Monday, August 2, 2010

Improved balance, strength, and stamina! From a Mouthguard?



Yes it’s true!  In the latest Men’s Journal there is an article which reviews these amazing benefits obtained from a special $2000 mouthguard. As the article states:  “the gains weren’t huge while people were wearing the mouthguard, but they were statistically significant.”   So significant that many top level athletes are getting this mouthguard made for themselves to get that competitive edge.

Why am I even writing about it you might ask?  Well because of the mechanism in which the mouthguard helps improve your performance.  You see dentists have known for years that when a head has protruded forward from the shoulders (we call Anterior Head Syndrome) can cause TMJ disorders.  I even remember writing a report about this in chiropractic school and most of my references were dental books.  This particular mouthguard allows the jaw to move into its optimal position.  This creates better head and neck alignment as compared to the lower body.  In other words the head is not as far in front of the shoulders as it previously was. This decreases the strain on the neck and shoulder muscles, increases range of motion, and in turn opens up the rib cage making it easier to breathe and improves balance. 

My question is what happens when you take the mouthguard out?  The guard, as good as it is, can only change a postural distortion while it’s in your mouth.  What about the people who don’t notice much change with the mouthguard in? Many people have underlying abnormal structural problems that need extra help to correct. 

 In our office we correct abnormal structural of the spine and one of the most common is Anterior Head Syndrome (AHS).  An extremely short list of secondary conditions such as 

  • Headaches,
  • Neck pain and stiffness 
  • Muscle tension/spasms 
  • TMJ
  • Dowanger’s Hump (Granny Hump) 
  • Rotator Cuff issues
  • Degenerative discs and vertebra
  • Fatigue
By correcting the primary cause, the anterior head, the secondary conditions / symptoms resolve.So, the dentists and corrective chiropractors can agree that correcting Anterior Head Syndrome will:
  • Improve your strength and balance
  • Decrease TMJ problems
  • Decrease neck pain and stiffness
  • Improve  your energy!

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