Safe, Simple Relief of Migraine and Tension Headaches
Is Now Possible Without Medications

Wesley E. Shankland, II, D.D.S., M.S., Ph.D.
Columbus, Ohio

Migraine and tension-type headaches have always plagued mankind. In spite of all the research dollars spent trying to determine the etiologies of these headaches, the neurology community still has not established a known cause of migraine and tension-type headaches.

No one denies the impact that migraine and chronic tension-type headaches have upon human suffering and annual financial expenses. Migraines effect one in five females and one in twenty males.

The American Migraine Study estimated that 23 million persons 12 years and older suffered with severe migraine headaches and yet, this condition is under treated and under diagnosed world-wide. Whatever the precise numbers, migraine is certainly responsible for millions of sick-days and reduced productivity per year and billions of dollars in medical costs.

Epidemiological data are more difficult to obtain for tension-type headaches simply because the neurological community itself cannot agree on the precise classification of this painful disorder. Many neurologists contend that tension-type headache is nothing more than migraine variant.

Migraine and severe tension-type headaches are not limited to adults. The prevalence in children increases from 39% at age 6 to over 70% by age 15. In addition, more than 1 million days of missed school can be directly attributed to these types of headache pain.

Genetic disorders, weather changes, underlying vascular diseases (stroke, hypertension, seizures, etc.), hormonal changes, and other causes all have been suggested, but not proven, as likely causes of migraine and tension-type headaches. Recently, reports are entering the scientific literature eluding to one probable cause which may be the development of sustained trigger points in the head and facial muscles: clenching the teeth.

With chronic and intense clenching, trigger points (or, areas within muscle that are chronically contracted and produce pain) develop in the muscles that move the lower jaw, the head and the neck region. Could these trigger points actually be the underlying cause of headaches, both migraine and tension-type?

According to the results of a recently published FDA study, it seems that chronic clenching, producing trigger points in head, neck and facial muscles, may in fact, be the most likely cause of chronic headaches. Obviously, other factors contribute to headache pain, but the common thread running through most suggestions of headache causes is trigger points.

If this is true, then what's the best way to treat, reduce, or even eliminate the development of muscle trigger points? Obviously, the answer is suppression or elimination of chronic clenching. Until recently, that's been an insurmountable challenge for doctors and patients alike. That is, until recently . . .

Now, we have a non-invasive, safe and natural method to control chronic clenching and thus, drastically reduce or even in some cases, totally eliminate chronic headaches. As the results of the FDA indicated, the NTI-tss (Nociceptive Trigeminal Inhibition-Tension Suppression System) works very effectively in controlling headache pain. No drugs. No injections. Just wearing a very simple and small appliance when sleeping seems to be the answer to headache sufferers.
The NTI-tss works by reducing the ability of the wearer to intensely clench his or her teeth. Just like biting on a piece of bone or hard object, the NTI-tss stimulates the jaw opening reflex, thus making it impossible to clench hard for long periods of time. This clenching reduction, over a period of days or weeks, reduces or eliminates trigger points in head and neck muscles, thereby (in theory) eliminating the source of the development of headaches.

A summary of the results of the FDA study were:
· There were no side-effects and no new pain;
· 82% of NTI-tss users had a 77% average reduction in migraine events;
· Imitrex® use was reduced by almost 50%
· Nausea episodes were reduced by 78%
· Light-sensitive episodes were reduced by 66%
· Sound-sensitive episodes were reduced by 68%.

And these results occurred only after 8 weeks of wearing the appliance! Many stopped or reduced their headaches much faster and few took a little longer. However, the point is this: migraines and tension headaches can now be reduced or eliminated with a simple and safe device without the side effects of medications.

http://www.headache-migraine.com/ohcolumbus.html

References

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