Since January, I’ve had on-and-off pain in my neck and right shoulder. Before the pandemic, my shoulders wouldn’t bother me. I could carry at the most two gongs – one on either shoulder. My most giant gong is 38,” and it weighs 19.5 pounds. And the gong stand weighs 23.92 pounds. So that’s over 40 pounds on my shoulders!
Pre-pandemic, I used to carry two gongs on my shoulder
I thought the source of the problem was the massage.
I had a massage in January and the masseuse claimed to be a hilot practitioner Hilot is one of the the ancient Filipino healing traditions that uses pressure on the muscles and joints. She pressed the taut nodule too hard. It’s been recurring ever since the massage. I usually place a hot compress on my shoulder to alleviate the pain.
The pain came back with a vengeance. The only thing I did differently was during the Easter holiday, I carried my luggage and lifted it to the trunk of my SUV and drove through six hours of traffic. I was in pain when I returned home from the break. This time, the pain became unbearable and the hot packs wouldn’t work. I called the rehab facility in my neighborhood for myofascial treatment, and the clinic said it’s best to see a doctor first for proper treatment.
Dr. Wolf, the TMJ specialist
The doctor who saw me, Dr. Ken Wolf, did a series of tests and confirmed that TMJ (temporomandibular joint) is what is causing my pain. I was diagnosed with TMJ in 2012, and wrote about it before in my blog.
From 2012, the left joint misaligned from the socket
TMJ is where the upper temporal bone (skull) is hinged to the lower bone (mandible) and is responsible for jaw movements such as chewing, talking, yawning, etc.
TMJ is known as the Great Impostor because it often is the root cause of all other problems. I’m referring to these problems I’ve experienced throughout the years and am currently back again- balance problems, lower back pain, sometimes vertigo, restricted neck movement, ear infection, weak ankle or knee, and believe it or not, even asthma!
My late bio-dentist said that the cause of my TMJ was the dental work I had when I was a kid. My orthodontist extracted four premolars for braces.
Dr. Wolf happened to specialize in TMJ, and recommended doing physical therapy, chiropractor treatment, and myofascial release. I was very lucky to have him as my doctor for this round.
Now, I have to undergo rehabilitation for the month for both my shoulder pain and TMJ.
Kundalini Yoga has a simple meditation to address TMJ disorders.
Inhale in a whistle with pursed lips. Exhale by chanting a loud & long LAAAAAAAAA with the mouth wide open until you need to inhale. Continue for 7-11 minutes.
Are you or do you know someone who also has to deal with chronic pain? Drop me a line to see if gong healing or Kundalini Yoga can help.
In loving service,
Rosan
