Prolotherapy to the Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ)

Prolotherapy as Treatment for Headaches

Discussions from our Radio Show:

Dr. Gene: So you really get that tightening of the muscles that result in the pinching of the nerves. And that kin of results in the sensation of pain and tightness.

Dr. Darrow: Sure, I have had them myself about a year and a half ago when I had pain coming up from my scapula, the wing bone in the back. I had tweaked it playing tennis or golf. And everyday it would start up in the back and if I would take a Tylenol it would just go away, but I didn’t like to take Tylenol and if I didn’t catch it fast enough I would get a headache that would last all night and I had the spot injected couple of times and I haven’t had a headache since that time.

It is important for the listeners to know that it is not just tension type headaches that Prolotherapy works for, there are cluster headaches which are similar to migraines, they are unilateral like the migraines are but they are usually more frequent, people have them everyday, or sometimes they come and go maybe eight times a day, and they are very painful, and sometimes we have people come in with eye pain, and we can often find that spot that is a trigger to that eye pain and we can get rid of the pain immediately

Migraine headaches are a bit more difficult, the real migraines, because they have a whole different set of symptoms, they have irritability because they know they are coming.

Dr. Gene: Would Prolotherapy at that point be beneficial?

Dr. Darrow: I will be honest with you, I don’t think it is that easy to differentiate between the different types of headaches, we have people who say they have migraines and we find spot son the back of their head and neck or back, and we inject those and we get rid of these (mistakenly thought of as) migraine headaches. It would seem if it were a true migraine headache, that wouldn’t work. I do believe migraine headaches have a musculo skeletal element to it, that can be helped with Prolotherapy.

Prolotherapy is a simple injection of dextrose and a local anesthetic, like those used in dentistry work.

What the dextrose does is start a very small inflammatory response in the body. Inflammation kicks up the immune system, the immune system brings up fibroblasts which are small cells that produce collagen. Wherever we put that small needle, we will be stimulating collagen growth (Studies have shown ligaments actually get 50% thicker and their strength becomes 200-400% stronger.) Typically a person needs to get injected two to four times to show improvement, and if it is a really bad injury, we may have to inject up to eight times over a period of a couple of months as it does take collagen a couple of months to grow.

Prolotherapy helped me personally after numerous chronic injuries and a failed surgery. It is a valuable weapon that can help people with chronic pain.

Temprormandibular Joint Syndrome (TMJ)

The temporomandibular joint is where the jaw meets the cranium. The condition known as temporomandibular joint syndrome develops from a combination of inter-related factors, usually starting with poor head posture that contributes to the stretching and weakening of the cervical ligaments and lateral TMJ ligaments. As a result, the lower jaw slips forward, aggravating the situation further by putting additional stress on the ligaments and the joints.

One characteristic of TMJ is the loud popping or clicking of bones rubbing together in the loosened joint, accompanied by pain and stiffness as the muscles tighten, trying to compensate for the instigating laxity.

Conventional treatments include TMJ arthroscopy and various types of surgery, TMJ implants, injections of botulinum toxins, and cauterization. All of these are invasive and somewhat risky, and treat the immediate problem while largely ignoring future consequences.

Prolotherapy is a highly effective treatment for TMJ Syndrome, particularly when the related neck ligaments are treated along with the TMJ ligaments. By strengthening these two sets of ligaments, Prolotherapy can eliminate not only the existing TMJ (and any neck-related) problems, but also helps to circumvent recurrences as well.



Cluster Headaches, Migranes, Causes, and Treatments

HEADACHES
Discussions from our Radio Show:

Dr. Darrow: There are so many different types of headaches, and it is very difficult for anybody to figure out what category a headache will fit into. When we get patients in our clinic, we hear everybody say that they have migraine headaches, but they are not really migraine headaches. There are tension type headaches, inflammatory headaches, people get headaches from sinus infections, they get headaches from neck problems, from TMJ.

There is also something that is so strange to me, its called a “rebound headache”. When people take a lot of anti-inflammatory medications to help them with their headaches, guess what happens to them when they stop taking the medications? They get terrible headaches!

We also know that there are caffeine headaches. Many people are addicted to caffeine and if they don’t have caffeine quick enough in the morning, they get headaches.

We treat headaches with Prolotherapy (but not while they are flared up) and trigger points–while the headaches are flared up. Trigger Points are also injections, like Prolotherapy. We use very small, fine needles so the injections don’t hurt. We put these injections into the back and neck at spots that are triggering the headaches. For instance:

I had a patient come in with his wife and he had what I would consider a “cluster headache,” you know a series of headaches. His complaint was that it felt like he had a hot poker in his eye. I said to him, “Do you mind if I feel your back and neck?” And he said, “Why do you want to do that? I have a headache!” And I said, “If I could find the cause of your headache, I can get rid of it.” So I found the spot (in the upper back muscle) right next to his neck that was the trigger for his headache pain. When I pressed it…the pain in his eye got worse. My red flag went up and I said to him, “I think I can help you.”

I am always looking for the underlying causes that are causing the headaches. Most headaches no matter what the cause, no matter what you call them, migraine, cluster, etc., many times they come from the musculoskeletal imbalance in the back or the neck and if we can treat these areas of instability, with trigger points, with Prolotherapy. Then we can beat these headaches.

We also have something called Med X and that is a muscle strengthener. We can get rid of a lot of headaches by building up the muscles back there. You know we have terrible posture these days. How many of us sit at a desk? We get up and down overstretching and weakening muscles that are trying to compensate for bad posture. So we want to strengthen these muscles.

So, we want to get people off the medications. A lot of these medications for headaches really don’t handle the problem. We want to know what are the underlying reasons for headaches.

Although the common headache usually responds quite well to aspirin or other over-the-counter medications, those who’ve experienced the torment of migraines or cluster headaches are often frustrated by the lack of any effective cure. Drugs developed specifically for such headaches are effective, but the relief they provide is temporary. Until the root of the problem is unearthed and corrected, the headaches will persist, and prolonged drug therapy to relieve them will be necessary, along with the possibility of addiction.

In rare cases, the problem is traced to cysts or brain tumors, but more often it is related to muscular or ligamentary tension. Most people know the phrase tension headache but not many–doctors included–are aware that neck ligaments refer pain directly to the head. In cases where no cyst or tumor is found but headaches persist, Prolotherapy may be in order.

A physician skilled in diagnosing trigger points and recognizing referred pain signals should be consulted in such cases.

Usually after a surgery, then another surgery, the you start getting pretty close to arthritis.

The good news is that the knee is the fastest part of the body to heal. We have had so many knees limp in with bone-on-bone arthritis, ready for surgery, and they are pain-free now.

Barre-Lieou Syndrome

Although the common headache usually responds quite well to aspirin or other over the counter medications, those who’ve experienced the torment of migraines or cluster headaches are often frustrated by the lack of any effective cure. Drugs developed specifically for such headaches are effective, but the relief they provide is temporary. Until the root of the problem is unearthed and corrected, the headaches will persist, and prolonged drug therapy to relieve them will be necessary, along with the possibility of addiction.

In rare cases, the problem is traced to cysts or brain tumors, but more often it is related to muscular or ligamentary tension. Most people know the phrase tension headache but not many–doctors included–are aware that neck ligaments refer pain directly to the head. In cases where no cyst or tumor is found but headaches persist, Prolotherapy may be in order.

A physician skilled in diagnosing trigger points and recognizing referred pain signals should be consulted in such cases.

BARRE-LIEOU SYNDROME
Barre-Lieou Syndrome is characterized by a grab bag of diverse symptoms, all of which are rooted in the sympathetic nervous system, specifically the cluster of nerves located in the posterior cervical area at the back of the neck. It is caused when the sympathetic nerves are pinched by loose, weakly supported vertebrae. These nerves are part of the autonomic nervous system that regulates the body’s functions, a myriad of activities ranging from such critical functions as your heartbeat and breathing to countless minor ones.

A list of problems that may be due to Barre-Lieu Syndrome:

Headache, Sinusitis, Chronic Allergies, Dizziness, Neck Pain, Chest Pain, Face Pain, Eye Pain, Blurred Vision, Ear Pain, Tinnitus (ringing in ears), Hoarseness, Laryngitis, Fatigue, Vertigo.

If you have any of those symptoms, combined with neck pain, you may be a candidate for Prolotherapy.