Medication Will Mask The Pain, Not Cure The Underlying Problem, Expert Says

Nearly everyone on occasion experiences a throbbing headache that interferes with concentration at work or school, or saps the joy from the day.

But sometimes the source of that headache can be surprising. For many people, the pain that emanates from the head can be traced back to their teeth, their bite relationship and the alignment of the lower jaw.

"Pain doesn't happen randomly or because of bad luck," says Dr. Fred Abeles, author of the book "Break Away: The New Method for Treating Chronic Headaches, Migraines and TMJ Without Medication" (www.FredAbeles.com).

"There's a cause and effect to almost everything in the human body."

With many headaches, Abeles says, the cause is the temporomandibular joint, or TMJ, the place at the front of the ear where the lower jaw and the temporal bone on the side of the head meet.

Sometimes the bite and the lower jaw are out of alignment, putting additional strain on muscles, which leads to the headaches. And for many, TMJ headaches aren't going away because people try to mask the pain with medication rather than correct the underlying cause, Abeles says.

But how do you know a headache is caused by TMJ? Abeles says these are some of the warning signs.

•  Your jaw clicks or pops. Any joint in your body should work silently and seamlessly, Abeles says. If your jaw clicks or pops when you open or close it, it's a clear sign that the lower half of the joint is not in the proper position. Even if the popping and clicking don't produce pain, he says, the muscles that have to support and stabilize the joint become fatigued and will produce pain.

•  Your bite feels off. The TMJ is the only joint in the human body that has 28 teeth stuck between the opening and closing motion of the joint to complicate things, Abeles says. Every other joint is completely controlled by muscles, and the position of the joint, its movement and range of motion are mediated by muscle.

The TMJ's position is dictated by where our teeth come together in our bite. So if your bite feels off or your teeth don't fit together well, there's a good chance your TMJ joints are off, too.

•  You have pain around your forehead, temples, back of head or radiating down your neck. Ninety percent of pain comes from muscle, Abeles says. If your muscles are not functioning well because of fatigue from supporting one or both of your TMJ joints in an improper position, they produce pain. It's much like when you exercise or work hard and feel muscle pain later, he says. The only difference is that TMJ is more subtle and chronic.

•  You have forward head posture. Our heads are supposed to be centered over our shoulders. If yours is in front of your shoulders when you are upright, you have "forward head posture." That relates to your bite and your airway. The human head weighs about eight to 10 pounds. The farther forward it is off the center axis, the more strain it places on neck muscles and vertebrae.

•  You snore. Snoring is a red flag that respiration during sleep is disturbed, Abeles says. Several factors can lead to snoring, but one of the most important is the position of the lower jaw, he says. If your lower jaw is a little too far back, then the tongue is farther back as well.

"If the tongue is slightly farther back than optimal it vibrates against our soft palate, closes off our airway and we snore," Abeles says. The snoring doesn't cause the headache, he says, but it could be a sign the lower jaw is too far back. As a result, the muscles that support the jaw in an improper position produce the headache pain.

About Dr. Fred Abeles

Dr. Fred Abeles is known as one of the most sought after TMJ experts in the United States (www.FredAbeles.com). He's famous for getting results where all other have failed and getting those results without the use of surgery, needles or drugs. He is author of the new book "Break Away: The New Method for Treating Chronic Headaches, Migraines and TMJ Without Medication." Abeles is the Clinical Instructor and Regional Director for the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies - one of the most prestigious post-graduate teaching centers in the world today. Dr. Abeles has been featured on NBC and CBS, consults with leading dental manufacturers on the development of new dental products, been on the cover of the profession's biggest magazines and instructed dentists throughout the United States and Canada on state-of-the-art techniques for treating headaches and temporomandibular joint dysfunction.

The Bettendorf Discovery Shop invites you to join them beginning Thursday, April 9^th for their 23^rd annual cookbook and kitchenware event.   

We will have a vast collection of new and vintage cookbooks that will be a delight for new and experienced cooks to see.  Healthy cooking books, ethnic cooking, desert ideas, everyday cooking idea books, and the always favorite groups and churches cookbooks are just some of what you will see.  Plus we have a great selection of cooking aids, gadgets, small appliances, pans, and other fun things for you kitchen.  

If you love to cook, or know someone that does, this will be the perfect day for you to shop at the Discovery Shop.  If you have cookbooks or cooking related items that you would like to donate for this event we would be happy to have them. 

 

The Discovery Shop is an upscale resale shop selling gently used items donated by the community and staffed by over 100 volunteers.  Proceeds go to the American Cancer Society for cancer research, education, patient services and advocacy.

 

Donations are accepted anytime the shop is open and a tax receipt is always available.  Hours are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 am to 5 pm., Thursday from 10 am to 7 pm. and Saturday from10 am to 4 pm.

 

We are thankful for all the wonderful donations and excited to have this fun event for our customers.

Event Announcement:   

Event:           Project Management: The Human and Technical View  

Date:           Thursday, April 2, 2015 and Friday, April 3, 2015  

Time:            8:00 AM - 4:00 PM  

Where:         MRA - The Management Association  

3800 Avenue of the Cities, Suite 100  

Moline, IL  61265  

Cost:             MRA Members: $460; Nonmembers: $645   

This two day program, gain the know-how to lead projects to successful outcomes.  Participants will learn to implement a process for planning and completing any project, using a practical, hands-on approach.  Discuss the roles and responsibilities of a project manager, including managing the human dynamics of the team and stakeholders.  A communication-style assessment guides project managers to an understanding of the power of an adaptable style. Participants will be able to explain how to affect change and influence others as projects evolve.

To Register, or for more details, go to www.mratraining.com, or contact MRA at 309.277.4183 or heatherroberts@mranet.org.  

   

Event Announcement:   

Event:           Affirmative Action Plan Workshop  

Date:           Thursday, April 9, 2015 and Friday, April 10, 2015  

Time:            8:00 AM - 3:30 PM  

Where:         MRA - The Management Association  

3800 Avenue of the Cities, Suite 100  

Moline, IL  61265  

Cost:            MRA Members: $460; Nonmembers: $665  

 

During this two day workshop, you will receive the tools you need to write a federally-sound affirmative action plan from start to finish, including the preparation of all critical statistical analyses.  In addition to writing the plan, we discuss important affirmative action concepts and implementation requirements.  Our approach is unique.  First, the seminar is conducted by MRA's AA/EEO managers.  Second, this is one of the most "hands-on" and "interactive" seminars you will ever attend.  You actually prepare many elements of your plan during the seminar.

To Register, or for more details, go to www.mratraining.com, or contact MRA at 309.277.4183 or heatherroberts@mranet.org.

 

 

Event Announcement: 

Event:           Advanced Communication Series - The Art and Science of Excellence

 

Date:           Effective Communication - Beyond the Basics - Friday, April 10, 2015

Communication From The Inside Out - Friday, April 24, 2015

Right Brain/Left Brain Thinking -  Friday, May 15, 2015

 

Time:            8:00 AM - 3:00 PM

 

Where:         MRA - The Management Association

3800 Avenue of the Cities, Suite 100

Moline, IL  61265

 

Cost:             MRA Members: $885; Nonmembers: $1170 

 

During this three day series, you will push your communication skills to higher levels. In this series, participants will learn how humans take in and process language and information and the ways language and information drive our thinking and behavior.  This series will explore current science of the mind and its impact on language, behavior, understanding, and actions.  This highly interactive series seeks to move information to knowledge and then to action.

To Register, or for more details, go to www.mratraining.com, or contact MRA at 309.277.4183 or heatherroberts@mranet.org.

 

 

Event Announcement: 

Event:           Human Resource Professional Certificate Series

 

Date:           Session 1: HR Professional As Business Partner - Friday, April 17, 2015 (8:00 AM - 3:30 PM)

Session 2: HR Metrics: ROI For HR Initiative - Friday, April 24, 2015 (8:00 AM - 11:30 AM)

Session 3: Internal Investigations: A How-To-Guide - Friday, April 24, 2015 (12:30 PM - 4:00 PM)

Session 4: Fundamentals of Compensation - Friday, May 1, 2015 (8:00 AM - 3:00 PM)

Session 5: Finance Essentials For The HR Professional - Friday, May 8, 2015 (8:00 AM - 3:30 PM)

 

Where:         MRA - The Management Association

3800 Avenue of the Cities, Suite 100

Moline, IL  61265

 

Cost:             MRA Members: $1100; Nonmembers: $1490

 

This certificate series is designed specifically for those with at least 3 years of professional level HR experience and for experienced HR Professionals looking to improve their overall technical and management knowledge.  Prior completion of the Essentials of HR Certificate Series is strongly recommended.

During this five session certificate series, you will be building upon the technical skills gained in the Essentials of HR Certificate Series, this certificate series continues to grow your technical HR expertise, while focusing on key HR competencies of business acumen, collaboration, influencing, and work relationships.

HRCI Credit: 16.25 Business (Strategic)

To Register, or for more details, go to www.mratraining.com, or contact MRA at 309.277.4183 or heatherroberts@mranet.org

 

 

Event Announcement: 

Event:           Frontline Leadership Certificate Series

Date:           1. Motivation and Trust Building - Tuesday, April 21, 2015

2. Communication Skills - Tuesday, April 28, 2015

3. Effective Training Techniques - Tuesday, May 5, 2015

4. Resolving Conflict And Handling Difficult People Problems - Tuesday, May 12, 2015

5. Achieving High Impact Results - Tuesday, May 19, 2015

 

Time:            8:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Where:         MRA - The Management Association

3800 Avenue of the Cities, Suite 100

Moline, IL  61265

 

Cost:             MRA Members: $1250; Nonmembers: $1700 

 

This five-day series is for those individuals who provide leadership or formal guidance to a work group without the power to hire, to fire, or conduct performance reviews. (They may be called group leaders, team leaders, coordinators, leaders of work groups, "go to" people, etc.) These employees often do the work while providing leadership to their work group. 

This series introduces the important principles of motivation, interpersonal communication, employee training, influencing others to achieve results, meeting organizational objectives, and resolving conflict. Using a combination of discussion, case study, and skill practice, participants are prepared to be more productive within their organization by developing their leadership skills. This series is also effective for individuals that are being groomed for a leadership-type role. 

To Register, or for more details, go to www.mratraining.com, or contact MRA at 309.277.4183 or heatherroberts@mranet.org

 

 

About MRA-The Management Association
Founded in 1901, MRA-The Management is a not-for-profit employer association that serves more than 4,000 employers throughout the Midwest, covering 800,000+ employees. As one of the largest employer associations in the nation, MRA helps its member organizations thrive by creating powerful teams and safe, successful workplaces. MRA conducts more than 2,000 learning events each year. Members of MRA also receive access to expert guidance, best practices, professionally facilitated roundtables, essential tools, and dozens of business services in the areas of human resources and training. MRA is headquartered in Waukesha, Wis., and has regional offices in Palatine, Ill.; Moline, Ill.; and Plymouth, Minn. To learn more and to become a member of MRA, visit www.mranet.org.

MOUNT CARROLL, IL -- Timber Lake Playhouse, the professional summer theatre in Mount Carroll, announces their "kick-off" fundraiser, "Lena Las Vegas" Casino Night onSaturday, April 18 from 6:00 - 9:00.  TLP's Casino Night will be held at The Rafters in Lena.  Tickets are $50 per person.

Included in the ticket price is a starting purse, chances to win prizes, roving appetizers, and "Cheezer's Palace" Mac & Cheese Bar.  Casino games include craps, blackjack, roulette, and Texas Hold'em.  Casino games are being provided by U.S. Poker and Casino Parties of Bensenville.

TLP is also looking for sponsors for the event.  Sponsor levels begin at a $150 Casino Table Sponsor and go to the High Roller level at $1000.

For information about sponsorship or tickets, visit www.timberlakeplayhouse.org or call the box office at 815-244-2035 between the hours of 10:00 - 3:00.  Tickets may also be purchased at the TLP administrative offices across from the playhouse at 8216 Black Oak Road in Mount Carroll also between the hours of 10:00 - 3:00.