Don't worry about Kevin Garnett.  I don't know if he clenches his jaw or not but the photo will make sense when you read on.

Two main muscles close the jaw:  the masseter (basically at your cheek) and the temporalis (at the side of the head, mostly over your ear).  If these muscles are overused they can refer pain to the jaw, teeth and/or the head.  Clenching can even cause hairline fractures in your teeth.  These fractures can become weak points that turn into a chipped tooth, or in very severe cases shatter the tooth.

Overuse of these muscles can come with excessive chewing and mental or emotional stress.  Chewing gum for long periods of time or chewing tough bread are some ways people chew too much or too hard.  Stress is often held in these muscles and makes us clench our teeth together during the day and while we sleep.

Two easy tricks you can adopt to prevent clenching your jaw during your awake hours:

Tip #1:  With your mouth closed, gently place the tip of your tongue on the back side of your two front upper teeth.  This position makes it harder for you to close your teeth together, thus forcing a more relaxed position for the jaw muscles.  This should feel comfortable and over time can make a big difference.

Tip #2: The benefits of this one are the same as the first tip but here you keep your tongue in a slightly different position.  For this trick, say the word "Boston" and keep your tongue in the position it rests in for the letter "n" in Boston.  You can keep you lips closed with your tongue in the "n" position.

Using these preventative tricks, especially during times of stress, can help reduce or prevent headaches, jaw pain and keep your teeth sturdy.

By the way, Kevin Garnett's jaw does not look clenched.  Nice job, Kevin!

photo credit:  Keith Allison, under this license, at Wikimedia Commons

We are well into the biking season.  Hopefully you are one of the safe and responsible bike riders who wears a bike helmet.  The question is: How old is your helmet?  I find that very many people do not know that there is a shelf-life, or expiration date, for bike helmets.  If your helmet is older than 3-5 years*, you are riding without the protection your head needs.

The main element providing protection in your helmet is the styrofoam.  Have you ever seen an old styrofoam cup or cooler?  You probably noticed the whole texture of the item was different and the integrity of the cup or cooler was compromised.  That is what happens to your helmet over the years, especially when subjected to heat and sun.  Manufacturers note, usually on the inside of the helmet, the year of manufacture and a recommendation for how soon to get a replacement.  Your helmet may be so old that this label wore off or before such labeling became customary!  I am dismayed that this information is not assertively communicated at the time of purchase.

Head and Brain Injuries:

-Bicycle helmets have been shown to reduce the risk for head injury by as much as 85%. (1)

-Bicycle helmets are 88% effective in preventing serious brain injury. (2)

-It is estimated that 75% of bicycle-related fatalities among children could be prevented if all children on bicycles wore helmets. (1)


Note on fit of helmet:
When buying a helmet, it is important to buy the right size and adjust the straps so the helmet doesn't move on your head.  The sizing and fitting should be taken seriously.  It should not be assumed that just because the helmet covers your head that you will get protection. The wrong size or poor strap adjustments can also cause you to be riding around town with a false sense of security.

See this link for Easy Steps to Properly Fit a Bicycle Helmet

Enjoy your ride.
So, please be good to yourself, and consider your loved ones: determine the age of your helmet and get a new one immediately if it has reached the expiration date.  Then, hit the trails and roads and feel the freedom that comes with safety!

Happy riding!!!



*Opinions amongst manufacturers and reputable bike shops vary regarding the life span of a helmet.  The consensus is between 3-5 years.

(1)  U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC). Bicycle-related head injury or death. Washington (DC): CPSC, 1994.

(2)  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, see link

photo credit:  Hans B. at Wikimedia Commons, w/this license

Do you suffer from neck pain or stiffness?  This may be because your pillow is a bad fit for your neck, especially  if your pain is worse in the morning.

Our necks have a natural lordotic curve (concave to the posterior) which is the same direction of curve as the lower back.

Even while we sleep we need to maintain this curve. If you sleep with a flat neck or with your chin tucked too forward, you could experience subtle slippage of the vertebrae and irritation of the muscles  and  end up with neck and shoulder pain.

When you lay on your pillow in your bed,  assess the curve of your neck and position of your head.  The head and neck posture while laying down should be similar to the posture found in a healthy standing position: a moderate lordotic curve of the neck and the head aligned over the body (not with head or chin forward).  Two cues you can use as general guidelines for  proper head position are 1) ears in line with shoulders or 2) the front of cheek bones in same verticle plane as the top of your breast bone (manubrium, top of sternum).

The height, firmness and material of your pillow all make a difference.  If your pillow does not allow for the posture described above, consider getting a new one.  (Also, old pillows can have a lot of mites, dust and other muck in them.)  Pillows that are too bouncy can strain neck muscles.

Simple Trick

One thing you can do to make your current pillow more supportive and comfortable is to be sure your shoulders are NOT on the pillow.  Your head should be fully on the pillow with the bottom edge abutting your shoulders.  With this pillow position, you can grab the bottom corners and pull them up between your shoulders and ears.  This will provide a lift of pillow into your neck and allow for your head to tilt out of a chin forward position.

Buckwheat Pillows

Buckwheat pillows just might be the perfect pillow.  They have been used for centuries in Japan and China.   They are described as neither too firm nor too soft, with constant air circulation which keeps them fresh and comfortable in  the hot or cold seasons.  They are filled with the hulls of buckwheat and usually have a zipper so you can personally fill the pillow to fit you.  These pillows fit the contour of your head, support the lordotic curve, don't flatten as you sleep, and adjust to your head as you change postions through the night.

Purchased from a reputable company, buchwheat pillows are dust free and hypoallergenic.  Organic options are available.  (I just ordered one last week and am eagerly awaiting it's arrival.  My current pillow is comfy-ish but too high.  I should be able to do a personal review soon!)

With the right pillow you can prevent headaches, get relief from shoulder and neck pain, and even relieve some low back pain.

*Photo credit:  Bokehmon at Wikimedia Commons

Some of my clients experience frustrating muscle cramps. The most common cramp complaint is of the calf, often at night, sometimes disturbing sleep.  The scientific community seems to be hesitant to conclude exactly what causes muscles cramps. Some possible causes of muscle cramps that have been studied are: dehydration, mineral deficiency, certain medicines, and overuse or straining the muscles.

Some simple things you can do to prevent calf cramps:

-stretch the muscle frequently (but not forcefully) with the knee straight AND with the knee bent to regain length and suppleness in the muscle.

-keep the ankle joint/foot in neutral position as much as possible throughout the day...avoid having your foot in a pointed position for a prolonged period.

-At night, when sleeping, be aware if you are holding your feet in a pointed position. If your blankets are forcing your foot into a pointed position, either loosen the blankets or use the weight of the blankets over your flexed toes to hold your feet in the more flexed/neutral position.

CALCIUM AND MAGNESIUM SUPPLEMENTS
(and potassium, B-complex and vitamin E):

Some supplements you may want to check into for prevention of muscles cramps are calcium and magnesium.

IMPORTANT NOTE:  Check with your physician, chiropractor or pharmacist before taking any of these supplements. I am not suggesting you take these; I am suggesting you learn about these supplements and the symptoms of deficiency from an appropriate professional and see if these supplements can be helpful to you.  You can safely increase your intake of these nutrients by eating foods rich in them.

Muscles use three minerals to work efficiently (for contraction and relaxation): calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and potassium.   There is an optimal ratio of Ca to Mg and if there is an imbalance in the levels the muscles can be prone to cramping.

Magnesium is stored in muscle and bone and acts like a key that unlocks muscle cells, allowing potassium and calcium to move in and out when needed as a muscle does its job.  If the levels of these three become unbalanced, you may experience muscle aches, pains, or cramping.

To keep your muscle cell in optimal health, you need to get potassium and calcium into the cell, and you need to have magnesium to open up the door to let the potassium in.

A perusal around the internet revealed that taking vitamin B complex supplements may help manage leg cramps. Also, a deficiency of vitamin E might cause muscle cramps.


Some foods that effect nutrient levels:

-Caffeine can deplete the muscles of many nutrients including Ca, Mg, B-vitamins, vitamin C.

-Bananas contain high levels of potassium.

-Fresh, green leafy vegetables are high in Ca and Mg.

Sources used for this post:
www.everydayhealth.com
www.mayoclinic.com
www.tricoretherapy.com

I frequently learn something about health, wellness and alternative health care that I want to share with everyone that I can.  Lucky me, I can now do it through a blog.  Starting in mid-May I will be posting health tips that I think will be very interesting and helpful to my clients and their loved ones.

Some of the subjects I will be blogging about early on are: treating uterine fibroids, preventing elderly falls through foot dexterity, and Anusara yoga as a way to realign yourself into healthy posture.  If you have any suggestions for subjects you would like me to cover, let me know.

I'll see you here in May!