We frequently treat people for jaw pain/tension and TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorder related pain, typically with good results. Here’s a study showing the efficacy of acupuncture for TMJ disorders. Although this condition occurs in people all the time, there tends to be an increase in cases we see at this time of year, likely due to the seasonal shift to spring. Chinese medical theory recognizes the way seasons affect our health, and an interesting tendency at this time of year is for muscles and tendons in the head, neck and upper body to tense up. Symptoms of pain and tension in the jaw commonly occur along with headaches, neck and/or trapezius (tops of shoulders) pain and tension. The great news is acupuncture is helpful for all of these symptoms, so if you or someone you know is suffering with these discomforts, we suggest giving it a try.
Autoimmune diseases are a class of diseases where a person’s own immune system starts working against him. In most cases, the disorder is based on a miss-classification by the immune system of healthy cells as something foreign, resulting in the body’s defense mechanisms attacking those healthy cells. Some examples of auto-immune conditions are Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Celiac Disease, Sarcoidosis, Multiple Sclerosis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Sarcoidosis, Type 1 Diabetes, Psoriasis and Alopecia Areata. Western medication typically tackles the symptoms of these diseases by prescribing a class of drugs which are called immunosuppressants (named so for their suppressive action on the immune response which is attacking the healthy cells). This often results in lowered vitality, poor energy, a compromised lifestyle, and a host of side effects that come from taking substances that are designed to fight against one’s own immune system.
Homeopathy on the other hand works in harmony with the body’s own defense mechanisms, and hence is a very effective system of healing for such conditions. It works by correcting the subtle energetic imbalance which has resulted in the immune system having a deranged view towards healthy tissues/cells. Once the deep seated energetic imbalance has been corrected by the indicated homeopathic remedy, the immune response reaches a state of homeostasis, and a healthy state follows.
This topic happens to be very close to my heart because of my own journey out of auto-immune disease in 2006 through the use of homeopathy. That miraculous recovery is what inspired me to pursue this beautiful system of healing as a passion. When I was diagnosed after months of fevers, coughs, weight-loss, and serious eye inflammations, I was given a lifelong dependence on corticosteroids as the only viable option by western medicine. Thankfully, I had access to an excellent homeopath at that time, who was able to achieve a complete resolution of my disease in a few months without any dependence on western medication. Today, 11 years on, I have not had a single relapse of that auto-immune condition. Subsequently, I have helped numerous patients with auto-immune conditions through homeopathy, and the results from the precise use of the indicated homeopathic remedy have always been quite profound in my own experience.
Getting into the technicalities a bit, the remedies indicated for auto-immune conditions usually belong to the deep acting family with strong anti-miasmatic properties. In particular, sycotic, syphilitic and tubercular remedies shine in such conditions. In the cases I have successfully handled, an auto-immune condition has always co-incided with the presence of something more than just a psoric miasm in my experience. The exact remedy choice will as always depend on the active miasm (the root cause of the chronic derangement of the immune system), as well as the totality of symptoms being portrayed by the patient. It needs a high degree of skill on the part of the homeooath to treat such cases, as often, there can be a series of remedies needed to reach complete cure.
To conclude, I cannot recommend homeopathy highly enough for auto-immune conditions, as it can provide not only symptomatic relief in a gentle, natural and non-toxic manner, but also a permanent resolution of the condition without a life-long dependence on strong medications.