How I Chose My Chiropractor as an HSP With TMJD

How I Chose My Chiropractor as an HSP With TMJD
There are SO many chiropractors in the world... SO MANY.

How to choose?!

As a highly sensitive person with TMJD, I really had to take a good, hard look at what I needed from a chiropractor and what my goals were before being able to find someone that would fit my needs and help me achieve my goals.

My goals at the time were: more better sleep, less TMJD discomfort and more range of motion, less anxious thoughts and emotional swings, and stability in health and wellness. And I am reaching all of those goals through the choice I made -- yay!

1) What is their philosophy of wellness and health? Are they going to keep you coming back because they want to keep you, or have you come back at certain check-points or as needed? Do they also offer different nutritional supplements or support? Is that something you want as part of what they offer?

2) What is their actual method(s) of practice? My chiro is a part of NUCCA (National Upper Cervical Chiropractors Association) and practice a specific technique that is gentle, non-manipulative to the body, and focuses on specifically the atlas (V1) with the focal idea that most issues stem from there. If the main nerve of our spine is being pinched due to misalignment, many other issues (like TMJD, IBS, aches, etc) result. But each person is different, so the issues can be different. Once that is in alignment, the rest of the body can heal itself in its time usually. This was SO important to me because I'm really sensitive, so "twisting, cracking, and popping" my body was just not gonna happen. I'd been to one of those chiros as a kid and HATED the experience. I'd literally feel like crying in fear/dread.... yep, not happening. Very grateful to find NUCCA!

3) Do they listen and educate? Or do they just adjust and move on without taking time to care? Example: my husband has a rib that once in a while comes out of place and rotates. After adjusting his atlas, our chiro will sometimes gently adjust his wonky rib if needed, but only if it's not doing it's job. He normally doesn't do those things, but a rib out of wack isn't always going to find its way back to staying in alignment without a gentle nudge (literally, haha).

4) Do they adjust automatically if you come in, or just when you need it? Since my chiro is a NUCCA doc, he only adjusts me if I'm actually out of alignment. He has specific ways to tell if my body is in alignment or not, and he does not adjust me if my body does not need it. This allows a more natural body healing process to stay in place rather than outside forces (literally) interrupting that process. My NUCCA doc also charges half as much if he doesn't need to adjust, which is nice! Saving money but still checking on my alignment if I think I might be out.

Interested in NUCCA? They have a website where you can look up a NUCCA doc to find one near you. Their website is found here.

I'm no expert and no doctor, but this has rocked my world, and I hope can help you too, friends. TMJD can be addressed naturally.

I also have a little secret, a "chiropractic assistant" that helps me stay in alignment longer because it supports my body's skeletal and muscular systems in doing their job properly. Learn more about that here!

Why TMJD Can Feel So Lonely... But Doesn't Have to Be

Why TMJD Can Feel So Lonely... But Doesn't Have to Be
Having TMJD (or temporomandibular joint dysfunction/disorder) can be really lonely... 

I know.

I dealt with it for over 5 years. Each day, I would go to class (during college). I would sing for 20 minutes, only to be in intense neck/shoulder, jaw discomfort for the whole rest of the day. On those precious weekend days when I chose not to do any singing for my studies (I was a vocal music major), I relished each hour of less issues (though still using an ice pack on my face to fall asleep), dreading the coming of Monday when my week of tension and aching and pain would return. I sometimes cried just thinking about it. (And at the time, I hated crying... I still don't enjoy it, but now, I've learned it's okay and good to cry.)

I even tried little tiny magnets taped to my face to bring some relief on those worst days. And they helped... a tiny bit. It was worth a try anyway.

Honestly, it was awful.

Why? Not just because of the hurt...

But because I questioned the career I was so passionately pursuing, the career I felt called to with every fiber of my being, the career where I could share the joy of making music with others.

Not just because of the hurt...

But because no one else understood. I was deeply lonely.

Most people didn't even know I was hurting at all! It's not visible... it's not even a disability or something for which you can get accommodations. I felt alone in this.

My closest friends and I named my jaw "Doris," so we could blame the cranky day on Doris. So we could say, 'Doris doesn't like the rainy weather,' or 'Doris went on a roller coaster today...' And I could share a sliver of my experience with those few close friends - without feeling like a big whiner and complainer, because that is just not who I am!

TMJD is not well understood even by most doctors, dentists, orthodontists, and oral surgeons. Again, I felt alone in seeking help, because they tried to give me shallow bandaids rather than digging to the root of the issues.

How can this be in 2020?

Well, because many different things can cause it or aggravate it or bring it to the surface. Root issues look different for many different people.

So now I sit and watch the conversations in the online support groups happen... how so many people feel jaded and lost and lonely and frustrated and having horrible days, spending thousands of dollars on treatments professionals claim will work, because it is such an evasive issue.

TMJD is much like a snowflake -- a bit different for everyone, and no two manifestations of it look identical.

Truth.

But what I've come to realize as I sit here 4 years later, in my place of privilege regarding what almost feels like a distant nightmare now, from the other side...

Is that people really just need joy. They need light. They need HOPE! They need to know there IS light at the end of the tunnel, that hurting does not have to be the end of the story. They need to know that freedom is possible.

If you, friend, are dealing with this beast, please know you're not alone. If you have a family member fighting this daily battle, they are not alone. You need to know that there ARE other options, there ARE natural, safe, non-invasive options. Will they be guaranteed to work? No. Is it a quick fix? In my experience, no.

Whether you have insurmountable amounts of hurt or just some tightness and a little discomfort...

I want you to feel seen and heard and known. I don't want you to feel alone.

What I do know, is that this journey to wellness, to physical and mental and emotional wellness and change of mindset is WORTH it. If you would have told me 4 years ago that I'd feel better today than I did when I was 17, I'd have laughed at you! Really?!

Really.

There is hope.

If you need a listening ear... if you need to see the light at the end of the dark tunnel.... if you need to hear of other options because you feel jaded and alone and frustrated...

I am here. ❤️ You are not alone.





I cherish the opportunity to be that listening ear and light for those around me. I'd love to be that for you, too, really. Truly! You are welcome here. I've also shared more of my TMJD journey here if that would bless you. That's my goal -- love and blessing!

Sensitivity, TMJD, & Transformation

Sensitivity, TMJD, & Transformation

"Smile! We're in Europe, Andrea!"


I was so thrilled to be on this trip exploring the world and enjoying my boyfriend (at the time, now husband). But the smile I see in that picture is shadowed by pain. I smiled through the pain so many days, so friends wouldn't need to see it because why would they need to? What good would it do?

This picture was taken almost 6 years ago in 2014. Gabe & I were on choir tour in Europe when we were dating in college. 😊 It was such a special time, and I look back on it fondly, though I was in a lot of discomfort from TMJD (temporomandibular joint dysfunction/disorder). On a choir tour, the schedule of singing and rehearsals and performances is pretty rigorous, even for someone without any issues -- lots of standing, singing in cathedrals without air conditioning in thick, velvet robes, sometimes two concerts in one day, etc.


If you look REALLY closely, you can see little tape right by my ears. What's that? Little tiny strong-powered magnets.

I was SO desperate for relief (but too sensitive to take any meds) that I was taping little tiny magnets to my face 15+ hours per day. It DID help a little bit on the worst days, or at least made the worst days less bad (as long as I actually wore them every day), but I hated feeling like a robot walking around with magnets. It felt especially weird because when people asked me why that helped, I didn't have a good answer. No research, or minimal anyway, had yet explained the possibilities for why it helped some, but it helped enough that I did it. I hated being asked all the time about it, even though I would rather people ask than just stare.

I figured that if I had to live with chronic issues, at least I'd rather no one else could visibly see it -- at least I could ignore it by giving my jaw a name (yes, my closest friends knew which days "Doris" was cranky!). But the magnets made it feel permanent because others could visibly see it too. And no one knew if this was going to be a permanent issue or not. That was the hardest part. I questioned my desired career choice. I mean, how could I possibly be a music teacher who has to sing for 7-8 hours per day if I am in pain after 20 minutes of singing? How's that ever going to work out? But I was so far through my degree that I didn't want to waste the time and spend more time in school, so I kept going. I figured I could get a different job with my degree if I had to.

So how did I get from there to here? Today I feel better than I ever have -- physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and relationally.

But it wasn't an easy journey. Lots of experimentation and trial & error happened (including the magnets) until I found some things that really helped. But once I did, it was like a light switch. Things started getting better so quickly that I dared not believe it would actually be a permanent solution. You see, different drs I visited just gave me a list of things to do/not do. They said there was no cure and no known cause, though they gave me a night guard splint to hopefully help. And that did, a little, but it didn't really get to the root issue. Perhaps some drs know more today than they did then, but I didn't believe that they were right with what they told me then. I couldn't believe it!

I'm no doctor, but with what I know about the body and how EVERYTHING affects everything else (for one quick example gut health affects mental health), I knew there had to be other options. And I'm SO glad I was open-minded enough to truly seek and try them and not discount them.

For me it wasn't a matter of if I could afford the options. Yes, some of the things I tried before finding things that truly brought wellness cost me money. But for me the question I kept coming back to was, 'If I found out that this would help, that this would bring wellness and/or relief and I didn't try it, how sad would I feel? Health to me is more important than "fun stuff," especially because I want to truly enjoy the fun stuff! If I can postpone some of the "fun stuff" for a few months or a year until I feel better, how much more will I enjoy it?'

'But if this doesn't work for me, what do I have to lose? A few dollars, I guess. If this DOES work for me, what do I have to gain? Everything! My life and desired career! My social enjoyment in the evenings back instead of going to bed early with a numbed-from-ice-packs face! Opportunities that this holds me back from!' Even if it wasn't cured, I desired a more full and healthy life.

And I have found it. I CAN work multiple jobs now because I enjoy them and have the energy for them! I CAN go enjoy social events (when this whole stay-at-home is over) when I used to stay home and ice my face. I CAN sing for 7-8 hours per day without any discomfort.

If I stop my balancing act of solutions, I do have uncomfortable days again, so I know I still "have TMJD" to a lesser degree -- but the beautiful thing is that it rarely affects me anymore. I feel so empowered to know more about how the body works, how food affects us, how the environment around us really does change us for good or bad. God made plants to be healing, for our good. I have many options now on those very few days when I struggle. I had one day last week where my jaw kept clicking and was really sore (probably from weather pressure). But it didn't turn into a big problem because I knew right away what options I had available to me and what I wanted to try first, before it turned into a bigger problem.

I feel empowered now to make my own wellness choices as a part of a huge wellness community, more like a family, really. And I feel free. God gave me freedom!

And that is WORTH the trial and error process to me.

If you're struggling now (with emotions, with chronic issues, with weight, with motivation, with TMJD, with anything, really!), what is holding you back from really digging deep, from embracing the journey to wellness? How can I encourage you to take those first steps (or maybe 5th or 55th or 107th steps!)?

I have a group of people I'm walking this natural wellness journey with, ready to be their cheerleaders. It's free! If you need a little hope and cheerleading on your wellness journey, come join us. 🥰  And if you want to ideas for your specific situation, I'm more than happy to listen and share what I know. You can find me on FB or contact me through the button at the top of the page too!

I love you guys, really and truly. I'm here for you. 


 
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