Teeth Grinding

If you grind your teeth, you are probably pretty screwed.

Once you work through people trying to sell you shit stuff and quacks offering naturalistic   potions, blessed by saints,  you probably need to read “ current treatments of Bruxism” by Guaitia and Hogl.  Read it here https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4761372/

Here is the conclusion

“In the absence of a causal treatment, the management of bruxism focuses to prevent progression of dental wear, reduce teeth grinding sounds, and improve muscle discomfort and mandibular dysfunction in the most severe cases.

Counselling and behavioral strategies, splint therapy, medications, and contingent electrical stimulation have shown heterogeneous results in resolving the EMG events associated with sleep bruxism, and most of the RCT did not evaluate the effects on other symptoms such as pain or tooth wear progression. Long-term studies with a wide severity spectrum of sleep bruxism patients, and comparing the effect of different treatments should be performed to elucidate the importance of each intervention in the resolution of the signs and symptoms commonly referred by the patients. The choice of not treating bruxism must also be further explored, at least in asymptomatic patients with only mild dental wear. Even more must be done to successfully treat awake bruxism, in which RCTs are still lacking”

Or read  my executive summary.

Fuck

However, as it says , its  “still reasonable to recommend good sleep hygiene in clinical practice, especially considering that alcohol, tobacco, and coffee consumption are risk factors for sleep bruxism  and that sensitivity to stress is commonly reported by the patients”

The good news is there is a Bruxism Association. They  basically, want to shove stuff in your mouth

http://www.bruxism.org.uk/how-can-i-stop-grinding-my-teeth.php

I think it exists more to support dentists, but it could be rallying support to promote further research

More good news could be that the Bruxism association supports  feel good happy solutions.  “ General relaxation techniques including meditation are supposed to produce a sense of self-esteem and control over one’s body”. The draw back , however, for anyone with even the vaguest grip on reality is  “there is no current literature regarding the efficacy of this holistic approach to the management of bruxism”

That said  I suspect I have to join in and say, cut down the drugs, try and de-stress and meditate a bit . And yes, I  can taste sick in my mouth for saying that.

 

BTW: my name is Andrew Stemler and I’m an East London personal trainer and massage therapist. You can book me by emailing me  Andrew@crossfitlondonuk.com

Fall in love with a concept 2

There are lots of things you can do in fitness . One interesting target is to fall in love with a concept 2 rowing machine . Getting a fast 2k is the ideal , but disgusting, mix of aerobic and anaerobic capacity . People who row fast and well look like people who row fast and well .

Keep an eye on this blog as we discuss proper rowing technique and interesting capacity building workouts .

Btw my name is Andrew Stemler and I’m a personal trainer based in Bethnal Green E2

Back Pain: Cure your back with the Sorensen test

“The race has always been on to firstly predict,  then inoculate against,  back pain. A test known as the “Sorensen test” based on the work of Hansen in 1964, has been popular since 1984.

According to Demoulin et al 2006  ”The test consists in measuring the amount of time a person can hold the unsupported upper body in a horizontal prone position with the lower body fixed to the examining table”

The test is accepted in its discriminative validity, reproducibility, and safety. However debate continues to surround its ability to predict low back pain. No firm explanation, beyond “women rock” , has been offered as to why “chicks” can hold it longer than guys.

Naturally motivation and discomfort tolerance are confounding factors.

A interesting review is available in PDF form at Isometric back Extension tests: a Review of Literature Maureau et al Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics Volume 24 • Number  2001, But in essence,this report says this….(yawn….)

“For men, the mean endurance time is 84 to 195 seconds; for women, it is 142 to 220.4 seconds. For subjects with LBP, the mean endurance time range is 39.55 to 54.5 seconds in mixed-sex groups 80 to 194 seconds for men, and 146 to 227 seconds for women” whether thats remotely useful lm not sure, but if you suffer or are prone to lower back pain, (you tend to know by your appalling posture), im going to suggest you move this figure up.

References
Demoulin C, Vanderthommen M, Duysens C, Crielaard JM.  2006.  Spinal muscle evaluation using the Sorensen test: a critical appraisal of the literature. Joint Bone Spine. 2006 Jan;73(1):43-50.”

 

My name is Andrew Stemler.  Im a london personal trainer working in Bethnal Green E2 and the City of London