The medical world is still unable to identify the cause of many symptoms, diseases, disorders and syndromes. This is why I struggled to find the correct word describing the cause of the symptoms I will talk about. I called them TMD symptoms because TMD (Temporo Mandibular joint Dysfunction) is the closest term I found to describe them. However we should more properly talk about symptoms deriving from a poor craniofacial development and jaw problems.

Many symptoms and syndromes have multi-factorial causes that all play a role in the development of the disease. However, many times I found that craniofacial development and jaw problems were never mentioned as a possible predisposing cause.

Please note that I am talking about predisposition. Why? Because every body is different and every body reacts differently under similar conditions. This means you can find the biggest jaw problems on Earth but no symptoms and at the same time a person can have the worst symptoms but just few millimeters problems in his jaw. However, if you find some of these symptoms, it is my believe that jaw problems are always present!

I personally experienced many of the symptoms listed here, while others are the outcome of many conversations with people I had the opportunity to speak with. These includes other patients, doctors, dentists, students, researchers, practitioners and others. And this list does not want to be exclusive.

For many of these symptoms I was able to find an explanation, while for others I was not for any of these reasons:

  • Literature is missing or incomplete.
  • There is not enough research on the topic.
  • Too complex topics that I did not have the skills and time to deal with.

However, as an engineer I came out with a conclusion: there is always a reason for everything! So, even if some symptoms are unexplained, I know there is a connection with jaw problems.

Although complex mechanisms are behind, the underlying theory can be explained in an easy way: as a consequence of environmental factors, orofacial forces remodeling the craniofacial complex are missing, leading to maxilla growing vertically and backward and with development of cranial distortions. These leads to body’s compensations: muscle chains of the body are in continue tension since out of balance (with fatigue and referred pain also in distal locations), the spine has excessive curvatures and vertebrae are out of alignment. All of this can cause compression of blood vessels, glands (e.g. thyroid and pituitary glands), nerves and the spinal cord, together with compression of organs that cannot work properly. From here all the symptoms.

So, this the list. Notice how many diseases and syndromes looks uncorrelated, but they have similar associated symptoms, often chronic. Notice also how many of them have unknown or unclear causes that makes genetic and psychological factors easy to blame and how many of them are defined as autoimmune. This is the perfect scenario on which the medical world can lucre on: long-term diseases with unknown causes make you purely rely on medical treatments and drugs that treat the symptoms for a lot of time.

  • Malocclusion:
    • Symptoms: crooked teeth, crossbite, overbite, underbite, open bite.
    • Presumed etiology: hereditary.
    • Actual etiology: maxilla remodels from forces coming from the orofacial muscles (including tongue). When these forces are missing, the maxilla grow vertically and backward and in some case asymmetrically, reducing space for the teeth.
  • Temporo Mandibular joint Dysfunction (TMD):
    • Symptoms: Pain and tenderness on palpation in the muscles of mastication, limited range of mandibular movement, noises from the joint during mandibular movement. It also includes bruxism, disc displacement, degenerative joint disease.
    • Presumed etiology: unknown, hypotheses on genetic and psychosocial factor.
    • Actual etiology: consequence of malocclusion and vertical growth of the maxilla, with the mandible that is pushed too far back.
  • Forward head posture:
    • Symptoms: anterior tilting of the cervical spine.
    • Associated symptoms: chronic pain in the neck, in the shoulders, in the upper, lower and middle back, rounded shoulders, fatigue.
    • Presumed etiology: weakness of neck muscles and poor postural habits.
    • Actual etiology: poor craniofacial development leads the maxilla to grow vertically and backward, pushing the mandible back. The body compensates tilting the head forward. Poor postural habits are to blame too.
  • Kyphosis:
    • Symptoms: excessive kyphotic curve, poor posture with a hump appearance of the back.
    • Associated symptoms: back pain, muscle fatigue and stiffness
    • Presumed etiology: muscle weakness, poor postural habits.
    • Actual etiology: as a compensation of the forward head posture, the body compensates increasing the kyphotic curve for maintaining a stable center of balance (center of gravity). Poor postural habits are to blame too.
  • Lordosis:
    • Symptoms: excessive inward curve of the lumbar spine, C-shape back when seen from a lateral aspect.
    • Associated symptoms: muscle pain, limited movement, back pain, leg muscle fatigue, changes in bowel and bladder
    • Presumed etiology: muscles weakness and others (e.g. obesity, osteoporosis).
    • Actual etiology: as a consequence of an increased kyphotic curve the body compensates with an increased lordotic curve to find the center of gravity. Also, problems coming from the feet can affect too (e.g. wearing high heels).
  • Scoliosis:
    • Symptoms: sideways curve of the spine, with uneven shoulders and one hip higher than the other.
    • Associated symptoms: respiratory and cardiac problems, constipation, pain in back, shoulders, and neck.
    • Presumed etiology:  idiopathic (unknown).
    • Actual etiology: cranial distortions imply a skull twist, with eyes and occlusion plane on different canted levels. This causes body’s compensations, with vertebrae out of alignment.
  • Chronic muscle pain (aka myofascial pain syndrome):
    • Symptoms: chronic muscle tensions in certain part of the body (e.g. neck, lower back, upper back, legs)
    • Presumed etiology: stress, repetitive motions.
    • Actual etiology: muscles chains of the body that compensates for body’s misalignment (e.g. neck muscle stiffness due to forward head posture).
  • Tension-type headache:
    • Symptoms: diffuse head pain described as feeling like a tight band around the head.
    • Presumed etiology: unknown.
    • Actual etiology: head muscle tension or neck muscle tension that propagates through the head.
  • Migraine:
    • Symptoms: throbbing pain or a pulsing sensation in the head.
    • Associated symptoms: nausea, vomiting, extreme sensitivity to light and sound, psychological conditions (e.g  depression, anxiety).
    • Presumed etiology: unknown, hypotheses on genetic.
  • Chronic fatigue:
    • Symptoms: unexplained extreme fatigue and unrefreshing sleep.
    • Associated symptoms: loss of memory or concentration, sore throat, muscle or joint pain, headaches, sleep disorders, night sweats, irritable bowel syndrome.
    • Presumed etiology: unknown, hypotheses on psychological factors.
    • Actual etiology: when the body is out of alignment, it has to compensate for finding the center of gravity. This can lead to a big effort, with muscles chains working hard to find the balance, and compression of blood vessels, glands, nerves, spinal cord, organs.
  • Hyperidrosis:
    • Symptoms: unexplained excessive sweating, also while sleeping (nocturnal hyperhidrosis). Sometimes it is in specific areas (e.g. feet, hands, armpit).
    • Associated to: obstructive sleep apnoea, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, hyperthyroidism, Parkinson’s disease.
    • Presumed etiology: unknown, hypotheses on psychological factors.
  • Insomnia:
    • Symptoms: daytime sleepiness and difficulty to fall/stay asleep.
    • Associated to:  depression, anxiety,  chronic pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, congestive heart failure, asthma, sleep apnoea, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, hyperthyroidism.
    • Presumed etiology: unknown, hypotheses on psychological factors and genetic.
  • Hair loss:
    • Symptoms:  thinning and loss of hair from the head.
    • Presumed etiology: not completely understood, hypotheses on androgenetic factors.
    • Actual etiology: neck muscles tension that tightens the galea aponeurotica, compressing blood vessels. Hypoxia causes hair to die, together with surrounding tissues
  • Vision and eye problems:
    • Symptoms: eye pain, blurred vision, itching and burning of the eyes, seeing flashes of light (starry vision), anisocoria, eyes divergence.
  • Photophobia:
    • Symptoms: light sensitivity.
    • Associated symptoms: migraine, anxiety, depression, nausea.
  • Chronic nausea after eating and vomit.
  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS):
    • Symptoms: cramping, abdominal pain, bloating and gas, constipation, diarrhea.
    • Associated symptoms: anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue.
    • Presumed etiology: unknown.
    • Actual etiology: a poor craniofacial development and cranial distortions lead to body’s compensations. Muscle chains of the body are in continue tension since out of balance (with fatigue and referred pain also in distal locations), the spine has excessive curvatures and vertebrae are out of alignment. All of this can cause compression of blood vessels, glands, nerves and the spinal cord, together with compression of organs that cannot work properly, as the bowel in this case.
  • Ear pain.
  • Easiness of losing voice and hoarseness.
  • Slurred speech.
  • Breathing problems:
    • Symptoms: asthma, limited depth of breath.
    • Presumed etiology: unclear, supposed genetic.
    • My believe: a poor craniofacial development and cranial distortions lead to narrowed airways development, that can be easily compromised. Also, body’s compensations lead to compression of blood vessels, glands, nerves, organs (i.e. lungs)
  • Snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea:
    • Associated symptoms: daytime sleepiness, restless sleep, morning headaches, insomnia, trouble concentrating, mood changes such as irritability, anxiety and depression, forgetfulness, increased heart rate and/or blood pressure, decreased sex drive, heavy night sweats.
    • Presumed etiology: many, including genetic. However no clear identification of predisposition.
    • Actual etiology: a poor craniofacial development is due to low tongue posture. Maxilla grows down, swinging back the mandible that goes into in the airways. Both tongue and mandible (together with other soft tissues) are responsible to obstruct the airways.
  • Hypothyroidism:
    • Symptoms: fatigue, weakness, hair loss, muscle cramps and frequent muscle aches, constipation, depression, irritability, memory loss, abnormal menstrual cycles, decreased libido.
    • Presumed etiology: autoimmune disease.
    • My believe: body’s compensations lead to compression of blood vessels, nerves, organs, as well as glands, such as the thyroid.
  • Brain fog:
    • Symptoms: sensation of mental clouding, poor memory, feelings of confusion, lack of focus and mental clarity.
    • Associated to: Multiple Sclerosis, depression, hypothyroidism, Alzheimer’s disease.
    • My believe: body’s compensations lead to compression of nerves and blood vessels (including those to and from the brain, e.g. jugular veins).
  • Cognitive impairment:
    • Symptoms: decline in cognitive abilities, including memory, language, thinking and judgment.
    • Associated to: dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular diseases, depression, anxiety, Parkinson’s disease
    • Presumed etiology: unknown. Genetic and ageing as risk factors.
    • Actual etiology: body has compensation mechanisms that increases over time. This leads to compression of nerves and blood vessels (including those to and from the brain).
  • Dizziness.
  • Vertigo
  • Erectile dysfunction:
    • Symptoms: trouble getting and keeping an erection, with reduced libido.
    • Associated to: Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, sleep disorders, cardiovascular diseases, thyroid conditions.
  • Infertility.
  • Menstrual problems.
  • Urinary incontinence.
  • Fibromyalgia:
    • Symptoms: widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, cognitive difficulties, fatigue, sleep disorders, mood issues (anxiety, depression).
    • Associated symptoms: tension headaches, temporomandibular joint disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, bladder pain.
    • Presumed etiology: unknown, supposed genetic involved.
    • My believe: a poor craniofacial development and cranial distortions lead to body’s compensations. Muscle chains of the body are in continue tension since out of balance (with fatigue and referred pain also in distal locations), the spine has excessive curvatures and vertebrae are out of alignment. All of this can cause compression of blood vessels, glands, nerves and the spinal cord, together with compression of organs that cannot work properly.
  • Chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI):
    • Associated symptoms: muscle cramping, fatigue, vision problems, muscle paralysis, mental confusion, severe headaches.
    • Associated to: Multiple Sclerosis.
    • Presumed etiology: unknown.
    • My believe: body’s compensations that compress blood vessels.
  • Multiple Sclerosis:
    • Symptoms: numbness or weakness of limps, legs or trunk, vision problems, eye pain, pain in parts of the body, unsteady gait, slurred speech, slurred speech, fatigue, dizziness, problems with bowel and bladder function.
    • Associated symptoms: muscle stiffness or spasms, problems with bladder, bowel or sexual function, mental changes, such as forgetfulness or mood swings, depression.
    • Presumed etiology: unknown, considered autoimmune.
    • My believe: consequence of CCSVI, together with compression of nerves.
  • Tourette syndrome:
    • Symptoms: sudden, brief, intermittent movements or sound (tic).
    • Presumed etiology: unknown, hypotheses on genetic.
    • My believe:  cranial distortions and body’s compensations that compress nerves.
  • Dystonia:
    • Symptoms: involuntarily contraction of muscles, causing repetitive or twisting movements.
    • Presumed etiology: unknown, hypotheses on genetic.
    • My believe:  cranial distortions and body’s compensations that compress blood vessels and nerves.
  • Neurodegenerative diseases (Dementia, Alzheimer and Parkinson’s diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis):
    • Symptoms: problems in movements (ataxia) or mental functioning (dementia).
    • Presumed etiology: unknown, hypotheses on genetic.
    • My believe:  cranial distortions and body’s compensations that increase with aging, compressing blood vessels (including those to and from the brain) and nerves.