July 2, 2004
Neuromuscular Dentistry - Testimonial from Helen Hammes
I consider undergoing neuromuscular dentistry treatment one of the best decisions I′ve ever made. My long journey
to find musculo-skeletal relief started in 1978. It started with my little buck teeth. My life-long malocclusion was taking its toll on some of my teeth. At age 29, it seemed the prudent choice to embark upon the journey of orthodontic braces to correct this and save my teeth into my golden age! In May 1978, at age 31, the braces were finally removed. That same month, I was doing a yoga exercise and felt a sensation similar to an elastic band snapping in my lower back. There was no pain but a dread thought — that was not good! That was the beginning of the end of tennis, ballet, downhill skiing and trying to remember what it was like to live pain-free. As the years went by, I strongly suspected that straightening my bite was at the root of the problem. My family and friends have often heard me say the day my teeth were straightened is the day my back went out
. But as I was to find out, it wasn′t just my back that would be affected.
From that day until the summer of 2002, I searched for solutions to my back, then neck and subsequently severe headache problems. Daily, low grade, chronic and at times acute discomfort became part of my life. I thought my neck problems became more severe due to years of a high-stress job with many hours commuting, traveling, and working at the computer. I lost the flexibility in my neck and could barely flex it from left to right shoulder. I had limited turning range. Over the years, headaches of increasing severity started to occur. I′d rarely had them before. They increased in intensity and frequency to twice a month. They were debilitating. I laid in bed, in darkness waiting for them to recede. I missed my daughter′s wedding dinner because of one. Another one hit on an outing with my little grandsons who were visiting from out of state. That bout was so bad I just wanted to immediately get better or die. And energy? That was a dim memory. Temporary relief was provided with muscle relaxants, ibuprofen, osteopaths, massage therapists and chiropractors. But I continued to seek a permanent solution.
During one of my dental appointments, Dr. Snyder and I were talking about problems encountered by those patients who had worn orthodontic braces. I told her my sad tale emphasizing my belief that the braces caused my back to go out and cascaded into my other physical problems. No one could convince me otherwise. The headaches, in particular, were really starting to affect my life. I never knew when one was going to strike and force me to miss some other happy occasion. She explained neuromuscular dentistry to me. It made sense. It gave me the medical explanation I always knew was lurking somewhere. The orthodontic braces had adversely affected my body structure from my head to my toes!
It took almost two years to get my jaw realigned. During that time, I noticed the headaches became less frequent and severe. Now they are completely gone. I can plan my life and not fear a headache will strike me down unexpectedly. Now, with a more flexible neck, I can look down into the smiling eyes of my 3-month old granddaughter as she drinks her bottle. I can easily turn my head to my left or right to watch her 2-year old sister dancing along with her favorite Teletubbies video. Neuromuscular dentistry eliminated my debilitating headaches and effected these other significant, positive physical changes. It gave me back my flexibility, energy and stamina. It changed the way I could live and enjoy my life.
Dr Beth L Snyder DMD, Aesthetic Dentist - Providing services in cosmetic dentistry, tmj treatment and neuromuscular dentistry to the areas of Philadelphia and Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
