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Dr. David Shirazi Says Cause of Headaches and Migraines Is Often Misdiagnosed: the Real Culprit May Be Jaw Problems or TMJ

Market Wire, June, 2009

Sufferers of headaches and migraines
sometimes spend many years and thousands of dollars going to different
specialists trying to solve their problem. Dr. David Shirazi, director of
The TMJ and Sleep Therapy Centre of Conejo Valley, Calif., sees patients
like these every day: they have been taking medication for their symptoms,
but have no idea that the cause could actually be related to jaw problems
or temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders (TMJ). They are often
unaware of their jaw pain or that they may be clenching their teeth at
night, and are only aware of the headache itself.

A California State Board Licensed Dentist and Acupuncturist, Dr. Shirazi is
also the recipient of the prestigious Fellowship Award from the American
Academy of Craniofacial Pain. His patient “Gloria” had migraine headaches
for over twenty-five years. The pain was so intense it actually woke her up
from her sleep several nights a week. She had become resigned to living
with the pain until Dr. Shirazi was able to correctly diagnose her with a
TMJ disorder and customize a treatment plan that alleviated her symptoms
within a few months. “Before, I was never able to reliably make plans
because of my migraines,” says Gloria. “You look at life differently when
you are happy and well-rested.”

Over 10 million people in the United States suffer from TMJ problems at any
given time, according to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial
Research (NIDCR), and many of them complain of headaches. The American
Headache Society (of which Dr. Shirazi is a member) has classified
headaches into three main groups: tension, migraine and cluster.

Tension type headaches typically have pain that radiates in a band-like
fashion on both sides, from forehead to base of skull. Pain often starts or
radiates to the muscles of the neck and upper back. Many patients with
tension headaches develop forward head posture (FHP). FHP puts extreme
pressure on the neck itself; for every inch of FHP, the neck must carry an
extra 10 lbs. (the average weight of a human head). Tension headaches are
commonly seen in Dr. Shirazi’s patients who have jaw issues (clenching
teeth at night, clicking/popping, and jaw pain).

Migraines affect 15 % of the population and three times as many women as
men. Often occurring on one side of the head, a migraine is considered a
vascular headache because it is associated with changes in the size of the
arteries in the brain and outside of the brain. These vascular changes are
ultimately caused by the trigeminal nerve/ganglion, which primarily
receives its information from the jaw, mouth, face, and teeth and other
structures. If pain signals can be significantly reduced or eliminated to
the Trigeminal Ganglion the result seen is a reduction of migraines.
What’s most important however, is obtaining an accurate diagnosis, which
may include multidisciplinary care such as acupuncture, chiropractor,
naturopathic, traditional therapies and/or nutritional guidance.

Characterized by severe, unilateral pain around the eye or along the side
of the head, cluster headaches are 5-8 times more common in men than
women