Positive Health Online

Medicine and dentistry need integration. We are one whole being. We are compact. Patients need a holistic approach!

Conglomerations of symptoms are usually categorised into syndromes and often labeled as incurable. IBS, ME, CFS, FM, and MS are typical examples. Patients are informed that they have to join the millions of other chronic headache, backache, chronic fatigue or irritable bowel sufferers and it is ‘normal’ to have such lifelong illnesses. Many are informed that their own "immune system is attacking them and that they have an auto immune disease". Patients are also routinely fed the mantra that billions are being spent on research and the proper cure is only round the corner. In the meantime please keep taking the drugs - often costing tens of thousands of pounds per patient per year. The adverse effects are often worse than the disease itself and command further drugs and the vicious circle just becomes self-perpetuating costing the public purse untold billions.

The indisputable relationship of Cranio-mandibular and Skeletal Asymmetry to disease, and attempts to correct these asymmetries, in this practice, has resulted in relief to patients’ symptoms where other disciplines have failed miserably. The experience gained has resulted in better delivery of proper care for a vast number of illnesses.

Click Image to view the entire schematic with all symptoms

Patients often present with a variety of complaints. The most common encountered are: neck pain, jaw pain, headaches, backache, irritable bowel syndrome, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis, incontinence, limb pain or numbness, various psychological problems, sinusitis, dizziness, ear problems etc. In these cases treatment to bring about symmetry becomes a medical necessity. On embarking on such a course of action (which is by no means easy to accomplish) patients usually experience a dramatic relief from their symptoms.

The ramifications of a dysfunctional jaw are unbelievable and never before described or correlated. There are many examples encountered on almost a daily basis. one example was when a patient presented with a massive debilitating tremor previously attributed to “lesions in the descending neural pathways from the brain” but the tremor ceased as soon as the patients’ TMJ was corrected. Others have what are called horrendous ‘neuropathic’ pains again attributed to ‘MS’ which even morphine cannot touch but the patients get almost immediate relief by instigating a correction of their bodily asymmetries.

The dramatic alleviation of symptoms with intervention designed to bring about symmetry has resulted in many medical and alternative practitioners to become aware of the importance of normal jaw form as a reflection of normal anatomy and physiology. Ethical, competent and honest practitioners who fail to find a solution to their patients problems are re-evaluating them for jaw and tooth discrepancies and seeking increasingly more consultations.

Contrary to common belief, our body does not adapt to asymmetry. Incorrect jaw position may result in headaches, later it may go on to cause neckache, backache, and later still leg pains and hip problems in old age may ensue. The scenario may follow a different pathway causing fatigue and gut symptoms. It would be quite wrong for any health carer not to include TMJ dysfunction in their differential diagnosis for literally any health problem where they fail to find a quick solution.

The msforum.org and symmetryforum.com - a Paradigm Shift

Welcome to the leading forum on a number of symmetry related illnesses.

Here you can share your experiences and provide support to others. The forum is dedicated to all the patients and to all those with an unselfish concern for the welfare of others.

My TMJ treatment jencor69

My walking which was crippling me, is getting better- not progressively worse. I have even managed to walk completely unaided for the first time in 10 years! I sleep better, and my body thermostat seems to be working properly again, normal perspiration. Could it be that my disability was actually caused by a problem with my asymmetries and had nothing to do with MS? Was I misdiagnosed? I have been paying a heavy price having lost my youth to this dreaded incapacity and utter lack of hope and dreading the future as I continued to decline prior to this intervention.

I feel better than I have done for years! I am hoping against hope. I will post regular updates as treatment progresses.

David Sherman June 2011

After 10 years of ever increasing suffering and an endless search for the answer to why I felt so ill and exhausted all I had to show for it was a long list of ineffective treatments and a huge hole in my bank account. .....

I was in a terrible state. I had no energy left and on top of that the chronic insomnia, from which I had suffered for a while, meant that I could not get any rest to recover my energy. I was wracked with pain in my arms and legs and I had blurred vision and often double vision coupled with dizziness.  Along with those symptoms, there was also a constant feeling of coming down with the flu and massive headaches..........

When I eventually got to my GP I was told that in his view I had CFS/ME .......... I was referred to a private specialist........

The private specialist recommended a test known as a 'CFS profile'. This is an expensive blood test that could allegedly pinpoint what was causing my symptoms..........  this treatment was going to be costly but I was under the impression that participating in this treatment would make me feel normal again.  Instead, I spent most of 2010 bed-bound or house-bound. The person I once was simply withered away. After 8 months of 're balancing my mitochondria with vitamins etc.' nothing had changed, in fact my symptoms spiralled downwards and I became more disabled, more isolated, and more desperate.........

My hopes for recovery were routinely rekindled by celebrity stories of diagnosis and recovery along with second and third hand accounts of witnessed recoveries presented by self-appointed specialists in the field however the reality of the situation is that no one knows what is actually causing this multitude of symptoms, nor how to treat it.  However, I was about to see the light at the end of this painful tunnel!.........

In November 2010 I was given the telephone number of a Dr. Amir. He came highly recommended but my pessimism led me to sequester his number in my kitchen drawer. I had no intention of repeating the vicious cycle I had endured over the last 10 years of some specialist giving me hope, providing temporary and/or marginal relief only to have my symptoms return with a vengeance. ...........and this time a dentist!

By spring 2011 my emotional and physical state led me to reconsider the possibility of using Dr. Amir. After a brief conversation I was struck by his absolute conviction and confidence that he would be able to help me—a statement he made prior to seeing me!  His initial consultation was very thorough and detailed.  Within minutes of meeting me he clearly demonstrated what was wrong with me and the correlation between my symptoms and the physical asymmetry of my teeth, jaw and skeletal structure.  For the first time I was dealing with an individual who was clear, detailed and emphatic about what I could expect by following his course of treatment—a startling contrast to ten years of expensive sympathy and ambiguity. It was also an eye opener to find that the cause of my illness could be a structural asymmetry rather than a virus or an organic imbalance in my body. If there was anything like that it was a consequence of the physical asymmetry according to Dr. Amir.

As Dr. Amir explained how each of my symptoms was related to the asymmetry of my structure I was astounded. ....... no one had ever suggested that the root cause of my numerous "medical problems" was my teeth or in the almost indiscernible asymmetry of my skeletal structure. For the first time in years I had hope—he assured me that I will begin to get better in days, a prospect hard to imagine at the time.

However, what Dr. Amir has on his side is a great track record of numerous patients with solid results.  So after speaking with some of his success stories on the phone and while sitting in his reception area and reading the testimonials of others, it was clear to me that his treatment really does produce results.  I also learnt that Dr. Amir has been practicing this art for more than a dozen years. He discovered the relationship of teeth to not only ME/CFS/FMS but some 60 other illnesses. He pioneered the successful treatment of very many patients who have regained their health and returned to work..........

Two days later I was back in his chair.   I don’t remember the trip up from Brighton as I was slumped in a corner seat in the train in a haze from my symptoms.  However, the trip home was a different story, I felt like I was inside a different body.  Seconds after being fitted with a custom made dental appliance designed to deal with my specific issues, I began to feel lighter, brighter and stronger, the fog that I constantly lived in started to lift.  This had never happened with any other treatment I had received in the past. I began to realize that my jaw and teeth were the cause of my problems—I was astonished..........

True to his prediction that I would get better in a matter of days I experienced relief in minutes. .......

It has now been 3 months since my first treatment with Dr. Amir. I have been able to get off of all the medication that I was on which included sleeping pills, anti-depressants, pain killers, blood pressure medication and hormones.  I have also lost about 18 pounds in weight which was much needed........"

David Sherman is an Internationally recognised coach and programme leader in the field of personal and professional growth. He can be contacted on 07900 693118

Non-extraction orthodontics

'When I was 14, I was told that I needed four teeth extracted and fixed braces for years, Dr. Amir fixed my smile orthodontically without any extractions. 

Ten years later, I am still seeing Dr. Amir and still don't know what an injection in my gums feels like!' [as the patient never needed a filling]

'Very happy indeed.' Polly-Jane Harrison

Fibromyalgia Syndrome

"Fibromyalgia" conventionally, is described as a chronic condition of widespread pain and profound fatigue. The pain tends to be felt as diffuse aching or burning from head to toe. It changes location and varies in intensity.

The fatigue ranges from feeling tired, to extreme exhaustion along with a flu-like illness. It may come and go and often result in a complete drainage of all energy.

It is described as more common than Rheumatoid Arthritis and even more painful. A Survey in five European countries www.fmauk.org/prevalence puts the prevalence of "FM" at between 2.9 and 4.7%. This equates to some 9 to 15 million people!

These figures remind me of 'Social Anxiety Disorder' SAD where no one was suffering from this condition before 1998 in the USA but after an advertising and PR company was recruited by a Pharmaceutical manufacturer of Paxil the numbers suffering from this condition suddenly exploded to many millions. When this fraud was outed by the Herald Tribune newspaper the conditions name was conveniently changed to 'Seasonal Affective Disorder' albeit still SAD. Very very Sad!

Symptoms:

• Chronic pain stiffness, tenderness of muscles, tendons, and joints without inflammation.
• Unrefreshing sleep.
• Profound fatigue.
• Waking up tired and stiff.
• Headaches and migraines.
• Irritable bowel – alternating bloating, diarrhoea and constipation.
• Cognitive disturbances, memory impairment and dyslexic tendencies.
• Clumsiness and dizziness.
• Sensitivity to sound, bright lights, chemicals, Electromagnetic fields and phone masts.

 Those of you who have gone through the rest of the information on this Web site including reading the patient testimonials will realise that it appears that "Fibromyalgia" or "Fibromyalgia Syndrome" is no syndrome. It is merely an extension of untreated Temporo-mandibular Joint Dysfunction and merits little discussion.

(PS A Norwegian study is hyping a certain drug as a cure for the illnesses ME, CFS and FM. Please read this article and beware:  http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/150657.php?mid=50 )

How a dental brace could cure MS, migraines and paralysis

Bella Freud

Published in the Evening Standard 7 Oct 2009 

Earlier this year I developed a pain at the very end of my left jawbone, near my neck. I had just hada crown made at a Harley Street dentist but when I went back he found no evident complications. The pain continued to worsen, particularly at night. I would get into bed and the dull ache would burgeon into full-blown agony. I rang my dentist again in desperation. "I'm sorry, I'm just off skiing," he sang happily. "It can't be the tooth, though." Clang! I felt a prison door close.

To read more please visit http://evening-standard.vlex.co.uk/vid/migraines-paralysis-bella-freud-amir-67868553

Recovery from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)

by Uzma Qureshi
Uzma Qureshi BSc (Hons) MSc is based in University College London and is involved intranslational academic research, her keen interest being Histopathology and Tumour Biology. Her work primarily involves investigating mechanisms of action involved in novel anti-vascular targeting agents and anti-cancer drug therapies.

Listed in Positive Health magazine under cfs / me , originally published in issue 133 - March 2007

I have recently recovered from a devastating illness through very unconventional means using dental appliances. I feel that it is my duty to make patients who already suffer from this illness or may fall victim to it be extremely careful, as conventional medical or psychiatric treatment could do irreversible damage to the sufferers.

Throughout my early twenties, I suffered with various unexplained symptoms, all of which became acute last February when I was 27. From that time onwards my body started to go down hill. I began to experience recurrent ear infections, vertigo, and pain in my jaw. My eyes would regularly become blurry. I had my eyes checked by an optician who said that my vision was fine but could not explain the blurriness any further. I started getting more tired, and also started to lose my vision in my right eye.

Terrible pains travelled from my right ear down the right side of my jaw and under my tongue. This would alternate from pain to numbness and loss of feeling in this area. The symptoms in my head and neck got worse and my body became subject to profound fatigue which concentrated more on the right than on the left side of my body. I would experience unusual tingling sensations in my arms down to my finger tips and in my legs, all of which debilitated me to an extent that I could barely hold a glass up to drink or hold a pen to write. Going to work was extremely difficult and out of the question. I was looking for ways to survive the tragedy that had befallen me.

I developed severe stabbing headaches and noticed that my short term memory was disappearing. I was confused a lot of the time and unable to carry out simple daily tasks and understand simple concepts. I was unable to hold conversations and often stumbled or stammered over my own words. I could see my brain beginning to give up.

As a Scientist in Clinical Cancer Research, I had a demanding job which required a great deal of concentration due to the complexity of my work. This change from a dynamic person to one who was mentally and physically exhausted, almost becoming bedridden, was very hard to accept, and I desperately sought an explanation for my condition. My illness did not fit any standard criteria of disease processes in contemporary medicine.

All of the above symptoms and others that I have not listed here were described to three different GPs as I went along. Each one of them appeared baffled and referred me to different specialists at the local hospital. I was seen by Physicians, Neurologists, Ophthalmologists, Gastro-enterologists to name a few. One of the practitioners, while unable to positively diagnose my condition, advised that I get signed off work for 6 months as I was “over-worked and stressed and was probably suffering from ME or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome”.

The medications I was prescribed (which I did not take) were:

• Ulcer tablets for my severe heartburn, even though tests proved I had no ulcer;
• Beta-blockers for anxiety and palpitations;
• Amitryptiline for the nerve pain in my jaw;
• Prozac for my supposed depression;
• Travel sickness pills for my vertigo.

Due to the mechanism of their action and the awful adverse effects of each of the prescribed drugs, these drugs were totally contra-indicated for my condition and if taken I would have deteriorated very, very quickly. In fact, part of the reason for my early cure through Dentistry may be attributable to not having taken these drugs. According to Mr Amir, the drugs, by suppressing the symptoms, allow the underlying cause to continue, damaging various bodily systems and playing havoc with the body.

I was also prescribed Rubinol, which is an anticholinergic drug with intolerable side effects. This was for my unexplained excessive sweating and irritable bowel which, according to the doctors, was caused by my supposed “anxiety and nervous disposition”.

I was also informed that I should seek Counselling and Psychotherapy for my anxiety, paranoia and my hypochondriacal tendencies. Anxious? Yes, but not paranoid or a hypochondriac!

The final visit to my GP in July 2005 was the culmination of my frustration. I explained to my GP, based in Wimbledon, that I was progressively getting worse to the point where my husband had to feed me; my fatigue was totally debilitating, and I found myself gasping for air. I felt like I was choking. I felt as if I was being strangled and could pass out at any minute.

To my surprise, my GP raised his hands and using a very unprofessional tone accused me of being hysterical. I was blamed for making up my symptoms for attention. However, he contradicted himself by telling me I was stressed and that I was suffering from “post-viral symptoms due to an ear infection and may end up in a wheelchair”, all of which I was “going to have to accept”. I was then asked to leave his surgery, in my distraught state. I cried no end. How could he call himself a caring doctor!

With nowhere to turn, I enquired around a great deal and thankfully came across the help of Mr Amir. During my examination he palpated various areas around my jaws, head and neck, and described many of my symptoms to me before I was able to explain and elaborate on them to him!

On going through the extensive questionnaire that I had to fill out for him, he explained how each symptom was precipitated anatomically and neurologically, starting from my jaws. He explained that my mandibular joint caused a misalignment in my cranio-facial symmetry, and how this led to compensatory deleterious effects on the rest of my body. He showed me how it was affecting my breathing, my sleep, my muscle tone, my digestion, my ears, my eyes, how it contributed to my hair loss and my immune system and many other ramifications throughout my body, including trapping some major nerves in my neck and lower back. He had a far better understanding of this illness than all the other clinicians I had seen put together.

I did not need any more convincing, and I immediately embarked on his treatment. To make a long story short, a myriad of unbelievably simple dental devices which he constructed specifically to correct my asymmetries started correcting my misalignment and the 20 to 30 symptoms I was experiencing started abating almost instantaneously.

Unlike the abuse I suffered at the hands of the medical profession, he explained that I was very fragile and needed very careful adjustments to the appliances that he provided. I had to visit each week, and if I did not feel well I could see him on demand which is what he preferred, as he said that the healing process must not be interrupted by any irregularity of the appliance or to make good the further demands on my healing body.

Over the months, I have improved remarkably and all my symptoms have now virtually disappeared. My Medical Consultant in the hospital where I work was astounded and wrote to Mr Amir.

An additional point that I wish to bring to the attention of the readers is that from the age of 16 up to just before I was fitted with my brace, I had always weighed 71/2 stone. My metabolism was very high; I was always gasping for air and sweating excessively. My body produced so much heat, I felt like a walking furnace. No matter what I ate or how much I ate, I found it hard to put on weight. I am now 9 stone and my metabolism has normalized.

From utter desperation, I have been able to return to work and resume normal activities, including overseas holidays, in contrast to the sentence my GP passed of being bed-ridden and wheelchair bound. I wonder how many other patients have not been able to escape the clutches of the medical and psychiatric professions and are now bed-ridden.

I experienced a great deal of abuse from the total ignorance of the members of the medical profession. I have completely lost my faith in them, especially GPs who treat patients they can't diagnose as a nuisance. Maybe it is our fault. We are going to the GP when we should be going to the Dentist, which is quite analogous to visiting a Shoemaker for a haircut.

We have controlled drugs and prescription drugs. Statistics will show you that prescription drugs kill more patients each year than any controlled drug ever will. I wonder who should be behind bars: the pharmaceuticals who coerce these drugs onto the market, (as recent papers released under the Freedom of Information Act prove,[1]) or the regulatory authorities, often under the influence of the pharmaceutical industry, or the media, who are under their pay for advertising revenues. I am angry and devastated that I was going to be subjected to a living death through prescription drug use.

Nine months into my treatment, I am on the road to a definitive recovery with a method with its very subtle intricacies pioneered, figured out and perfected by Mr Amir, and almost certainly ignored by most in a position to bring about healing in the patients. He has been providing this treatment for some 10 years. How many patients have become bedridden during this time? None of the medication I was prescribed had any bearing on my condition. Being in the medical field I can now categorically say so.

Without this treatment I would have been paralyzed and bed-ridden. I could see it coming. I was literally saved by the skin of my teeth!

About the Dentist: Mr M Amir BDS MSc (U of London) LDS RCS (England) practices in London and specializes in the treatment of medical problems emanating from dysfunctioning temporo-mandibular joints. He may be contacted via amir@mecfs.com

The Dentist Practitioner Comments

Mr M Amir BDS MSc (U of London) LDS RCS (England)

One study to measure the functionality of patients who are ‘admitted' to the category of CFS, clinically documented it to be near end stage AIDS patients.[2]

Another study concluded that CFS has “greater functional severity than heart disease, virtually all forms of cancer, and all other chronic illnesses”.[3]

The reader must realize that patients are categorized into ME/CFS only after they have been completely debilitated. I feel that the whole concept has gone astray and a number of factors have conspired to create this new western illness. The illness has as much to do with the negligent treatment of the earliest symptoms symptomatically, either with drugs or Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), both of which suppress the underlying symptoms as the patient's health continues to deteriorate behind the scenes culminating in what is now called ME/CFS.

My experiences places these patients firmly in the realm of Temporo Mandibular Joint Dysfunction. A perfect smile is synonymous with good health. However, this is not always so. The slightest departure from ideal symmetry in the Cranio-facial complex can lead to severe health problems. This is a vast subject and cannot be adequately explained here. Suffice it to say that if the patient's symptoms include tooth grinding, jaw clenching, neck and lower back pain it is imperative that the patient be examined for jaw asymmetries. Many Alternative Practitioners do that by palpating the muscles around the lower jaw, mainly the pterygo-palatine muscle, which will always be very painful in ME/CFS patients.

Treatment involves the wearing of various dental appliances and the recovery is very rapid if the patients are seen at the early stage of their illness. It is slower in cases where the lack of proper timely treatment has made the condition more chronic.

Uzma also had a beautiful smile and the last observation that anyone could have made was that her jaws might be responsible for her illness. However the jaws were not in harmony with the rest of her skull, and her jaw muscles were extremely painful and tender. Early intervention led to recovery of a case which in a very short period of time could have lead to being bed-ridden for the rest of her life.

PS: I would like to add that it should become mandatory for all doctors, ME/CFS Associations and anyone involved in the care of the supposed ME/CFS/FMS scenario to be required to refer the patient for a differential diagnosis to a dental surgeon who is well versed in the treatment of such patients. This must be done at the outset and not when the patient has been mistreated for a number of years before doing so. We might then see fewer patients becoming bedridden and prematurely dying.

Case Study Issue 89: Holistic Dentistry for Allergies, Asthma, Skin Problems and Snoring

by Dr Ann Harris

Listed in case studies, originally published in Positive Health Magazine issue 89 - June 2003

This is a remarkable case history which relates to our 14-year-old daughter Claire. When faced with the prospect of having teeth removed because of overcrowding she was determined that she did not want any extractions. My search for a holistic dentist had begun. I initially contacted the British Dental Association but their response was less than helpful. Thankfully, I subscribed to Positive Health and saw an advert for such a dentist practising in London.

Presenting Symptoms

For a number of years Claire had suffered from rhinitis (runny nose), bouts of sneezing, coughing and wheezy-type symptoms. It was quite clear to us that she was sensitive to artificial food additives as well as being seriously allergic to peanuts. These traits were also present in both my husband and myself, so it was easy to blame the 'genetics' for her condition. A variety of complementary therapies were tried all without success. These symptoms were resisting all forms of treatment. At the age of 12-years Claire's skin also became inflamed with acne which turned into scarring, damaged skin often resisted complete healing for months. She also suffered from chronic lethargy. This girl was just not functioning well in all aspects. Again despite diet and life-style changes Claire's health did not significantly improve.

Consultation

At the initial consultation with the holistic dental surgeon it was clear that her spine was misaligned at the cervical and sacral regions. This had also been confirmed by previous chiropractic and osteopathic assessments. There was also restricted breathing into her sinuses as her palate was displaced upwards causing obstruction and thereby resulting in mouth breathing. Claire had been snoring at night for many years whilst sleeping with her mouth open. It was explained that her jaw misalignment exacerbated her symptoms as the jaw lacked the correct stimulus to grow normally. She was also not breathing fully into her lower abdomen. Her face was pale with puffy cheeks suggesting poor immune function and her face lacked correct proportion and symmetry.

Using kinesiology with her existing jaw alignment Claire tested weak to a general muscle test. When she purposefully moved her jaws into a better alignment, she tested strong correspondingly. It was clear that she had enough room in her jaws to accommodate all her existing teeth. There would be no need for any tooth extractions, and that treatment would be by the use of braces and appliances only.

At the beginning of treatment Claire was intermittently taking oral antihistamines and a salbutamol inhaler (blue puffer) to control her symptoms.

Treatment

Claire's course of treatment started with her being shown corrective breathing and swallowing exercises. She was fitted with a removable adjustable brace which was designed to increase the space available in her upper jaw. As the treatment continued into the first few weeks guided by kinesiology we noted distinct changes in the depth of her breathing. At about twelve weeks into the treatment programme Claire dramatically and completely lost her skin pallor. My astonished reaction was to exclaim "Claire, you're pink!".

Treatment continued along these lines for several months using fixed and removable braces on the teeth of her upper and lower jaws. Claire pursed the jaw alignment exercises that she had been given. During this period she also used a removable head appliance mainly at night. It was during this time that it became clear to us that Claire had become 'silent' at night, the mouth breathing had disappeared and she had stopped snoring.

Claire is now in her fifteenth month of treatment and her skin is looking more robust and vital. She has far more vitality overall as well as physical energy. The acne scars which had been a source of concern for her are now beginning to heal, and the acne itself has disappeared. Also, not surprisingly her teeth are very nearly perfectly straight. It is also remarkable to note that Claire has actually enjoyed having braces fitted, she claims that they make her feel 'stronger'.

Conclusion

This course of orthodontic treatment has been the only form of intervention used to improve our daughter's health over the past fifteen months. Compared to her contemporaries undergoing reductionist forms of orthodontic treatment, this approach has been very nearly pain-free without the need for strong analgesic medication and of a relatively short duration. She has suffered virtually no head, neck or back ache during the course of this treatment. All her presenting symptoms have effectively disappeared. She no longer requires any form of medication.

In fact many people have commented to me that Claire is a completely different girl from her former self of just over a year ago. I totally agree.

Acknowledgement

I would like to give my heartfelt thanks to Mr M Amir the holistic dentist referred to in this case study for his groundbreaking and inspirational work in this area.

About the Practitioner

Mr M Amir is a dental surgeon practising holistic dentistry in London. He specializes in the treatment of patients with medical problems emanating from the dysfunction of the jaw joint. He takes particular interest in the field of body symmetry and its relationship to health. He can be contacted on Tel: 020 8780 3433 (secretary); amir2647@msn.com

Readers are also referred to Mr Amir's excellent article re The Risks of exracting wisdom teeth in Issue 87 (April 2003) of Positive Health.

Case Study: Dental Treatment for Multiple Sclerosis

Curing MS through Dental Treatment

by Mary Maguire

Listed in case studies, originally published in Positive Health Magazine issue 90 - July 2003

The backdrop to this story is long and convoluted, so I will spare you the details and concentrate on the essentials.

I had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1984, following a lumbar puncture and, more recently, by an MRI scan. Nothing remarkable or untoward happened until one night in December 1994, when I found myself in the most dreadful situation. Having fallen asleep after a day at work, I awoke suddenly and dramatically on hearing a loud click in my head behind my right ear. I got up feeling ‘spaced out’ and terrified, as if a curtain had dropped between reality and myself, as if I existed in a bubble.

The following day I visited my GP who recommended rest and suggested that ‘stress’ was the probable cause. A few weeks off work brought no improvement. I felt even worse. A metal band seemed to be tightening its grip around my brain, causing extreme pressure and my mind to run riot.

Convinced that I was going mad/ crazy, I agreed to see a psychiatrist who decided that I was mentally ill and suffering from anxiety/depression. Anxious yes, very worried yes. Who wouldn’t be? The prescribed cocktail of drugs brought horrendous results. I was then required to attend a day centre from which I was discharged after a period of three months with the comforting comment that I might never recover – a fate worse than death.

Neurology was the next area to be explored. There was nothing to offer here and the consultant dismissively suggested that the earlier diagnosis of MS and/or mental illness was probably correct – “these were simply labels”!

Left to my own devices and painfully aware that conventional medicine had failed, I spent the next three years and thousands of pounds attending alternative medical practitioners, healers and anyone else who offered a ray of hope. I was clutching at very costly straws. By now I was feeling disillusioned and quite angry.

Still hoping for a miracle, I continued to buy health magazines. My luck was about to change when an advertisement caught my eye. Terms such as ‘cranial symmetry’ struck a cord with me. I phoned and spoke to the practitioner and described my symptoms. He said that he had read a lot about MS but he had never seen an MS patient and was keen to see if his hypothesis would work for this condition. He would be in a position to say if his criteria would be helpful after he had examined me.

In short, I took the plunge and flew from Belfast to London. In spite of niggling doubts, I was hopeful. I desperately wanted this to work. My fears that this was another wild goose chase were overwhelming. Nothing could have been further from the truth.

I met the dentist who patiently listened to exhaustive responses to his questions before examining my mouth and jaw. All doubts disappeared when he casually observed that mine had been a problem waiting to happen and had begun when I cut my second teeth. He didn’t know that at around the age of eight or nine I had started to suffer from migraine and had been troubled with it ever since. He further stated that the history of my symptoms fitted in with his hypothesis and was in line with his predictions and thoughts on the subject. He also warned that, as he had not previously treated an MS patient, he could not give any kind of warranty.

I received a full explanation about the underlying cause (according to his hypothesis), and the proposed treatment. Concerning my perfectly straight teeth and jaws, he said that they were not in harmony with the rest of my head. I was fitted with a dental appliance and was asked to follow certain exercises that he prescribed. I continued wearing various appliances for two years and got increasingly better as time went on.

Now, some four years later, I have experienced a huge improvement and, in fact, normality. Almost all of the problems that troubled me prior to and after the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, have disappeared. Although the treatment finished some 18 months ago, I still visit for check ups. It seems that my face says it all. Not the expression but the ‘arrangement of features’. He doesn’t need to ask how I am – he seems to know. He views things through a wide-angled lens (metaphorically speaking) looking for the bigger picture. Minor ups and downs that I have occasionally suffered are quickly sorted out.

It strikes me that there is something fundamentally wrong regarding the way in which medicine is controlled and practised, as far as chronic illness is concerned. My experience raises very serious questions, which warrant serious consideration. Psychology and psychiatry are nebulous areas, and too often when conventional medicine cannot find the answers, patients are being referred into the unknown. They are weaned out of the system if they fail to take up the psychiatric route – which is, at best, only an attempt to paper over the cracks.

Acknowledgements

My heartfelt thanks to Mr Amir for succeeding where others have failed, for thinking laterally, for his power of prediction, for leaping forward for and, in his profession, for being brave and forthright in his judgements, for his ability and confidence, for not giving up, for his passion in the care of his patients and making the dreams of many come true. I was fortunate enough to meet him.

Mr Amir's Comments

While I can understand the patient’s sentiments, I would be most reluctant to raise hopes for millions of sufferers of this serious condition. I can confidently say that persons suffering from the extreme form, which is Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, cannot be successfully treated with my methods. With milder cases, especially for those where the condition has not been long standing, this may be a breakthrough. However, even to make this claim I need to have successfully treated many more patients. The lasting effect of the treatment will not be known for many years to come. It does appear already that ongoing supervision will be necessary but refinement of technique together with patient motivation may obviate it in some cases.

Constraints laid down by the scientific community require that the treatment methodology must be reproducible at other centres before any real claims of a cure, or rather relief of symptoms, can be made. The methods also have to withstand the rigours of a peer review and recognition by the governing body of my profession for the necessary protection of patients.

Perhaps we are on the threshold of a definitive new discipline. This requires funding for the establishment of a centre for excellence where researchers and practitioners from multiple disciplines can combine the hardware, software and training facilities together for the advancement and implementation of this discipline.

PS It is October 2011 a little over 8 years on. Patient is still doing well and has not had any serious problems.

Testimonial for Dr Amir

I often remark that Dr. Amir is the best dentist in the world. I met him more than 10 year ago. A year later we moved away. As we were far away I saw other dentists for tooth fillings. 5 dentists totally ruined my teeth – by joining them together, and doing other shocking things. Dr. Amir has worked kindly and carefully to save my teeth that other dentists have not cared for. He deserves a medal for his persistence and dedication to his clients!

I came to Dr. Amir simply because my fiancé did not like my crooked teeth and overbite. What I didn't realise then is that he is a miracle healer!  In my first appointment be did weird things for a dentist: checked my breathing, my posture, my spine, my neck and made me touch my toes. He then went on to describe all the symptoms that started as a teen without me having given him any information. I was stunned that he could tell me all that was wrong with me – things I’d just got accustomed to living with without sharing them with anyone. I thought my pain was the same as everyone.

I remember at 14 in English class being unable to turn my head. If I wanted to look behind me I had to turn my WHOLE body. If I tried to turn my head I'd receive electric shocks up my back and neck that were agonising. I could not turn my head without excruciating pain. Until Dr. Amir I had not been able to understand why. Everyone thought my neck was down to the stress of being a teenager. He knew all the issues were because of me having 4 dental extractions. Having those teeth pulled out caused amazing health problems over the next two decades...

It started with the neck and shoulder pain as a teen - which decreased my will to live, and dampened my ability to play full out in sports. In hockey I couldn’t just quickly turn my head-I had to twist my torso to look for players to pass to. This slowed down my game and meant I was losing time.

My balance and sense of direction was also affected. I was told this was deliberately my fault til I met DR. Amir!   My father used to joke: "just put Natalie in front of a flat floor and she'll trip over herself!"  My mother would get so frustrated that I couldn’t swim straight. She shouted: "What’s wrong with you? Why do you do this?  To embarrass me?" I remember feeling completely deflated, misunderstood and wishing a hole in the floor would open and eat me up. I wished I was dead many times. I didn't know what was going on. In Drama, I recall we had to close our eyes and breathe. I had to cheat – I could not close my eyes and stand still without falling over. Everyone else in the class could, but I didn’t have the inner balance.

Everyone thought I was intentionally messing up yet when I met Dr. Amir I learned my lack of balance was due to my teeth missing and causing all sorts of complications.

In my twenties I had daily headaches. I just learnt to live with them and coped by eliminating most of the pain by becoming Vegan. I would still have a mild din but not be so cloudy that it was a struggle to think.

Then I developed Irritable Bowel Syndrome at about 22. Often I used to have the awfully embarrassing question: "when is it due?" My bloating was so bad people kept asking who the father was!  I had  severe crippling pain, as well as boasts of diarrhoea. I would try to work out my travel thru London making sure I had toilet stops on the way as I never knew when my bowels would erupt. It reduced my ability to concentrate and achieve all I wanted to do. I finally left my stressful job in exhaustion.

In the bath I noticed I had one leg up and one leg down. I finally clicked that I must have one leg shorter than the other by about an inch.

For over a year I did very little. I felt shattered and needed time to regroup. I fasted, meditated and went on retreats to come home to myself. Looking back I realise I had symptoms of ME or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I used to often find that my fingers were numb or that I had tingling sensations down my arm and fingers.  If I sat for too long I would get pins and needles so badly that I would literally collapse as my body couldn’t sustain the weight. I stopped meditating sitting up as the pain in my neck and back was too aweful.  I’d have to meditate lying down often. It would seem that for no apparent reason I wouldn't want to get out of bed. I just wanted to have grey days in bed hiding away from the world. I had little focus, drive, motivation or energy. I did little to no exercise and recall friends and family being so enraged that I wouldn't just get on with my life.

Finally when I saw Dr. Amir I felt such relief! All the balance, exhaustion, and pain was not me being a hypochondriac to get attention like my family told me. They were real, legitimate experiences as a  result of horrendous ill informed dentistry!

Dr. Amir has given me the love, empathy and validation I needed to realise that my symptoms were real, after they’d been denied for so many years.  It’s now 10 years on. I have no back pain. I can turn my head without electric shocks.  I’d forgotten the numbness and tingling fingers I had a decade ago. I have completed a Masters Degree – where frequently I was up until 4:30am working and up again with my children at 7:30am. People often remark on how little I sleep and how much energy I have as a single mother with two kids. I don’t think I could have done this without DR. Amir’s treatment. He has been a miracle worker. I am so deeply grateful.

Natalie Lamb works as a therapist and love coach. She specialises in clients who have not had success with typical talking therapy. She does experiential work with children, teens, parents, individuals, couples and families around issues of Love. She helps them to feel loved and heal their abandonment, neglect, and abuse. Using meditation, role play, voice dialogue, and embodied work we learn to engage and communicate, letting in love, creating passion, becoming multiorgasmic, learning how to empathise, dealing with shame from sexual issues, becoming playful and happy, or facing past pain and fear that feels overwhelming. Tel: 07804683918 natalie@natalielamb.com