This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Knowledge & Support Community

Thekla wrote:So, if I am following this correctly, having a whiplash injury could start symptoms and following that with some incomplete dentalwork, ie extractions but no bridge or implants could start a more rapid decline? Then, the remedy would have to address both issues to improve things.

I think you are on the right track

Most urbanised people have neck and body asymmetries. (this is an extensive topic on its own).

Neck asymmetry worsens with dental interferences of many different types. (another extensive topic).

Such asymmetries may be giving no pain or discomfort but if injured such as a whiplash injury the neck cannot possibly heal as it is subjected to movement during our swallowing and breathing in spite of wearing neck collars (which end up being even more harmful where injury is light to moderate, as they take away the potential for any exercise of the supporting neck muscles)

Now the whiplash injury does not heal without correcting the teeth and the jaw - a previously benign problem becomes much more complex to treat.

The neck plays a crucial roll in the breathing and swallowing mechanism in the oxygenation, blood flow and CSF flow to the head.

Therefore a neck injury of any type is not conducive to a healthy system and is a barrier to recovery from MS which may have its origins from other Cranio mandibular and skeletal asymmetries.

This is a simplified explanation of very complex phenomenon.

Note: I did not use the term brain lesions.

June Update.

A little late because there isn't much change from the May update. Emma still has no signs of Neuralgic pain (the single biggest result to date), fatigue levels have remained improved.

Other than that there are no noticeable changes, which I realised this week is actually a huge improvement. Emma has never had a 6 month plus period in the last 15 years where there has been no progression of her symptoms, so to have regression is a huge boost.

She's been down with a nasal infection of some sort which she can't seem to shift but other than that, still walking like a robot, bouncing off walls and in need of a frame for short distances and a chair/scooter for anything beyond that.

We have finally got a date for physiotherapy though - should be starting in August.

It has been just over three weeks since I got my brace from Dr Amir. It is just amazing how quickly changes were evident. After an exhausting daytrip to London and stopping at every toilet between Frankfurt and Putney despite skipping breakfast and coffee after being fitted with my upper brace, my bladder just calmed down. I was fine the entire drive back to Heathrow through traffic. We had time so headed straight to a pub for food and some tea. After the morning's experience, I expected to be headed right back to the toilet before boarding the plane but I only stopped because it always seems like a good idea before a flight. I was fine the entire flight and the drive home as well! For me, that is just so exciting, but I can also stand steadier without wobbling. I was having problems balancing to pull up my pants before. The first weekend, I noticed that I was standing mixing some things in a pot rather than collecting my ingredients and sitting down to work with them. My legs just don't have that tingly-numb ms-y feel. They are by no means normal yet but it is distinct improvement. I can imagine working out with them again because they are starting to feel like legs. I'm sleeping better as well.

I'm excited to find out how much more is possible. I think this could be my missing puzzle piece after ccsvi. I know some have found diet or lyme finished it for them. I think this needs to be considered as well. More published studies would help. Maybe we all do just have a cumulative series of unfortunate coincidences that are called ms. I would love ms to become like the 'vapours' of Victorian times that have quietly evaporated from medical literature.

Thekla wrote: I would love ms to become like the 'vapours' of Victorian times that have quietly evaporated from medical literature.

It is rapidly 'evaporating' amongst all the patients here!

It is surprising how many symptoms, previously attributed for years to 'MS lesions', disappear almost overnight.

There is a lot fundamentally wrong with the diagnosis of 'MS' and it's auto immune band wagon.

Dr Amir,
I'm interested to know if this treatment is still suitable for people with more complex TMJ disorders, as I have condylar hypoplasia on one side. Would the treatment still be the same?

Rizzo wrote:Dr Amir,
I'm interested to know if this treatment is still suitable for people with more complex TMJ disorders, as I have condylar hypoplasia on one side. Would the treatment still be the same?

I have one patient who was told that he had condylar hyperplasia which took a long time to correct but it is finally about 75% better. The patient no longer gets odd looks.
Without seeing you it is difficult to tell how serious your problem is. I am investing in lasers presently and some laser techniques do help regenerate tissues but that, if I use, will be used as a supportive measure.

Thanks for the swift reply. Did you have to adapt your treatment to suit the patient?

I've been given different opinions on how to treat it, not in relation to MS of course.

Rizzo wrote:Thanks for the swift reply. Did you have to adapt your treatment to suit the patient?

I've been given different opinions on how to treat it, not in relation to MS of course.

One is always having to adapt. Every patient presents with a different problem.

Was it immediately obviously on your scans and/or examination? It took a while to diagnose this for me. I don't think it is too obvious from looking at my face although now I know I have it it seems more noticeable.

Rizzo wrote:Was it immediately obviously on your scans and/or examination? It took a while to diagnose this for me. I don't think it is too obvious from looking at my face although now I know I have it it seems more noticeable.

I will need to see you before committing in any way. If it is not very obvious it probably is not 'real hypoplasia'. Real unilateral hypoplasia is very disfiguring.

Don't be shy people! pictures and scans tell a thousand words!

maybe some case studies Amir?

CureOrBust wrote:Don't be shy people! pictures and scans tell a thousand words!

maybe some case studies Amir?

Emma will be a case study, we're completing questionnaires as we go and Amir took "before" x-rays, photographs and video footage.

The thing is, case studies can only be presented in arrears, so at 8 months into what could be a couple of years or so of treatment we only have partial information. That's why I decided to run this thread providing periodic updates.

Simple photos / scans of peoples current state, and what & why Amir sees as being wrong would suffice for those of us with impatience issues; we can wait for the "afters". Similar techniques have been employed with great success on Dr Sclafani's thread. I am, not talking about a "published peer reviewed article" here, just what he is "seeing".

This isn't a single shot medical procedure like CCSVI - you can't simply produce a scan of here's before - malformed valves - here's after - no malformed valves - lovely flow.

The jaw misalignment treatment takes months/years and in some cases movements are only millimeters or fractions of a millimeter. The entire idea of it is it's non invasive, non surgical and uses appliances to persuade the teeth and jaw into a correct position for each individual patient.

Take Emma's case for instance, the only noticeable comparison you're going to see are time lapse images of say 6 months to a year - the manipulation is that delicate. However the overall effect it has on her well being can be documented in progress.

We are now 8 months into treatment and I can see a difference in the shape of Emma's face. However, what people want to know is how it effects her "MS" not if the shape of her face has changed.

What exactly do you expect or want to see from photographs or scans? Surely what is of more interest is if it's helping relieve symptoms of "MS"?

It would be interesting to see before and after mri's to see what changes are visible but since they aren't needed for treatment, that would be complicated. But maybe if enough of us have 'before' mris already, it would just be getting afters done and comparing. I'm not convinced that an mri is the best imaging and accurately reflects disability but it is an recognized test.