Posted on 04.09.14

Therapy for Joint Restoration

knee-pain Joint Restoration

Prolotherapy, a non surgical intervention for ligament and tendon repair as well as joint restoration has been in existence in its modern day form since the 1930’s. Chronic musculoskeletal pain is often associated with laxity or injury to ligaments and tendons which causes destabilization of joints. The lack of stability leads to excessive wear and tear within the joint itself known as osteoarthritis and degenerative joint disease. Correcting these degenerative conditions can halt chronic pain and further arthritic changes within the joint itself. Studies confirm the effectiveness of prolotherapy in the resolution of many musculoskeletal pains, including low back pain, neck pain, and whiplash injuries, chronic sprains and strains, tennis and golfer’s elbow, knee, ankle, shoulder pain, coccyxdynia, chronic tendonitis, Achilles tendon pain, and other joint pain or musculoskeletal pain related to osteoarthritis

The standard injected solution contains dextrose as a proliferative but may include glucosamine sulfate, morruate, sarapin, zinc and Vit. B 12, as well as a local anesthetic of either procaine or lidocaine. Formulas will vary depending on the practitioner’s background, training and experience. Injections using standard Prolotherapy solutions are what could be considered as a Level 1treatment protocol for the healing of ligaments, tendons and joint regeneration.  Level 2 began with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) prolotherapy which was introduced in the early 2000s. This method uses a patient’s own blood, centrifuged to concentrate growth factor–rich platelets as the proliferation formula. Level 3is the most cutting edge of the injection therapies for relieving chronic pain and joint restoration. It utilizes the newest in Autologous Stem Cell Therapy. Recently physicians have begun using adult stem cells, harvested from the patient’s fat tissue or bone marrow during an in-office procedure. Research has shown that an enhanced healing effect can be obtained when Adult Mesenchymal Stem Cells (AM-SC) are combined with the individual’s Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) as the proliferation formula for injection into injured musculoskeletal tissue.

Adult Mesenchymal Stem Cells

In the early 1990s, existence of adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs),described as “non-committed progenitor cells of musculoskeletal tissues,” were discovered to have an active role in connective tissue repair. These cells were first labeled by Caplan as mesenchymal stem cells because of their ability to differentiate to different cell lines. In the early 2000s, appreciation of the potentials of adipose tissue and its related stromal elements, led to examination of the adipose-derived adult mesenchymal stem cell content (AD-MSC). Stem cells facilitate tissue maintenance, regeneration, growth, wound healing throughout life and a crucial role in connective tissue regeneration. Adult stem cells can be found in all tissues in the body in various quantities. Historically, MSCs have been harvested from bone marrow aspiration. However, bone marrow possesses very few true MSCs compared with adipose (fat)-derived stem/stromal cells (AD-SCs). Adipose tissue is replacing bone marrow as a primary source of stem cells. Like bone marrow, adipose (fat) tissue is derived from embryonic mesodermal tissue so they can both differentiate into the same tissue types. Fat is a complex tissue that is not only easier to harvest, but offers a far greater number of  nucleated, undifferentiated stem cell counts than bone marrow. Research has shown as much as 500 to 1,000 times as many mesenchymal and stromal vascular stem-like cells exist in adipose tissue as compared with bone marrow. This has been a tremendous breakthrough in the use of regenerative stem cell therapy because most people have a more than adequate supply of adipose tissue that is easily accessable.

Current beliefs are that success in long-term stem cell therapy is actually due to activation of adherent progenitor cells (attached to mature adipocytes), and proliferation of those progenitor cells.They will differentiate into whatever cell type that they are injected into and adhere to.

As an example, if you inject a stem cell mix into a joint, the progenitor cells that adhere to cartilage will differentiate into that type of cell and rebuild cartilage. Stem cells that attach to a ligament will become and generate new ligament cells and so forth. As understanding of the maintenance and replenishment of cell cycles in the body increases, extensive research has been devoted to the study of microenvironment  cell to-cell matrix , automatic and hormonal signaling systems and their functions in orchestrating the healing mechanism. Since Adipose Derived Stem Cells are capable of differentiation for all mesogenic lines including: (1) Chondrogenic; (2) Fibro-muscular (including tendon, ligament, skeletal and cardiac muscle); (3) Osteogenic; and, (4) Adipogenic cell lines, uses in clinical applications have skyrocketed. Addition of Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) concentrate-derived of growth factors and signal proteins (cytokines) to the progenitor cells, have greatly improved our ability to promote healing to sights of injury and chronic pain. Studies have demonstrated such improvement with adult stem cell therapy by the successful regeneration of osteoarthritic damage and articular cartilage defects, significant improvement in medial meniscus and cartilage regeneration with autologous stem cell therapy. Multiple studies have shownthat AD-SCs improve wound healingand stimulate fibroblast proliferation and collagen secretion. These proliferative changes increase connective tissue tensile strength and the healing capability of tissues that normally would not regenerate themselves. Stem Cells (AD-SCs) have the potential to differentiate to become cartilage, tendon, ligament, bone, and skeletal or smooth muscle. They also are capable of expressing multiple growth factors that influence control over  damaged neighboring cells. Studies have shown  AD-SCs are capable of stimulating the healing process needed to repair intervertebral discs.  The pain caused by bulging and ruptured discs send thousands of people into back surgery every year  It is reasonable to hypothesize, that when Level 1 dextrose prolotherapy and/or Level 2,  Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) prolotherapy have not resulted in complete resolution of musculoskeletal pain and injury, Level 3 Stem Cell  Prolotherapy would be the logical next step.

In veterinary medicine, AD-SCs have been used effectively for more than 10years in the treatment of osteoarthritic  joints and connective tissue injuries in dogs. Unfortunately, we have had to wait for the slow turning of the wheels of government regulations to be able to offer these cutting edge solutions to mankind.

Prolotherapy has come a long way since those early days in the 1930s when doctors were searching for a way to get the body to heal and regenerate.

Stem cell Prolotherapy offers a safe and clinically effective option in cases of musculoskeletal and connective tissue injury or joint degeneration which may be utilized by physicians to assist in their treatment of the patient with unresolved musculoskeletal pain. Autologous Stem Cell Therapy (AD-SCs) combined with HD-PRP concentrates have proven very effective in thousands of cases.

 

 

 

 

Posted on 06.09.12

Prolo Pain Away/Regenerative Joint Therapy

PROLOTHERAPY IN BRIEF

Prolotherapy is a minimally invasive, tremendously safe therapy that stimulates the body’s healing mechanisms using natural ingredients.  Pain comes from tears in the ligaments commonly referred to as sprains, where tears in the tendons are called strains. Ligaments connect the bones together, providing stability to the joints. Tendons connect the muscles to the bones and move the joints. When ligaments and tendons are injured they hurt. Typical treatments available to the patient including cortisone shots, ice, or an anti-inflammatory, just cover up the pain, so the patient feels better temporarily. These types of treatments are helpful only if the problem is due to inflammation without any real tissue damage. That’s because cortisone and NSAIDS actually slow down your body’s healing response.  When you feel better because of pain relievers, you may not sense further damage and over use the injured area making matters worse. Prolotherapy can heal the source of the pain, rather than cover it up, because it helps to stimulate the body’s repair mechanism causing ligaments, tendons and joint capsules to heal. Ligaments and tendons, cartilage and vertebral discs have a deficit in their ability to heal because they have a poor blood supply. Because they have a poor blood supply, and because they are rich in nerve endings, they are white in color. Muscles, on the other hand, appear red in color because of their plentiful blood supply. This is why muscle injuries heal quickly and are almost never the source of chronic pain or athletic injuries. For those with chronic pain, Prolotherapy can be the answer to getting relief from that long term suffering. Acute injuries may also benefit from Soft Tissue Prolo techniques. After the Prolotherapy treatment is given, an increase in the blood supply to the area occurs which brings in nutrients, immune cells and stimulates an overall healing response to the area?  Prolotherapy not only strengthens weak joints, some studies have shown it can continue to increase the strength in a joint above normal. Once the joint is stable because the ligaments are able to give it the correct structural support, the cause of the pain is gone.

Growth factors are becoming an important part of the future of Prolotherapy. Polypeptide growth factors act directly upon fibroblasts (which make collagen). Epidermal growth factor, insulin-like growth factors, fibroblast growth factors, and platelet-derived growth factors are now available for research and testing purposes. I’m now using a lot of Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections directly into joints to help regenerate cartilage. Many of these growth factors are available in homeopathic form to be taken orally during the Prolotherapy treatment course. Taking joint support supplements that contain glucosamine sulfate, MSM, chondroitin and similar nutrients will further help the process.

Summary

The basic mechanism of Prolotherapy is simple. A substance is injected, which leads to local inflammation. The localized injection triggers a wound-healing cascade, resulting in the deposition of new collagen. New collagen shrinks as it matures. The shrinking collagen tightens the ligament or tendon that was injected and makes it stronger. When injecting inside the joint, it has a cumulative effect like having a road construction crew filling in the potholes, thereby rebuilding cartilage. Prolotherapy has the potential of being 100 percent effective at eliminating sports injuries and chronic pain. The most important aspect is injecting enough of the right kind of solution into the injured and weakened area to trigger a healing response. If this is accomplished, the likelihood of success is excellent. The key thing to keep in mind is that Prolotherapy actually starts a response that heals, and thus fixes the problem, rather than just masking it with painkillers.

Robert Ellsworth, NMD

 

Posted on 06.03.11

Total Enzyme

The digestive system is responsible for digesting and absorbing the nutrients you need to maintain health. It is a complicated system and when compromised you can experience a wide array of symptoms such as gas, bloating, indigestion, fluctuating bowl movements, abdominal pain and cramping. Poor digestion over time can lead to other seemingly unrelated symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, impaired circulation, bloating and general malaise. Your overall health is dependent on this system functioning properly because it’s where every cell in your body gets the energy and nutrients it needs to live, repair and reproduce itself.
The food we eat is a complex of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. These huge macromolecules must be broken down into smaller units that can be absorbed into the blood stream and assimilated by the body. Poor digestion can lead to protein linkage that impairs blood flow in the circulatory tract limiting the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the cells.
Digestive enzymes are specialized proteins, each designed to break apart a specific type of molecule in your food. In a healthy digestive system, the enzymes present in raw foods combine with the digestive enzymes from your body to effectively and completely break down the food into particles that your body can use. Unfortunately, cooking and processing can destroy the natural enzymes. This puts the full burden of proper digestion on your body’s enzymes. Since we are all genetically unique with different diets and lifestyles, our capacity to produce our own digestive enzymes varies with each individual. Research has also shown a decreased ability to make adequate digestive enzymes as we age. Supplemental enzymes can support the digestive process in the breakdown of food and the absorption of nutrients.

The following enzymes are included in Total Enzyme formula:

  • Peptidase: breaks down proteins into usable amino acids
  • Papain: breaks down protein and is beneficial in reducing inflammation
  • Amylase: breaks down carbohydrates and starches
  • Maltase: breaks down carbohydrates and some simple sugars.
  • Bromelain: : breaks down protein and is beneficial in reducing inflammation
  • Cellulase: breaks down plant fiber and aid in the digestion of raw vegetables
  • Lipase: works with the gallbladder in the digestion of fats and oils
  • Betain: breaks down proteins in the stomach and aids in mineral absorption
  • Pancreatin: assists the pancreas in the digestion of carbohydrates, proteins and fats

Suggested Use: Take 1 capsule before or during each meal.

These enzymes work synergistically to assist your body in the proper digestion and assimilation of your food for total health and wellness.

Posted on 05.31.11

General Patient Guidelines

Achieving optimal health is about creating and maintaining balance. We are whole beings and need to consider our mental/ emotional state, activities/ exercise and the food/ nutrients we are using to fuel are life processes as equally important. We can’t separate our heads from our bodies, so why would we think that we could separate our emotional wellbeing from our physical wellbeing? To put it simply, optimal health is about what you think, what you eat and how you move!
People are becoming more and more aware of the connection between diet and health. Research has linked conditions such as obesity and cardiovascular disease to diets high in fat and carbs, kidney stones and osteoporosis to diets high in protein or mineral imbalances, Type I diabetes mellitus to diets high in dairy at a young age, Type II to high carbohydrate diets and colon cancer to diets low in fiber and Vitamin D. What may not be so obvious, however, is that a poor diet can also be a contributing factor to such day to day problems as fatigue, headaches, mood swings, brain fog, indigestion, constipation, skin problems, menstrual discomfort, allergies and degenerative diseases etc. Changing life-long, deeply ingrained eating habits can be difficult. As you strive to follow these principles be patient with yourself, keep a sense of humor and enjoy your successes. Do not hesitate to seek support, I’m always there to help you.
Personal sense of wellbeing and emotions play a huge role in affecting not only your mental health but your physical health as well. Negative emotions and stress bring you down in all ways. Accentuate the positive and work on this until you’re coming from a “good place”. It may seem difficult to have a different perspective at first but you’ll reap the benefits forever! Manifest Gratitude! Think of all the things you’re grateful for each day.
People were meant to move! Activity is essential to maintaining physical strength, muscle tone and range of motion. Exercise also has a positive effect on your mental clarity, emotional state and sense of wellbeing. It may be tough to get started but you will feel so much better that you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it before! Move It, Use It or Loose It !!

Some Guiding Principles

  • Include plenty of fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes. These foods promote health by providing an abundance of fiber, vitamins, minerals, enzymes (if eaten raw), and many other life-giving substances that science is just beginning to discover.
  • Include a moderate amount of protein from meat, poultry, eggs and fish (Alaskan or Pacific, no farm raised), beans and bean products, lentils, seeds and nuts.
  • Try to minimize the saturated fat in your diet, but keep in mind that some fats like Omega 3 and 6 are essential to health. Do not eat hydrogenated, partially hydrogenated oils or trans-fats and avoid eating deep fried foods. These things are like poison to the human body.
  • Wherever possible, eat foods in their natural rather than processed form. Fresh vegetables, for example, have more food value than frozen vegetables, which in turn have more food value than canned vegetables. Over cooking and processing destroys vitamins and enzymes and depletes the nutrient value of foods.
  • Wherever possible, choose organic over non-organic foods. Foods grown non-organically often contain pesticides, herbicides and other chemical residues, which have been linked to certain cancers, environmental and degenerative disorders. Organic farming also helps preserve farmland and decreases contamination of our ground water.
  • Drink plenty of clean, fresh spring water or purified water. Do not drink water straight from the tap. Use showerheads etc. that filter chlorine and other contaminants from water you wash with.
  • Maintaining healthy pH levels is increasingly difficult today. Drinking RO or purified water, carbonated beverages, coffee etc. and the decrease in vegetable intake all increase acidity. I checked the water from an RO machine and it had a pH of 5.5 when a neutral pH is considered around 7.4.
  • Go to a Biological Dentist. Don’t put amalgam (silver metal) fillings and other metal crowns in your mouth as they increase the burden of toxic heavy metals in your body. Avoid root canals, a large percentage of root canal teeth become toxic.

Daily Supplements

It has become fashionable to talk about taking supplements for the purposes of increasing energy levels, improving performance, building better bodies and better health. All of the biochemical reactions that occur in our bodies to support life, require enzymes. These enzymes are made up of vitamins, minerals and other co-factors. Equally as important as the building processes but rarely talked about, is the elimination of the waste products created. If not eliminated, these waste products join with other environmental toxins to impair cellular function. This dysfunction pulls us away from health and moves us toward degeneration and disease. Eliminatory processes also require enzymes, vitamins and minerals, so it’s easy to see why our requirements are actually much higher than what was previously thought. When looking at the government’s RDA (recommended daily allowance), keep in mind that this is the least amount of a nutrient required to keep you from getting a disease. It has no relationship to “optimal health”. The increased toxic burden of modern life along with the depletion of our soils and the decreasing nutritional value in our food supply make supplementation a necessity for anyone interested in optimal health and longevity.

  • Multiple Vitamin/ Mineral supplement
  • EFAs (essential fatty acids), fish oil, flax oil or ground flax seeds, Borage, Evening Primrose oil
  • Certain nutrients may be used specifically to address an individuals requirements or challenges.

Do Not Eat

  • All Hydrogenated, partially hydrogenated oils or trans-fats. Avoid eating deep fried foods. All of these things are like poison to the human body.
  • All artificial sweeteners (aspartame, nutritame, sucralose, saccharine/ Splenda/ Equal)
  • All Diet Soft Drinks
  • Tap Water
  • Limit simple sugars including fruit juices and refined and or high-glycemic carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, white potatoes and white rice.
  • All high fructose corn syrup
  • All Artificial Colors, Flavors and Preservatives
  • Limit (or Avoid) Dairy product consumption, especially in young children.
  • MSG
  • Hydrolyzed Soy protein.
  • Atlantic, Great Lakes and All Farm Raised Fish
  • GMO – Genetically Modified Foods

Notice on the above that all listed were invented, modified, processed or “toxified” by man!!

Do Eat

  • Organic foods whenever possible.
  • Foods as minimally processed and as lightly cooked as possible.
  • More vegetables, moderate protein and less carbs.
  • Drink natural spring water, purified or filtered water.
  • Hormone & antiobiotic free whenever possible

Interesting Web Sites
www.ewg.org www.feingold.org www.drrobnmd.com

Posted on 05.31.11

Joint Supplements Kick Start Joint Health and Repair

Nutritional health is an important part of joint health just as it is paramount to the health and wellness of all body systems in general. We can’t expect any part of the body to function properly if we don’t feed it what it needs. One in three American adults struggle with chronic joint pain. More than 450,000 knee and hip replacements are performed each year and that number will continue to increase as the baby boomers age. Joint dysfunction can be due to injury, wear and tear and genetic predisposition. Repair and healing processes are highly dependent on adequate protein in the daily diet. Unfortunately, the Standard American Diet (SAD), has become poor in quality protein and high in carbohydrates. Proper intake of dietary protein is necessary for proper wound healing and joint repair. It should be a source for the amino acids necessary for fibroblast activity and the production of collagen, elastin and glycosaminoglycans at the site of injury or needed repair.

There are ways that you can support your joints so that they will stay healthy and give them an extra advantage if they are in need of repair. Joint supplements can help provide additional nutrients that are targeted for improving joint repair. Recent studies have investigated the use of specific nutrients to help in the repair, support and structural integrity of joints. Some of the most powerful ingredients shown to support cartilage and connective tissue health, joint mobility and address the discomfort associated with a lifetime of activity are Glucosamine, Chondroitin and MSM.

  • Glucosamine is an important building block needed by the body to manufacture specialized components of cartilage called glycosaminoglycans. These amino sugars are found in a variety of connective tissues all over the body like ligaments, tendons, cartilage, joint capsules, blood vessels and the skin. Supplements containing glucosamine have been clinically shown to promote the structural repair and improve the comfort of affected joints. Wrinkles are due to the breakdown of the supportive connective tissue in the skin.
  • Chondroitin is a major constituent of cartilage, providing structure, holding water and nutrients and allowing other nutrients to move through cartilage. It promotes joint comfort by maintaining hydration of the cartilage matrix. Chondroitin has a protective role in maintaining the integrity of cartilage from enzyme activity that would otherwise destroy it.
  • MSM ( methylsulfonylmethane) contributes sulfur for protein synthesis and enzyme function to support tendons and cartilage. Di-sulfide bonds are needed to create and hold the three dimensional shape of proteins in the body. MSM acts as a universal sulfur donor contributing to the repair and regeneration of all connective tissue and especially that of ligaments, tendons and joint capsules.
  • Vitamin C is essential in converting procollagen to collagen. Vitamin C is required for the cross linking of collagen fibers in the rebuilding and maintenance of all connective tissue. The well known breakdown of connective tissue due to deficiency of Vitamin C is the disease Scurvy that afflicted the sailors in days of old. Joint supplements containing Vit.C are often seen as minerals that are complexes of ascorbate.
  • Minerals are also an integral part of building body tissues. Connective tissue repair is enhanced by having adequate amounts of such minerals as Magnesium, Zinc, Copper and Manganese.
  • Botanicals can have the unique effect of stimulating the regeneration of connective tissue. Repair of ligaments, tendons and joints is stimulated by herbs such as Devils Claw (Harpagophytum) and Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica).

Protecting your joints from further natural degeneration or taking a proactive stance in supporting the repair and regeneration of your joints can be enhanced by the use of the proper nutritional supplements. Everyone has a choice on what role they want to play in their personal wellness. Restricting or limiting your physical activity does not have to be a fore gone conclusion. Walking down the road of life should not be a painful experience!

Good Health,
Robert Ellsworth, NMD

Posted on 05.31.11

Cold Laser Therapy

Unlike high-power medical lasers, which are widely used to safely cut and remove tissue, the Low Level Laser (LLL) penetrates the surface of the skin with no heating effect or damage. The energy is directed deep into the affected area stimulating the body’s cells which convert the energy into chemical energy to promote natural healing.

Cold lasers are often compared to acupuncture with “laser beams”. In most LLL treatments the laser beam is used to stimulate the body’s acupoints or damaged areas in an attempt to increase the blood supply to parts of the body. I often use Lasers in conjunction with acupuncture treatments in my office. Light or photon energy has the unique property of being able to penetrate up to two inches below the skin surface, based on the power of the laser, causing an increase in cellular metabolism with no tissue damage whatsoever.Cold Laser Therapy is considered an alternative therapy like acupuncture. Currently there are over 25 different cold lasers that have been cleared by the FDA for various types of treatments. Cold laser has been in use around the world for over 30 years and has been in use in the US for over 10 years, mostly in the veterinary field. Low Level Laser therapy has been proven completely safe in over 3000 worldwide studies. The low level laser light used in cold laser therapy is actually the compressed light of a wavelength from the red part of the light spectrum, or the cold part.

The wavelength of the laser light ranges from 635 to 970 nanometers. The power level of medical grade cold lasers ranges from 10 milliwatts to 7500 milliwatts. This energy can be created using one or an array of laser diodes. An array of lasers allows a wider treatment area. Since finding the troubled spot deep inside the tissue may be difficult to pinpoint, it can be very useful to cover a larger area with an array of diodes. This increases the probability of energizing the problem area and also helps increase the energy in the area surrounding the problem area. The therapy is noninvasive and non-thermal. The cold laser was derived from phototherapy, a light healing method developed more than 30 years ago. Light penetrates the surface of the skin as well as underlying tissues to stimulate natural healing in the body. During the cold laser process, the body’s cells are exposed to photon energy, which in turn increases the cells’ metabolism, helps to develop muscle tissue and collagen, improves blood circulation, stimulates tissue repair and the healing of wounds, and stimulates the nervous and immune systems.

The average cold laser therapy session cost from $30 to $60 dollars. The average medical grade laser costs about $4000 – $15000. I think this is why LLL isn’t used more, even though it is an excellent therapy.

In my office, I use cold laser therapy, or low level laser therapy, to treat acute and chronic pain. If you suffer from back pain, joint pain, tendonitis, fibromyalgia, migraine headaches, neuropathy, neck pain, or other related health conditions, cold laser therapy might be a viable solution for you. We use the Erchonia laser for a wide variety of applications like those just mentioned as well as many others supporting lymph and regulatory systems. Laser treatments speed up your body’s healing processes and can be an important part of many other therapies.

 

Robert Ellsworth, NMD

 

Posted on 05.21.11

sample product

sdasdasdas a asd ad asd af sfgfdsg sd fsdfsd fsdf sad fas f asf sd fs af sfs df saf sf s fsdf sdsdf sf sfs fsfdsf s sf sf sfs s dsf sdf saf sf sgsfsgsfgdfg dfsg dfg dfg dfg g ssfs s sdfafsfasfsadf asf dsaf dsafsdf sdaf as fsda fasd fasfsadf s fsadsd ds fdsaf sadfds.

Posted on 05.31.10

TMJ Dysfunction

Most of us enjoy life without enduring constant or recurring pain. For others, being pain free is an infrequent luxury. The most popular players getting the attention in the “pain game” are usually the larger joints and spine. Back pain, hip, knee and shoulder pain steal the headlines but those folks suffering from TMJ find it every bit as painful, debilitating and frustrating. Basicly the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) connects your lower jaw to the upper jaw at the side of your head. When this joint moves, it enables you to talk, chew and yawn. TMJ dysfunction problems with the joint, ligaments and muscles around it may cause:

  • Pain that radiates through the face, jaw, neck or head
  • Headache
  • Limited movement or locking of the jaw
  • Painful clicking or popping in the jaw
  • A change in the way the upper and lower teeth fit together

Jaw pain may go away with little or no treatment if it was induced by only mild trauma or irritation. Treatment may include simple things you can do yourself, such as eating soft foods while avoiding hard or sticky foods. Try not to aggravate the situation by opening your mouth to wide or chewing gum. Apply ice packs to limit further irritation and reduce inflamation while the healing process takes place.Treatment for more severe cases may include TMJ manipulation, devices to insert in your mouth such as night guards to keep you from grinding your teeth or clenching your jaw at night. Occassionaly it may be suggested that the bite needs to be altered by grinding the teeth to change the way they contact each other. Surgery is sometimes indicated but rarely so. In 1937 Dr. Louis Schultz, both a dentist and medical doctor, published a paper in the Journal of the American Medical Association on the treatment of the subluxation of the TMJ. In this paper he described how common TMJ syndrome was, and that the traditional treatments of rest, appliances in the mouth, physical therapy and surgery were only partialy successful. He described a simple method of tightening and strenghtening the TMJ capsule by injection, which would later be known as Prolotherapy. In my practice, I find that stabilizing the joint using Prolotherapy techniques is a very successful way to treat the problems of TMJ and is often the missing link in achieving desired outcomes.

Many times the underlying cause of TMJ symptoms of pain, muscle spasm and clicking and popping of the jaw are do to weakness and instability of the joint itself. The temporomandibular is a very complex joint. It not only acts as a hinge joint for opening and closing the mouth but allows for the sideways movement of the lower jaw at the same time. This is accomplished by an intricate system of ligaments that hold the bones of the joint together, the tendons that attach jaw muscles to the bone and finaly by the fiberous capsule that surrounds the joint itself. Smooth and painless movement of the jaw depends on the ability of these components to seemlessly work in sync with each other. It’s easy to see that changing the structure of one or more of the component parts can greatly unbalance the interworkings of the joint, causing pain. Irritation in the joint capsule often causes muscle spasms which is one of the most common complaints. Along with the injury comes joint laxity, inflamation and swelling that contribute to more irritation and so on it goes. Breaking this cycle of irritation is dependent on strengthening and tightening the structure of the TMJ, in order to restore proper movement and allignment.

Prolotherapy is a highly effective method of treating chronic pain do to ligament laxity and weakened joints in all parts of the body. Injured ligaments, tendons and joint capsules are injected with a nutritive solution that directly stimulates the healing response to repair and strenghten them. Stabilization of weakened joints will remove the source of pain for many people. So wheather your dealing with pain from large joint dysfunction or the equally important TMJ, Prolotherapy may be the answer for you.

Robert Ellsworth, N.M.D.
Dr. Ellsworth has a practice in Scottsdale, Arizona.