Cassidy Ringena is a buzzsaw of the best kind.
Kind, caring, energetic and outgoing, the 33-year-old Ankeny, Iowa woman’s world – as a graphic designer, fitness enthusiast and event coordinator – is a unique blend of fast-paced, up-tempo creativity.
But jaw pain, severe at times, slowed the upbeat dynamo.
Recently, while working with Rock Valley Physical Therapy’s Anne Deaton, MPT, FDN, for persistent shoulder and neck aches/tightness, Ringena shared with Deaton – one of life’s true gems in her own right – she was battling with painful jaw issues.
In non-medical jargon, the discomfort and tightness in Ringena’s jaw, has been commonly been referred to as “lock jaw.’’
Immediately, Deaton found Ringena help, calling on Chris Cass, PT, DPT, CERT DN, her Rock Valley Ankeny, Iowa, clinic-mate – who among many things – specializes in TMJ disorders issues (jaw).
As soon as Deaton explained Ringena’s shoulder and neck tightness to Cass, he began formulating a plan to relieve the pain in her jaw.
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) acts like a sliding hinge, connecting your jawbone to your skull. You have one joint on each side of your jaw. TMJ disorders — a type of temporomandibular disorder or TMD — can cause pain in your jaw joint and in the muscles that control jaw movement.
“Cassidy had a disc-displacement without reduction on the left side of her jaw which led to overuse of her right side, the painful side,’’ Cass said of Ringena’s jaw-related issues. “First, we worked on getting her jaw muscles to relax to allow for better opening and reduced pain. We also worked on realigning how she opens (her mouth). Jaw pain often leads to deviations with opening. This will typically increase pain over time and if not corrected, will continue to hurt. Then we worked on posture to put her in the best position to keep symptoms from returning.’’
The results were amazing.
Ringena – after three visits with Cass – was (jaw) pain-free. It prompted the ever-motivated Ringena to marvel at Cass’s knowledge, his ability to pinpoint the origin of her troubles, and that he could relieve her pain and greatly improve her jaw function.
“My favorite part about Chris was his ability to explain what was going on and why,’’ Ringena said. “We had previously chatted about my issues with neck tightness and that led to our approach of working with the muscles in my jaw and head overall. To my surprise, the tightness in my neck can cause tightness in my jaw and vice-versa.’’
Cass’s care and compassion – his ability to relate and his “Making Better Lives’’ approach – were also not lost on Ringena.
“It was a much gentler approach than what I expected, but I’m not sure what I expected as I’ve never had work done on my jaw,’’ Ringena said of Cass’s approach. “Everything we did were things I could do in the moment of feeling tightness and on my own that would instantly relieve some of the tension. Within a few weeks, Chris was able to give me super helpful tips that will continue to play a part in my everyday maintenance. Aside from his knowledge, he is extremely personable and makes anyone feel welcomed and open to his help.’’
Cass was equally impressed with Ringena, offering high praise for her hard work and her approach to getting better.
“Cassidy was a great patient; she was a regular with her exercises and we had a lot of fun during our sessions,” said Cass, noting TMJ issues can frequently be overlooked and considered as normal. Cass also noted that if you experience clicking, popping, or pain in your jaw, one should look to physical therapy as part of your care team.
“In addition, because of Cassidy’s focus with her exercises and Anne’s heads up work to have her be seen sooner rather than later, she was able to have her symptoms resolved within three visits,’’ added Cass. “Cassidy has been given great tools to keep her symptoms away. This is the beauty of direct access which allows for patients to receive care sooner rather than later.’’
Today, Ringena says lifestyle changes and having the tools to deal with her issues, has her on a path to better health and a better life.
“Not having a specific injury that needed help with recovery (like a broken bone), I am on a path that is about making lifestyle changes and having the tools and knowledge myself to know how to relieve my muscle tightness,” she said. “With work I have two extremes. I’m either at my computer for many hours in a day or doing manual labor for an event, and in between, my joy of working out. It will be a continuous thing for me to work on my posture as we talked about whether it be in my workouts, at my desk, in my car or on the couch. I was aware that my issues weren’t going to have a quick fix, but I feel much better about knowing what I can do in the moments of discomfort.’’
Lightheartedly, Ringena says Cass’s help has allowed her to do one thing most everyone takes for granted, that is until severe jaw pain limits your ability to handle a basic lifestyle function.
“I joked about it early, but it holds true that I can take bigger bites now,’’ Ringena said with a smile. “Before there would be times my jaw would lock or being at the dentist was dreadful to have to hold my mouth open for long periods of time. I am now more aware of my tendencies that may cause some of the neck/jaw issues. All-in-all, I now have more solutions than guess work.’’
All because a TMJ specialist with Rock Valley Physical Therapy was ready to help.
By: Johnny Marx, Rock Valley Storyteller