Introduction: A 50-year-old female patient previously under chiropractic care due to multiple presenting symptoms (e.g., temporomandibular joint dysfunction, obstructive sleep apnea, mitochondrial disorders, and others) was being co-treated with sacro occipital technique cranial and TMJ techniques and a dentist practicing functional orthodontics (e.g. Alternative Lightwire Functional [ALF] and The Crane) for under-developed craniofacial growth and development.
Intervention/Methods: The patient began orthodonture/orthopedic dental care using an ALF maxillary appliance to create hard palate expansion and she started using the CRANE at night to facilitate forward advancing of her maxilla. A system of sacro occipital technique cranial related procedures focused on craniofacial expansion and tongue procedures were utilised to facilitate the reduction of her head and neck tension and improving her cranial suture flexibility to optimally affect the outcome of the orthodontic/orthopedic dental interventions.
Results: During the three years of dental/chiropractic co-treatment the patient’s cervicothoracic pain and discomfort went from a chronic (over a decade) 6-8 on a visual analogue scale (10 being most painful) to a steady 1-2, and 3-4 during a flare-up, which occur during increased physical and emotional stress approximately 3-4 times a year, lasting 3-5 days.
Conclusion: Greater study is needed to determine if these conservative chiropractic treatment procedures can be helpful to paediatric and adult patients receiving maxillary expansion and advancement.
Author keywords: Chiropractic - Sacro-Occipital Technique (SOT) - Cranial Technique - Alternative Lightwire Functional(ALF) - Temporomandibular - TMJ - Craniofacial growth and development
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