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If any type of pain does not go away in a reasonable period of time (i.e. 3-6 months), it becomes chronic pain, and requires different modalities of treatment.
Traditional medicine does an excellent job with acute pain, but often performs poorly with chronic pain. Pills, physical therapy, surgical intervention, psychiatric evaluation/counseling, and "Learning to live with it" are the standard treatment options for chronic pain patients.
Chronic symptoms are controlled by the autonomic nervous system, consisting of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system, which may demand long-term care without promise for progress or cure. This may force life style changes that were previously enjoyed, and causing one to easily fall into depression.
Causes & Development
If muscle tone and/or posture changes, and/or scar tissue forms, the relationship between the musculoskeletal system and TMJ changes automatically, and this can cause various chronic symptoms. The relationship between teeth and abnormal muscle tension are frequently ignored by the medical establishment because they cannot override the influence of the teeth on the muscles.
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GLOSSARY
Acute
An illness or symptom of sudden onset, which generally has a short duration.
Chronic (Chronicity)
Usually referring to chronic illness: Illness extending over a long period of time.
Nervous System
A system in the body that is comprised of the brain, spinal cord, nerves, ganglia and parts of the receptor organs that receive and interpret stimuli and transmit impulses to effector organs.
Parasympathetic
Usually Parasympathetic nervous system: Portion of the autonomic nervous system that is generally associated with increasing digestion and intestinal muscle activity; decreasing blood circulation and respiration.
Scar Tissue
Fibrous tissue replacing normal tissues destroyed by injury or disease.
Tempero-Mandibular Joint (TMJ)
The hinge of the jaw.
Last updated: Oct 18, 2009
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