Chiropractor...

Well, so far, my jaw has been locked at 18 mm for about 6 weeks. I have already been to a dentist who specializes with TMJ treatment and he put me on muscle relaxants and antiinflammatories for a week, which did not help me at all. He has decided to go ahead and send me to an oral surgeon for further treatment (not surgery!), but possibly what I call a TMJ joint washout, but what doctors call a TMJ arthrocentesis, which totally sounds better than what it actually is. At first, the procedure sounds just fine, but after further investigation, I found that it is two needles pocked into the side of your face! Here, let me show you the freakest picture EVER!


TMJ Arthrocentesis



Looks absolutely awful doesn't it! OUCH is right :)  So, instead of trying to go this route, my husband and I decided to go the chriopractic route to see if that would help me out any....please God, help!

Soooo, I went to the chiropractor for the first time yesterday and I am so glad I did.  It was uncomfortable at first because it was my first chiropractic appt., but also, I know the doctor personally, so that is just too weird, but at least he isn't a gynecologist right!!!  There is no way I could go to a gynecologist that I used to go to church with...too darn freaky.  While at the office I found out that I have a lot of tense muscles all over the back of my neck and shoulder, which is one reason for my headaches.  One muscle is an actual ball on the right side of the back of my neck that I have felt for months that causes the worst neck pain ever.

Another sad thing that I found out is that I am drinking way to much Diet Coke and not enough water, which I pretty much already knew.  Okay, now this is hard for me. I love my Diet Coke. I have a bottle or a fountain drink with me at all times, never fails. I plan my day around where I can get a DC.  I am already planning on getting one before our drive out to Florida in a few months LOL!  So today, I had a bottle of water with me all day and I did decent. I did have DC at Subway with lunch and I am drinking a little bit now, but that is way better than it has been, so that is pretty good.

I was also told that I needed to eat a larger breakfast to get my metabolism up and going. I usually eat a diet bar for breakfast and that's it. The doctor said that once your body gets used to eating so few calories a day, it freaks out and goes into starvation mode and holds the fat, which doesn't allow your body to burn it, even though you are working out!  I already knew this as well, but figured that, after a while, your body would just HAVE to start burning the fat...right? LOL!  My weight has been a huge issue for me lately because I Zumba once a week and walk on my treadmill at least 5 nights a week, yet I have only lost about 9 pounds in the last 2 months, which is just not kosher for me at all.  I have stopped snacks and stopped eating so many sweets.  If I do have to have a snack, it's Special K Cracker Chips or something of the like.  Not 12 chocolate cookies, Pop Tarts, a bag of potato chips...So, I am starting to drink more water with just 1 DC a day for now until I can back down to one every other day and then maybe even one a week.  For now, I am working on more fruits and veggies a day, more water and breakfast.  Lets see how this goes for me.

The doc wants to see me three days a week for the next two weeks for adjustments and stretching to see if he can relax my muscles and I am so excited! I pray that this works and that my headaches and jaw pain will go away.  Even though I know it won't go away permanently, I hope that this will help me feel better.

Couldn't find the video that I wanted, but this is about as uncomfortable as you can get in a doctors office...enjoy :P