In his most recent webinar, Dr. Kevin Wong speaks about how he combines traditional chiropractic techniques with MLS Laser Therapy to alleviate headaches, neck pain, and jaw pain in his patients - including those with TMJ. In this post, we'll talk about some of the key points from this webinar. Watch the entire webinar on demand here.
The Cervicothoracic Junction
This is a critical part of the body to be able to move and you should always check the the shoulder joints as the C/T is a common pain referral area. Make sure you know how to adjust this area! Whether supine, prone, seated or all of the above. Dr. Wong uses a variety of preset settings on his Robotic M6 to help alleviate pain in this area as well as many other treatment options. He outlines many of the adjustments chiropractors can make on their patients for the mid cervical and upper cervical.
| Upper Cervical | Mid Cervical |
| • Prone occiput/Atlas - watch TMJ | • Prone - thumb, single hand, bilateral hands |
| • Supine occiput/Atlas - modified MRB | • Supine - modified Rotary Break (MRB) |
| • Seated - RB, MRB | • Seated - RB (in front) or MRB |
| • Drop - occiput (prone) | • Drop Table - cervical drop piece |
| • Drop - toggle Atlas | • Instrument adjusting |
| • Instrument adjusting - low force! |
The Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMD)
This dysfunction affects 40-80% of the US population with a female-to-male ratio of 4:1. The TM joint opens and closes 1500-2000 times per day so it's no wonder so many suffer from TMD. TMD is characterized by pain, popping, clicking of the TMJ and/or an inability to fully open the mouth, and can be caused by many etiologies such as: grinding of the teeth, faulty dentures, over pronation, stress, braces, whiplash, and an imbalance of muscles of mastication.
Those with TMD comprise a significant portion of the population who also suffer from head and neck pain. With $65 million spent in office visits a year and over $550 million in over the counter medication it can be a costly nuisance in addition to being painful. Treatments for this dysfunction include adjustments to the TMJ, neck and thoracic, compression, jaw exercises and MLS Laser Therapy. Dr. Wong uses the arthritis and muscular contraction setting to help treat TMD to help his patients get back on their feet quicker than with traditional methods alone.
Interested in more conditions that chiropractors can treat with MLS Laser Therapy?
Check out the other webinars in Dr. Wong's pain series: Chiropractic + Laser Therapy: Treating Knees, Hips, and Low-Back, Chiropractic + Laser Therapy: Treating the Shoulder, Elbow and Wrist, Treating Common Lower Extremity Conditions with Laser Therapy
