When I first visited Hesselberg Chiropractic almost six months ago, I was taking several ibuprofens per day, several days per week due to constant neck and jaw pain. I had been to another chiropractor about a year and a half before, but it wasn't a pleasant experience so I thought I would just have to bear with the discomfort. I also blamed it on my computer work station and my nightly teeth grinding, though I wore a grind plate while sleeping and took all of the necessary steps to lessen the effects of my TMJ during the day. I guess I thought pain was more or less a normal aspect of being human given the nature of our surroundings, and I accepted it.

Well, one day a coworker of mine and I were chatting about health issues and she mentioned she had been to a chiropractor in the Ypsilanti area that actually took BCN insurance. She said the treatment helped her greatly, and her formerly chronic health problems were resolved. I was intrigued, and scheduled a visit for x-rays and a consultation with Doctors. I conveyed my neck and jaw issues, and treatment began straight away.

Several months later, my jaw has yet to be the center of focus. Removing much of the pain in my neck has had an amazingly positive influence on my jaw. I can actually touch the area near my ear/jaw joint without it feeling extremely tight and painful (I was consistently massaging the area before as it caused a lot of tension headaches, hence the "need" for drugs), and I clench much less. I was even convinced that my jaw might have been arthritic as it was constantly cracking and sore (and I’m only 27), but now that I have experienced much relief, I realize most of my problems were centered on my neck being misaligned.

Long story short, I feel much better than I did 6 months ago. The focus on my neck has benefited my jaw, but the interesting point is that Doctors(chiropractor) has never even touched my jaw. I would strongly recommend chiropractic care to anyone with TMJ/teeth grinding issues who has not seen their symptoms diminished by more traditional medicine (as I would imagine most people have not). I have not taken ibuprofen for a headache in about 3 months and that is saying a lot given the fact that I am still sitting in front of a computer for 8+ hours a day.

A. Kinney
Former Chiropractic Skeptic