid bone that can cause the bone structure to deteriorate. Administering medicine deeply enough into the mastoid bone to take effect can prove tricky and as a result the condition can require repeated or long-term treatment. Symptoms include earache and pain behind the ear, redness, fever, headache, and discharge.
In Maggie's case, she was so dizzy that she felt seasick most of the time. The ringing in her ears made it impossible for her to sleep at night without the aid of sleeping pills or muscle relaxers. Additionally, she took drugs prescribed by her doctors to alleviate the dizziness and pain. But the side effects never outweighed the benefits of the medication and now she had a shoebox full of half-used pill bottles.
TMJ Reiki Treatment
After listening to Maggie's story, I suggested that we try Reiki as part of her treatment. I explained that Reiki is a subtle yet powerful modality that can help alleviate stress, pain, and balance the body's energy. By means of a simple non-invasive technique, the Reiki practitioner acts as a conduit for healing energy that passes through his or her hands into the patient's body. Maggie had never heard of Reiki and was skeptical of energy work but agreed to try it out of desperation for some relief from her many ailments.She had booked an hour-long massage with me, which I shortened to 45 minutes so I could spend the remaining 15 minutes performing Reiki on her ears and jaw. Because my office is only a few minutes from her apartment, Maggie had been able to drive to her appointment. Upon leaving my office after her first visit, she felt such improved clarity that she immediately drove downtown -- a good half hour drive -- and back. Since that day, Maggie has been able to drive herself around town without any dizziness.
After Maggie's second treatment, the tinnitus in her right ear disappeared completely. She felt so good that she tried to eat solid food, an unfortunate mistake. It was too soon in the healing process, and her jaw locked.
As Maggie continued her therapy, her dizziness and tinnitus continued to decrease significantly but Maggie's myofascial and jaw pain persisted. I increased her massage treatments to a full hour, extending the focus from her upper back and neck to include her scalp and entire face. I paid particular attention to the tiny muscles of her jaw, and I incorporated a technique called Stillpoint. I also found pressure points in her hips that eased jaw pain.
I also increased the Reiki therapy to thirty minutes to address the volume in her left ear, which remained very unstable and quite loud. Over time, I've developed visualizations for her to do during the Reiki sessions. I do the visualization at the same time with her and sometimes suggest color to help her visualize. She always has a decrease in volume when we do this. We've noticed that the volume level in her left ear is often triggered by stress. Although keeping Maggie's tinnitus under control is a challenge, the levels almost never rise to a level that she experienced prior to beginning the Massage and Reiki Therapy.
Next: Root Cause and Combined Treatments
