Cheryl is on of the Pioneers of Recovery featured in Pioneers of Recovery. After ten years of searching and experiencing considerable frustration, she discovered am appliance  treatment for Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD) offered relief from her Parkinsons symptoms.

I remember going to Parkinsons support groups and they would have guest speakers come in. Some of these speakers would be therapists. They would tell you, you have to learn to accept your disease and you have to learn to accept your life the way it is. Grow from there. Develop from there. Learn new skills.

I would raise my hand and say, I will never accept this disease. I am looking at this guy, like he has four eyes; it is like, are you nuts?

I want my life back! I really do, I want my life back and to tell me to accept it is not helping me, just tell me how to get out of this. That is just my mindset about this whole thing.

Cheryl

Click on the arrow below to hear Cheryl on Parkinsons Recovery Radio:

Cheryl is one of the eleven contributors to Pioneers of Recovery.

About Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD)

TMD involves problems with the jaw joints and muscles that connect the lower jaw (mandible) to the skull. The temporomandibular joints are among the most complex in the body, allowing for movements such as chewing, talking, and yawning

Types of TMD

There are three main categories of TMD:

  1. Myofascial pain: Discomfort in the muscles controlling jaw movement
  2. Internal derangement: Displaced disc or dislocated jaw
  3. Degenerative joint disease: Conditions like osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis affecting the jaw joint

Signs and Symptoms of TMD

    • Pain in the jaw, face, neck, or shoulders
    • Limited jaw movement or locking
    • Clicking or popping sounds in the jaw joint
    • Headaches
    • Earaches or tinnitus
    • Changes in bite alignment

Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD) and Parkinsons

Cheryl has discovered getting an appliance to align her jaw offered welcome relief from debilitating symptoms associated with a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. If you have any of the symptoms of TMD listed above, why not visit a qualified dentist to see if correcting the misalignment might offer welcome relief from your Parkinsons symptoms too.

Robert Rodgers PhD
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery