Americans miss 157 million days of work a year because of headaches, and the cure may be found through a dentist or by simply improving posture. Research shows that as much as 40 percent of all headaches result from muscular and bone pain of the jaw and other facial areas. Dentists at the national level are researching these pains and disorders, called TMD, to determine how they cause headaches. Dr. David Austin, a dentist with the Department of Neurology at the Ohio State Medical Center, practices and studies pain management. "Just like that a heart attack causes well-established pain referral, the same thing is true with a toothache," Austin said. He said that jaw pain doesn't always mean there is a dental problem. It causes many other serious problems, he said. He emphasizes correcting poor posture, which he thinks is the major cause of headaches. "People often take their stress out on themselves. That releases pain chemicals, and forces muscles to tighten. This causes the headache," he said. Austin said women generally have poorer posture than men. "More women than men, as many as one out of four women, suffer from headaches," he said. "Women are more likely to have improper posture due to some occupational and habitual posture," he said. His therapy involves working out and using various stretching techniques, Austin said. He also uses ultrasound and cold-spray stretching techniques, and moist heat packets. The pain management program he teaches his patients also includes a diet program to avoid foods that trigger headaches. "The success of the therapy depends on patients' willingness to cooperate with the doctors' orders. You will see big changes when you put more effort into it," Austin said.
Dentist works to relieve headache pain
Published: Monday, August 3, 1998
Updated: Sunday, June 21, 2009
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