Dr. Roubal's Omaha, Nebraska blog

Posture

2010-06-21T11:38:00.002-05:00

I am wondering how many people are complaining of hip and knee pain because of postural distortions of their body? The body posture is greatly influenced by the head position which in turn is influenced by lower jaw position. Jaw position that is incorrect can lead to pain, not only in the head and jaw, but to pain throughout the entire body.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Sleep Apnea & Morning Headaches

2010-06-08T08:50:00.002-05:00

I have recently examined a number of sleep apnea patients who have complained of morning headaches. This could be related to lack of oxygen during sleep. Correct the sleep apnea and correct the morning headaches. If the airway is compromised, most people will clench or grind their teeth to open or stabilize their airway - this para functional activity can also lead to morning headaches. Fix the apnea - fix the headache!

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Orthodontic Treatment & Pain

2010-06-04T12:28:00.002-05:00

I have had several teens start having headaches and jaw pain during orthodontic treatment. This doe snot mean that the orthodontics caused the start of pain. I am no anti-straight teeth! Many young people have a displaced jaw joint disc and this can be aggravated by orthodontic movements of the teeth. If pain or dysfunction is very fleeting, I would not be overly concerned. However, if the pain persists, or is coming with more intensity of frequency, I believe this should be examined. Continuing the path of the orthodontics, without pain relief, is a very slippery path indeed. We can do orthotic treatment and therapies while the braces are on. Usually, the orthodontist can finish the braces when the patient is comfortable.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Teens & Headaches

2010-06-02T08:42:00.003-05:00

Young people often suffer from headaches and migraines. I have treated many teenagers over the years and it is quite disturbing to learn their history. I have had one teeth miss over 100 school days in the past year. Most have been prescribed very potent narcotics or migraine preventative medications. Many are on hormonal therapies and powerful anti-depressants. What do you think all the medications do to their mood, their sense of well being, their ability to socialize and learn? Not good! Most often the therapy we do is amazingly effective. Most can get off their medications or greatly reduce them. Mothers are relieved and happy to see their children smile again.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Chiropractic Patients and Jaw Position

2010-05-05T11:47:00.002-05:00

If chiropractic therapy helps with your pain (headaches or neck), but you need to keep up regular appointments to keep your adjustment in place, the missing part is your jaw position. We correct jaw position ever day and , WOW! the need for chiropractic is lessened or eliminated. My most notable case to date --> history of going to her chiropractor 3 times per week for 7 years for a very painful shoulder. One week of our therapy and she was pain free. She didn't need the chiropractor for her shoulder anymore.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Injections and Headaches

2010-04-23T11:25:00.002-05:00

If Botox helps your headaches/migraines, we can very likely also help your headaches with our non-invasive, non-surgical treatments. Imagine what you would save in terms of injection discomfort, cost, and any possible future side affects. Call us if you are interested.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

When pain rules your life...

2010-04-22T10:27:00.002-05:00

When pain rules your life and you have sought out treatment and that treatment hasn't helped, look into what we do.

I have helped hundreds of people who had lost hope. The treatment we provide is very effective in getting rid of those nagging headaches. most of our patient shave been treated previously with a night/mouth guard that hasn't helped a lot. Don't confuse what was done vs. what we do. if you would like to learn more, make the call!

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Commitment to wear appliance

2010-04-12T12:09:00.002-05:00

I just counseled a young patient not to start treatment unless she was willing to wear an oral appliance during her school time (all day). She was concerned that someone may see her appliance and make fun of her. This was a teen who is missing some school already because of her headaches, but still had enough concern about peer pressure that she didn't know if she could commit to full time wear. I suggested we not start treatment until she was sure and pledged to wear it, or wait until school was over for the summer to start treatment. I am not sure want she will decide.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

What is lock jaw?

2010-04-12T12:00:00.002-05:00

I had a sixteen year old female in this past week who had a "locked jaw." Based on her lower jaw range of motion, she actually did not have a locked jaw, but rather was experiencing a displaced disc with reduction. This means she could "wiggle" her jaw and it would "pop" and then she could open her jaw. She had a lot of other symptoms of dysfunction and pain which I feel very strongly that I could have likely reversed since she is so young. Funny thing, the mother called and cancelled a later appointment since I didn't "unlock" her daughter's jaw on the initial visit. I really learned something because of that. Even though I though they had really understood my explanation and reasoning, obviously I didn't do good enough. Sad. they are going to go to a chiropractor for treatment that will not be successful long term as the bite relationship is very seriously "off!" Staying this way could result in permanent jaw joint damage. Hopefully, they will call back and be treated properly.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Pain came back until orthotic was placed

2010-04-12T11:50:00.003-05:00

I had a women this month come in wondering if our treatment was helping or was she somehow better coincidentally. She had original symptoms of headaches, neck pain, and jaw pain that appeared after she had two crown preparations done earlier at another dental office. After a few failed attempts to get the pain/dysfunction problems taken care of, the treating dentist referred the patient to my office. She originally rated her pain at a "9" on a 0-10 scale; "10" being the worst pain you can imagine.

After about 45 days, she rated her pain at a "1" and on discussion she confessed the level was nearer zero. She had a non-removable orthotic placed because she required a non-intererence to speech appliance. I also discovered she had sleep apnea which was also treated concurrently.

Anyways, she decided she wanted the "fixed" orthotic removed as she had trouble believing the "piece of plastic: could deliver such a "miracle" of pain relief to her. We removed it. After three days, she called and low and behold, all of her pain and dysfunction was coming back! I could not see her for an additional two days. She was very happy to get back the orthotic. In fact, I saw her later the same day and she was already reporting feeling much better. Properly positioned orthotics can be amazing in times of pain improvement.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Fix the Cause

2010-03-29T09:02:00.003-05:00

Why do I keep blogging about headaches? I think I have read that a solution for a headache pain is the most common reason for medical office visits. Interesting isn't it? Visit a well qualified and experienced dentist for headache problems; find the cause and "fix" it. Get off the medications with all the negative side effects.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Headache patients usually have more symptoms

2010-03-24T08:44:00.003-05:00

It is rare to find a patient who arrives with the single symptom of headaches. Usually, there are many other symptoms such as ear congestion or pain, neck pain, jaw pain and often many other concurrent symptoms. After looking over the, I Hate Headaches site, I suggest you look at my personal site - http://www.whyallthispain.com/ for more information and the change to contact us directly. We do offer a complimentary phone consultation to discuss your situation and for me to answer any pain related questions you may have.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Chiropractors and Headaches

2010-03-17T11:50:00.002-05:00

If the chiropractor can help you with your headaches, but they keep returning after some time interval, you may have a jaw relationship problem that needs correction. I have successfully treated countless patients who have been helped by chiropractors, but the adjustments don't "hold". By the way, we often utilize the skills of chiropractors in the treatment of some of our patients.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Morning headaches and Sleep Apnea

2010-03-17T11:48:00.006-05:00

Morning headache patients should be evaluated for sleep apnea. I have had many patients report resolution of their headache pain with successful sleep apnea treatment. There is a lot of negative "buzz" surround the CPAP machines usually used in the treatment of sleep apnea. I use an oral appliance for those who can not tolerate the CPAP machine or for those who are looking for alternative treatment.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Migraine Medications

2010-03-15T17:27:00.004-05:00

If you have been prescribed migraine medication and it isn't helping, please give us a call as I have seen quite a lot of this recently. Or, if you are concerned about the negative side affects of medication, we could evaluate you for more conservative treatment.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Dental Intervention and Headaches

2010-03-15T17:22:00.001-05:00

I have had several common threads this week regarding failed dental intervention for headache relief. Also in common, checking jaw joint or other obvious dental problems such as worn down teeth and also neck pain. I would really encourage people to go into TMJ/TMD research and find a highly trained dentist to help them. Your family dentist may not have enough training and experience to recognize the dental/headache connection.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Headaches, Orthodontics, and Unhealthy TM Joints

2010-03-09T08:46:00.003-06:00

I just examined a headache patient who just completed orthodontic treatment. In fact, the headaches were so bad that the mother requested the orthodontist remove the braces. I do not think the orthodontics caused the headaches, but rather aggravated a TM joint that was already unhealthy. The inevitable bit changes taking place were too much for the body to accept. I recommend those who are looking to straighten their teeth make sure the TM joints are healthy. If there is any noise such as popping or clicking on jaw movement, or any soreness in chewing activity or limited jaw opening this could indicate a TM joint disorder. which should be corrected prior to starting braces.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Mouth Guards and Joint Noise

2010-03-04T17:16:00.004-06:00

I encourage those with jaw joint noise to be examined by a trained expert in regards to how much damage is present in the TM joints and how much strain is present in the muscles. I just had a patient in who has been told for the past 2 1/2 years that they didn't have enough symptoms to warrant treatment for their condition. Anyway, after 2 1/2 years of mouth guard nightly wear, this patient developed quite significant headaches, jaw pain, ear pain, and a very limited jaw opening. On review of the TM joint tomographic X-rays, the patient has one joint virtually destroyed. The good part is that she was seeking out help, it just wasn't enough treatment for her. I am not against mouth guards, I am against continuing the mouth guard if it isn't working.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Headaches and Neck Surgery

2010-02-23T08:48:00.003-06:00

I am surprised and disheartened by the number of headache patients I see who have had neck fusion surgery. Why am I seeing this? It isn't because the surgery was successful in controlling the headaches! I am always optimistic in treatment outcomes, but I have to admit the history of a failed surgery makes me nervous about results. I have just had such a patient. I am happy to report her results have exceeded any one's expectations. It truly was rewarding to me personally to see the fantastic improvement in her pain level. I guess the bottom line is to explore conservative treatment before any surgery is undertaken.

Headaches, headaches, headaches

2010-02-23T08:37:00.003-06:00

Headaches, headaches, headaches; this seems to be all I write about. Oh, yes, this is a blog about headaches. There are many causes of headaches. My task is to find the cause and treat the cause. The typical doctor treats the symptoms, unless, of course, there is a brain tumor or some gross medical issue. Our typical patients are on several medications for their symptoms. We have great success is minimizing or eliminating most medications! Because, we treat the cause.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Head and Neck Pain

2010-02-10T08:30:00.002-06:00

I find a lot of head pain arises from neck (cervical) problems. Very large muscles attach at the base of the skull. If the lower jaw isn't correctly positioned, the result is a forward head posture. This is a huge contributor to headaches and facial pain. By properly determining the proper jaw position, posture improves and then pain levels improve also. We can also speed up the healing process by use of chiropractic, physical therapy, massage, etc. In my office, we add laser therapy, ultrasound, micro current, and trigger point treatment. On those very stubborn cases, I can add injections of healing medications. We routinely see resolution of chronic headaches, neck aches, and migraines quickly; even those pains that have been present for decades!

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Headaches

2010-02-08T08:52:00.002-06:00

The number one issue that I treat in my office is headache pain. Sometimes that is the only symptom reported. Patients often have a hard time believing their headaches could be related to how their jaws fit together. If I wouldn't see great results every day, I too, likely would be skeptical. The time the headaches are present is a critical analysis tool for me. My task is to gather the history, do the examination, and formulate a treatment that will work. I have many tools available as I have studied these problems for over 30 years. You can also go to my local website, www.whyallthispain.com for addition information.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Migraines

2010-02-05T11:05:00.003-06:00

I am drawing a blank right now, but this last weekend, I read an article in the newspaper where one of the NFL players would likely miss the game because of a migraine. It is apparent that all normal tests and typical migraine treatments have failed to help him. I wonder if his migraine could be related to jaw position and muscle problems? I have had many long standing "migraine: problems go away with proper jaw alignment treatment. I would encourage exploring this connection for those who have not been treated successfully with traditional migraine treatment, or for those who like to see if can stop taking medication for their migraines.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Sleep Disorders

2010-02-03T08:24:00.002-06:00

I have a patient who is complaining of morning headaches and daytime tooth tenderness. Tooth pain down in to the gum as she describes it. The sleep apnea screening test shows this is a problem. She has refused an overnight sleep study to absolutely confirm the presence of a sleep disorder, which must be diagnosed by a physician. The headaches and tooth pain is likely from tooth clenching all night long in the body's attempt to open or stabilize the likely collapsing airway. If she refuses to be treated for her sleep issues, the treatment we will be providing will be to lesson the effects of her clenching. Unfortunately, we will not be able to totally eliminate her discomfort, but I am hoping for a great improvement in her symptoms. Sometimes, patients choose for less than optimal treatment for their own reasons.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Back and Jaw Pain

2010-01-27T08:45:00.005-06:00

I had a patient referred to me by their general dentist. She had two new temporary crowns placed and almost immediately noted jaw joint popping, facial pain, and headaches. The general dentist could not find anything wrong with the temporary crowns, so the patient was referred to me for diagnosis and treatment. The patient denied any previous pain issues or jaw problems prior to the new temporaries. Upon initial exam, it was apparent that the woman had spent many, many hours in a dental chair. She had extensive dentistry present and many worn down teeth and other signs and symptoms of temperomandibular dysfunction (TMD). She did admit later in the exam to having "sinus headaches" and some neck pain for which she did seek chiropractic care. She also was getting routine massage therapy. Probably due to her extreme discomfort, she agreed to treatment for her TMD problem which pre-existed her temporary crown placement. In less than three weeks, she reported about at 75% improvement in all pain and dysfunction problems and even commented, "my chronic lower back pain is gone, could this be due to this TMD treatment?" Yes, we changed the posture of the entire body and after we see backs get better!

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Patient was told she had no options is now a new woman!

2010-01-26T08:33:00.004-06:00

A middle aged female just was in for her one week post insertion orthotic check. She had a sleep apnea problem for which she was also being treated for by a CPAP machine. Or, should I say, she had a sleep apnea problem that was not being treated because she couldn't stand wearing her CPAP. She talked to her doctor about this and basically he told her that if she didn't wear it, she was want to stay sick!! Wow, what a response! Unfortunately, not the only time I have head this from patients. She was also having headaches, ear pain, facial pain, and fatigue. One week later, she is a new woman! Even I am amazed by her new energy and how well she feels and is doing! No pain, sleeping very well, and can work all day. She is thrilled beyond belief and is not very happy right now with her doctor. She told me she is going to see him and report on her recovery and is telling everyone who will listen about her new well being.

I love this stuff!

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Skeptical patient is now a great success story!

2010-01-26T08:14:00.003-06:00

I just reviewed progress with a middle aged male patient. He was quite skeptical about starting treatment with me since his dentist told him he didn't have a TMJ problem. His complaints were headaches and facial pain. He even debated about stopping treatment about a week into treatment because at that point he wasn't seeing any changes in his symptoms. After some thought process, he decided to proceed with his orthotic wear since he had already paid for most of the treatment cost. He had a trip planned and I did not see him for about two weeks. When he came back for his post vacation visit, he reported a great improvement in symptoms. He continued to improve over our typical 90 day treatment time. Today I can report that he is thrilled with the results of our treatment for his muscle related/bite positional problem. His dentist was correct, he did not have a TM joint problem, but the other problems he did have were not recognizable by typical dental examination. We see this all the time as our approach is quite unique in the dental world, this is why we see such great success!

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Pain Comes Back Worse

2010-01-13T08:12:00.002-06:00

We recently had a female patient who we first examined about four years ago. At that time, she declined treatment due to her feeling the cost exceeded her pain problems. Well, guess what, she's back. Now, the pain is much worse! On new examination, her ability to open her mouth is drastically less, her TM joints are much more degenerated and she has developed other painful problems. I would suspect we may not be able to get as complete resolution of her symptoms today versus 4 years ago; or it will take longer, cost more, or we will need to refer out for either (or both) chiropractic or physical therapy help. Her presentation of further suffering and degeneration without treatment is very typical of headache, facial pain, TM joint patients. These problems do not go away without treatment , they may "quiet" down occasionally, but that doesn't mean they went away. The old adage is very true, a ounce prevention is worth a pound of cure.

I'm back!

2010-01-12T08:41:00.003-06:00

Because of the holidays and our terrible winter weather, maybe just me being also a little bit slow (lazy), I have not posted for sometime. "I'm back!!"

Obviously, we have kept healing our patients and have had several patients reporting fantastic results. One patient had been in a very severe car accident over a year ago. She had neck surgery (cervical fusion) for neck pain, but continued to have remaining pain issues such as headaches, facial pain, and ear pain. She did not look or feel happy! She has not been able to work because of the pain. I am very pleased to report she had a very quick, virtually a 100%, resolution of her symptoms after her oral orthotic was placed. One week later, she is a new person, looks and feels great. Looking to get back and be a contributing member of society again! She is not unusual in that she got a lot better with our treatment. Our patients enjoy a 90% plus success in symptom improvement or relief.

Snowstorm and Pain from Shoveling

2009-12-31T13:01:00.004-06:00

We have had a really big snowstorm in Omaha - a real headache for citizens and government as well. Snow piled so high, it is difficult to see around the corners while driving. People shoveling out often get generalized pain from the extra work out. This can lead to headaches due to neck strain and from jaw clinching due to the workout pain. We can clench our jaw due to pain experienced anywhere in our body. Take it easy out there, rest up and take some anti inflammatories to feel better. Better yet, hire the next door kid or your kids to do the hard work. Their young bodies can handle the extra exercise better!

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Headaches

2009-12-31T12:43:00.002-06:00

Probably the most common complaint I head when speaking to new patients. Almost never a stand alone symptom, but cant be at the top of the severity for the patient. We usually see neck pain, ear issues, and some problems with jaw movement, but not always. Most of their patients have been to many physicians for the help, but get prescriptions for the symptoms only. No one gets to the cause of the symptom. This is my underlying thought always ---> get to the bottom of the problem and "fix" that.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Headache

2009-12-23T17:18:00.004-06:00

I just had a patient who had been treated many years ago. She has had a long history of tooth clenching. I had made her a night time (sleep) appliance to wear to counter act this habit. She recently went on a trip and didn't protect it in a case and the appliance was broken. Since she now lives in Denver, she had her local dentist make her a night mouth guard (the dentist did not understand the design of what I had made). Anyway, my patient started getting her headaches again. She went back to the dentist and they said it was ok. She then flew back to see me, we made her a new appliance to the original design and now her headaches are gone. Moral of the story - protect any oral appliance that works for you and if one has headaches that don't clear up with a typical mouth guard, do not despair; get one made properly for the specific problem.

Tooth Wear and Pain

2009-12-22T15:43:00.003-06:00

Why is there concern about tooth wear, isn't it just about the teeth? Toothwear could be a sign of sleep apnea, which often results in morning headaches. Tooth wear can also be a sign of tooth/jaw mal-relationship. Tooth grinding and clinching can lead to headaches, jaw, ear, neck, and facial pain because of over worked muscles. So, if you, or a loved one has tooth wear this could be a sign of a more serious underlying problem. The common mouthguard made by most dentists protect the teeth, but its underlying cause is not being correct.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Other Headaches Treatments

2009-12-11T11:49:00.002-06:00

We add in house therapies as needed for pain or dysfunction issues. These can include ultrasound, cold laser, micro current, muscle therapy, injections of special medications that allow chronic problems to heal, and other treatments that are based on individual needs. I do not use the same approach for treatment for everyone. Each patient comes in with a different set of problems and I have an individual treatment plan for each one. One thing in consistent, is something isn't working as well as we think it should, we do something else. The tool bag has to be big enough to have many treatment options. This is the advantage of having 30 years of experience and knowing doctors all over the world who I can consult with.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Treating Headaches without Drugs

2009-12-11T11:36:00.002-06:00

Overworked and over tired muscles can lead to a number of ailments such as headaches, neck, ear, and jaw pain. People can suffer from migraines and sleep apnea as well. Often postural problems are evident with complaints of back and joint pain. Maybe the jaw won't open very much or maybe it locks closed or open. I evaluate the patient clinically and establish a neuromuscular bite position. If the new bite position takes care of most or all of the symptoms, then one can safely assume the jaw position is the cause of the problems. Treat the cause and the need for the drug goes away.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Headaches and Misaligned Bites

2009-12-04T13:02:00.003-06:00

If you are suffering from headaches, migraines, neck, ear, or jaw pain it might be related to how your teeth fit together. We swallow 2000-3000 times per day and our teeth touch together when we swallow. If our muscles are over worked in trying to keep our jaws related better, so our teeth fit together better during swallowing, you can understand why this can result in pain such as headaches. I determine the proper jaw position via neuromuscular techniques. An oral appliance is constructed to align the jaws properly, so they teeth fit together properly and the typical result is a reduction or elimination of pain.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Finding the Cause

2009-12-04T12:54:00.002-06:00

Unfortunately, health care professionals, driven by the constraints of time and money are typically not able to dedicate the time necessary to dig into the basis (cause) of the symptoms. Professionals are limited in their exposure to new ideas and procedures, examinations, technology, ect. because they often love to use their own time and resources to learn. Most insurance companies do not reimburse for these new ideas/procedures, so new knowledge is often left abandoned. Physicians and dentists do not get extra reimbursement to learn and practice the latest techniques. Unfortunately when doctors are not rewarded to learn and practice the best and latest, it becomes apparent why the status quo continues. It is easier and faster to write prescriptions. Traditionally, dentists are not adequately educated in dental schools to treat beyond the teeth. There is so much to learn about the mouth and teeth, the materials, and engineering principles, it takes up the entire four years of dental school. It is no wonder there are so few dentists and other professionals who are educated and experienced in finding the cause of the problem.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Headaches and Medications

2009-11-25T15:30:00.002-06:00

Why are long term medications bad?

Because medications have side effects!! And, as the source of the headaches is not being treated, just the symptoms, the pain or dysfunction tends to get worse as time passes. So, more medication/different medications are needed for different symptoms that are "coming out" or as the level of the symptoms are increasing. You can see the ever increasing cascade of problems that are happening due to treatment of symptoms vs treating the cause of the problem.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Morning Headaches

2009-11-20T12:53:00.003-06:00

Why do people have morning headaches?

Most common reasons are sleep issues such as sleep apnea, stress, pain somewhere, parafunctional jaw issues, etc. that can cause jaw clenching and tooth grinding. These jaw activities can cause tremendous pain as the forces exerted during sleep can be many, many times the day time forces generated by biting the teeth together. I also screen virtually every one of my headache patients for sleep apnea. Many times as we treat the sleep apnea, the morning headaches diminish or are eliminated.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Headaches and Medications

2009-11-19T17:24:00.003-06:00

A lot of patients who come to me for headache relief are on many medications. These medications have been prescribed to help with patient's symptoms. So, many patients come in taking medications for issues other than the obvious need for pain pills. For their headaches the most common symptoms are difficulty sleeping, anxiety or stress and depression. There are physiologic reason these symptoms occur and my job is to uncover the cause of these symptoms. If you treat the cause of the symptoms, you don't need to medicate the symptoms.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Posture and Pain

2009-11-13T11:11:00.003-06:00

On the TMD syndrome issues, if the jaw alignment is incorrect (this can result from many different things) the back and neck alignment is incorrect more times than note. I always look at posture and refer when necessary for physical therapy or chiropractic care. These postural alignment problems also can result in headaches. I find aligning the jaw first helps the patient and the doctor to do their work more effectively.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Jaw Clicking and Youth

2009-11-13T10:54:00.002-06:00

I have had several young patients recently who have had rather severe headache issues. One is so bad that she may need to repeat her school year because she is missing so much school. One common item on all of these patients is a clicking or popping jaw joint. This can be part of the TMD syndrome, one of the most common complains is headache. If your teenager is complaining of jaw joint noise, do not ignore this as left untreated, many more problems can develop.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Posture and Headaches

2009-11-06T10:04:00.003-06:00

Usually if the posture of a person is incorrect, the jaw position is incorrect as well. This can lead to neck and jaw pain as well as severe headaches. We have a rather complicated, interconnected body. If one part of us is hurting, it can spread like a wild fire. I always do a postural evaluation of my incoming new patients who present for treatment of headaches, or "TMD" related problems. Of course, if these body postural issues co-exist, I refer to the appropriate professional for treatment. It is my task to align the jaws which does allow the "body" professional to do their work faster and more efficiently.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Different Dental Materials

2009-11-06T09:58:00.003-06:00

One concern that I have in looking at mouths is the various materials dentistry use in fillings and crowns. Natural teeth, white fillings, silver mercury fillings, gold and porcelain all wear at different rates. Why do we find it puzzling that so many people have bite problems with resultant headaches, jaw pain, ear pain, neck pain, ect? Dentistry done in response to something breaking should be a sign something is wrong with the entire system. It's a good thing we had a good designer who built in the ability to adopt to things wrong in the system. Pain and dysfunction result when the system is overwhelmed and a cannot adopt any longer. It (pain or dysfunction) is our call to pay attention and seek out help.

Yours for better health, Dr. R

Dental Appointments and Pain (continued)

2009-11-06T09:48:00.004-06:00

As I have virtually limited my practice to treating headache and facial pain patients, the dental patient who experiences facial pain and dysfunction after "routine" dentist appointments is getting to be a more common patient in my practice. Especially after a long appointment, or a crown placement. The longer one has the mouth open, the more likely muscle problems arise. Most of our pain problems are from muscle, some from the TM joints themselves. The crown is another story; the crown is made of very wear resistant material and if it is not placed and adjusted perfectly then pain will ultimately result. Patients should ask their doctors for time breaks to rest the muscles and joints, or ask for a mouth prop to help hold open the jaw during lengthy appointments. If the crow doesn't "feel right" after a day or two, go back and have it checked.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Dental Appointment and Pain

2009-10-30T12:25:00.003-05:00

I just had a new patient come in because of pain after a routine dental appointment. She had a tooth that needed a crown and after the procedure she had issues with facial pain. Her general dentist prescribed a muscle relaxant and pain medication. She also made sure the forces on the temporary crown were all right. Unfortunately, the pain in her face still persisted after the prescriptions were taken. The dentist then referred her to my office. Upon taking the history, it became obvious to me, but more importantly to my new patient, that she had many long standing, underlying issues that led to her present pain. Unfortunately the long crown appointment put more stress on her system than the system could handle.

-To be continued-

Head Alignment and Pain

2009-10-23T12:13:00.002-05:00

As humans, we are designed to have our eyes level "with the world". Our bodies often get very distorted in order to level our eyes. Jaw alignment plays a huge part to this puzzling situation. When the jaw is not properly positioned, the neck compensates; pains results. To help people get as well as they are able, we need to look at the "bigger picture".

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Headaches and Neckaches

2009-10-23T09:11:00.003-05:00

Most chronic pain patients experience neck pain and this can be from postural issues. We truly are connected from head to toe. I always do a posture analysis and refer to other health care professionals when necessary to get the best treatment results for my patients. There are many headache issues that originate from the neck. To start the neck healing process, we often need to align the jaw as it greatly influences the cervical vertebrae. The great connection --> lower jaw - head pain - neck.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Can pain be hereditary?

2009-10-14T09:12:00.004-05:00

I have recently examined several teenage female patients. Common symptoms are headaches, migraines, ear pain/congestion, facial pain, depression, and more. Most had a history of facial trauma or orthodontic care. Their mothers have the same problems usually, just worse! I believe there are hereditary factors of structure going on here. One of the mothers said, "I have a 12 year old that I think you should see before he ends up like my daughter and me." I said yes, if we can correct the structural problems early, it's very likely we can prevent all of "the family problems." It is beneficial to treat early and stop the inevitable process of getting worse with the aging process.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

Jaw Pain for years, off and on!!!

2009-10-09T13:16:00.005-05:00

I just had an emergency patient today, referred by a local dentist for help with a "locked" jaw. The patient called his M.D. first who recommended he call his family dentist. Problem: dentists are not trained in treating severe TMJ problems in dental school. Smart dentist, he recognized he needed to refer as this patient's problem is complex. (http://www.whyallthispain.com/) Our patient stated he had this occsional jaw pain for 5 or 6 years, but now it had progressed to very severe, unrelenting jaw joint pain, headaches, dizziness, and "mental fog". (http://www.ihateheadaches.org/) His teeth also didn't fit together correctly anymore, and he had extreme pain when trying to eat. He really regretted ignoring his symptoms for so long.

Dr. Roubal

Headaches? Sleep problems?

2009-10-06T20:33:00.003-05:00

Morning headaches? I sure have seen plenty of them lately. Quite often I am seeing sleep problems or clenching of teeth while asleep. Either or both of these issues can contribute to morning headaches. I have also just read an article implicating sleep problems with fibromyalgia. I am hoping this could be helpful in improving the life of those burdened by fibromyalgia. More to follow later. Dr R

http://www.whyallthispain.com
http://www.ihateheadaches.org/

Welcome!

2009-09-02T13:20:00.003-05:00

Welcome to the Nebraska neuromuscular dentistry blog for Dr. Roger Roubal. Please check back for additional posts.