Marie,


I - Alopecia

I am affraid I am not knowledgeable as it relates to Alopecia. I have
heard that depending on the type, there may be efficient treatments.
Internet search results:
- http://search.dmoz.org/cgi-bin/search?search=Alopecia+
(for various categories that have links to resources about Alopecia)
-
http://dmoz.org/Health/Conditions_and_Diseases/Skin_Disorders/Hair_Los
s/Alopecia_Areata/
(for the specific categorie - make sure you copy the entire link,
from http://dmoz.org/... to .../Alopecia_Areata/ )


II - Meniere's Disease - Tinitus

I am however much more familiar with the ringing in the ear
(Meniere's Disease - Tinitus), because I have experienced a mild
version (and keep experiencing it at times), and also because it is a
type of condition that is a textbook-like illustration of an
overwhelming ignorance of most health care providers about the
subject of Myofascial disorder. It is another of those cases better
explained by the trigger point litterature than anything else.
Some keywords here are: ringing in the ear, TMJ and jaw grinding.
Your client is right to suspect a close relationship.

As a matter of fact Tinitus (the ringing in the ear, Meniere's
Disease) is a direct symptom of the Masseter muscle on the same side,
which closes the jaw. In your client's case, it may be most of what
there is to it: the grinding pattern exhausts the Masseter muscle,
which then begins to show its classical Trigger symptom: ringing in
the ear.

However, things are not always that straight forward, once again with
Trigger Points. For instance sleeping while grinding one's teeth has
obviously more to it than just muscles doing something they
shouldn't. Overall tension in the upper body + head + neck, and
perhaps psychological tension and old traumas may be responsible of
the jaw grinding pattern, which exhausts the Masseter muscle to its
active Trigger threshold of making the ear ring.

More specifically, a very classical helper is a chain reaction of
trigger patterns which starts with muscles of the neck. It just so
happens that a number of muscles of the neck may actually have
trigger symptoms around the masseter area. What happens then is that
even if the trigger points are 'latent' in the Masseter (the Trigger
points are there but they may be not intense enough to actually
create the ringing in the ear, or the ringing is below the awareness
threshold), then the added intensity of the pain in the Masseter area
triggered by muscles in the neck may bring the Masseter's trigger
symptoms to an 'active' state, where the client may hear the ringing.
That is more specifically my case, and when that happens, it takes me
about 1 to 2 minutes usually to relax and stretch my neck enough that
the ringing goes away (someone without a bodyworker's awareness and
personal self maintainance toolbox may not quite know how to do
that). But then again, I do not believe I grind my teeth, as your
client does; in your client's case, the Masseter may be involved in a
more 'isolated' manner, without much help from muscles in the neck.
Such helpers in the neck may be, on the same side, and according to
the litterature:
- The sternal division of the SCM (SternoCleidoMastoid)
(the one involved in my case, and with which I had some success with
others)
- Upper Trapezius
- Cervical Paraspinal muscles
(I can't confirm these last two)

The litterature mentions that if such problems in the neck are
present (SCM), then other problems are usually associated, such as
with the Scalenes (which I have detailed in a previous posting as
being usually associated with defficient breathing), and torticolis.

Some poor habbits associated with SCM involvement, and some
corrective steps:
- reading with one's head turned one way for long periods of time. We
should be facing forward instead of holding a book to our side.
The bed lamp may need to be moved to be directly above the head,
instead of on one side.
- lifting one's head up when roling to the side (we should roll our
head to the side instead of lifting it up to the side).
- it may be appropriate to roll out of a prone position (starting
laying on the stomac), when getting out of bed (to avoid stress on
the muscles in the front of the neck.
- It may be indicated to use pillows to make sure the head doesn't
roll out of alignment while sleeping.
- Typical postural adjustment: making sure the head is aligned, and
not leaning forward. Lumbar involvement may need to be addressed
(this is our familiar territory as Structural Integrators, really)
- the telephone hand set should be held in one hand instead of
between the ear and shoulder, changing hands (not the ear), and
replacing the phone with a head set if telephone is a repetitive task.
- swimming the crawl stroke may be hazardous
- head rolling exercises should be avoided, as they may overstretch
the muscles. Also activities that require prolonged neck extension in
overhead work should be avoided, as they may overload the checkrein
function of the SCM.
...

I thought you may find this previous list interesting, in order to
attempt to identify and offer alternatives to movement, behavior, and
posture patterns that may be making the SCM and neck work too hard
and contribute to awakening the Trigger points in the Masseter mucle,
which is extremely likely to be the most direct muscular involvement.

Like I said, Tinitus (Meniere's Disease - ringing in the ear), is a
textbook example of how Trigger Points can not only trigger weird
symptoms, fairly consistently accross a population, with possible
variations however, and with possible chain reactions (SCM). It is
also unfortunately a classical example of people's ignorance of
musclular dysfunction, particularily among health professionals, who
send patients out with yet another label, but not much hope, as their
ignorance is passed on to the patients.

I highly recommend the reference extensively used in this posting:
- Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction Syndrome, The Trigger Point Manual
(Travell and Simons, Williams & Wilkins)
The 2 volumes allow to investigate numerous phemnomenons in the body
that are similarily fascinating to discover, especially from a
bodyworker's and a Structural Integrator's perspective.

Good luck.

Reda EL ANDALOUSSI
http://www.idaprolf.org



--- In Structure_Integrator@y..., tartarean@a... wrote:
> Hello All,
>
> I have a new client with constant ringing in the left ear which was
diagnosed
> as Meniere's Disease, alopecia and plus she's a jaw grinder at
night (TMJ). I
> am curious as to what experience anyone has with any or all of the
> conditions. She is experiencing high stress and grief in her life
since
> January. Some of the conditions preceded this. I find it
interesting that all
> three of these things are going on with her and my gut tells me
that they are
> connected. She says her doctors have told her otherwise, but she's
also felt
> a possible connection. How would you proceed with this treatment?
Any
> comments will be greatly appreciated.
>
> Stay Well,
>
> Marie Swan Black
> Acorn Body Care®
> Portland, OR
> "down to Earth luxury"
> www.acornbodycare.com