About eight to 10 percent of the adult population have a secret malady called sleep bruxism, a sleep disorder characterized by the grinding or clenching of teeth. Some people do it unconsciously even when they are awake. Stress usually has something to do with it, but the origins of the disorder are quite varied. The effects of bruxism are seldom anywhere near as bad as during sleep when the bodys protective mechanisms are turned off. Without proper treatment, the condition may cause serious damage to the teeth and surrounding tissue, as well as trigger headaches and jaw pain.

Bruxism can be a real nuisance. Its much like having a large football player standing on the tooth, said Dr. Noshir Mehta, Chairman of General Dentistry at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine and Director of its Craniofacial Pain Center.

Under normal circumstances, a person’s teeth make contact for about 20 minutes a day with only 20 to 40 pounds of pressure to be able to chew. During sleep bruxism, however, the upper and lower teeth come into direct contact in as much as 40 minutes per hour, and with a force of about 250 pounds on the first molar.

Sleep bruxism is not a disease, but it is the third most common sleep disorder after sleep talking and snoring. This condition is more prevalent in children, who often outgrow it, and causes behind adult cases are very different from those of the younger age bracket.

In the 1960s, Dr. Gilles Lavigne, a Professor of Dentistry and Medicine at the University of Montreal, and President of the Canadian Sleep Society explained that bruxism was thought to be the body’s response to malocclusion — a problem that arises when the upper and lower teeth don’t fit together. Due to lack of clinical evidence, the theory was not accepted in the medical and dental community.

Later on, stress was cited to be the cause of the sleep disorder proponents of this theory failed to explain why not everyone with sleep bruxism was stressed and not everyone with stress ground their teeth. Some recent research studies also reveal the connection of sleep bruxism to neurochemicals like dopamine, but its significance is still being questioned. Dr. Lavignes latest studies have identified a pattern of activation in the autonomic nervous system that correlates strongly with sleep bruxism. He emphasized that sleep bruxism is not an indicator of neurological disease. No matter what science eventually discovers as the cause of sleep bruxism, current medical literature point out to stress, smoking, alcohol, caffeine as the main triggers of the disorder.

Relaxation techniques like yoga, meditation, or even acupuncture may help promote overall heath and wellness. Doctors, however, say that these alternative healing methods will not cure or relieve sleep bruxism.

For treatment, anti-anxiety medications and other pharmacological treatments may be prescribed by doctors to help bring bruxism to a halt. Patients, however, must be aware of that these drugs are potentially habit-forming. It works too well, said Dr. Michael Gelb, a clinical professor at the New York University College of Dentistry. The drug working well also entails the potential of substance abuse if the patient is left to use the drug without doctor supervision.

In the meantime, dentists suggest that patients may use a mouth guard. The mouth guard is a small plastic device that covers some or all of the teeth to protect them against damage, but does not really stop the grinding or clenching itself. The temporary relief can be quite expensive, as the device is customized to fit the user. But a more affordable version can be bought at over-the-counter drugstores which are usually better than nothing.

Dr. Charles McNeill, director of the Center for Orofacial Pain at the University of California, San Francisco agrees that mouth guards may protect the teeth but should only be for temporary use as it may also be more likely to induce a chewing response and increase bruxism. They can also cause irreversible damage to the bite, or arrangement of the teeth. Customized mouth guards made by a dentist last longer, fit better and are generally designed to distribute the force of grinding to reduce jaw pain.

Almost all human beings are born with a sense of touch, a basic human instinct that allows us to reach out and feel another person. Touching is a universal action that conveys love and caring. Communicating with hands comes second nature to speaking with the use of our voice. Through certain gestures we can convey affirmative and healing messages. These simple hand gestures are blowing kisses, clapping our hands to show appreciation, giving someone a thumbs up, and so on.

However, there are more to grasp about our hands. Touch is the primary means of learning about the world throughout infancy. Research shows that touch is critical in a baby’s growth and development. Previous study showed that premature infants who received a series of 15-minute massage gained 47 more weight, and became more socially responsive than non-massaged premature infants. They were discharged from the hospital an average of six days earlier than other premature babies.

Supporters of touch therapy claim it can treat and cure a wide variety of illnesses, including heart failure, diabetes and infections. According to the theory, people who are ill have disturbed energy fields, and that by moving trained hands over the patient’s body, a touch therapist can detect misalignments and re-pattern energy fields to create energy balance.

Aside from touch, scientists have also recognized the benefits of massage in caring for infants and in promoting the unique bond between parent and child. There are innumerable medical facts that support the importance of touch and massage. Touch and massage therapy have a lot in common because they have a lot to do with motion of the hands over various parts of the infant’s or baby’s body. The technique involves a lot of touching, stroking, and massaging of body parts.
Massage therapy has been around for many centuries. Today it is known mostly for types of relaxation and comfort. Many years ago it was used as a cure for many ailments. Most people looked to massage for comfort rather than medicine alone. Doctors incorporated many forms of manipulation of the body to help comfort the body through disease and pain.
For an infant or baby, massage therapy has a lot to do with skin-to-skin contact. This could be something as simple as holding a baby to a naked chest, or holding an infant’s or baby’s hand when the baby is in a cubicle. Some massage therapists offer services of providing massage therapy to infants or babies in a critical or unstable condition.
The most wonderful thing about massage therapy is that it not only benefits the infant or baby, it also benefits the parents or caregivers. The baby sleeps better, grows faster, while the parents will get an extra few hours sleep each night. Not only will the baby or infant sleep better, massage therapy could eliminate colic, tummy aches, headaches, and even a stressful day at school or even fever. Seeing the benefits of massage therapy, it is no wonder that there are so many more parents who are open to the idea of using massage therapy for their infant or baby today, as compared to a decade ago.

While the benefits on infant health brought by mother’s massage are already firmly established, new research shows that a father’s touch is equally essential to a baby’s health and well-being. Health benefits for infants include fewer sleep problems, as well as strengthening and regulating the digestive, respiratory, and circulatory systems. Fathers also gain from the experience in performing infant massage.

It is important to note that this is not the same as manipulative treatments such as relaxation techniques. Massage and touch can reduce stress in some people and loving and caring another individual, not only babies can definitely have a calming effect.

Watching a child struggling with anxiety can be very difficult for parents. Anxiety may begin to mask their perception of their child and convince them that a child can’t do things that he or she really can. Many parents find it helpful to keep track of the child’s accomplishments and abilities so that they don’t begin thinking of their child as anxious and fearful. Instead they can recognize what abilities their child has that might be useful in dealing with anxiety. A little anxiety isnt always a bad thing, but, it can help motivate one to do one’s best and to respond appropriately to danger.

Anxiety, the bodys reaction to a perceived, anticipated or imagined danger or threatening situation, is a common occurrence among children. All children experience anxiety. Anxiety in children is expected and normal at specific times in development. For example, from around 8 months through the preschool years, healthy youngsters may show intense distress anxiety at times of separation from their parents or other persons with whom they are close. Anxious children are often overly tense or uptight. Some may seek a lot of reassurance, and their worries may interfere with activities.

There are different types of child anxiety. One such anxiety disorder very common among them is Generalized Anxiety Disorder GAD. GAD is defined as chronic, excessive worry and fear that seems to have no real cause. Children with GAD often worry a lot about things such as future events, past behaviors, social acceptance, family matters, relationship, their personal abilities, and school performance. Although younger children can show signs of excessive worry, children usually develop GAD at about 12 years old. Studies also revealed that many children with GAD also have other anxiety problems. The most common of which are social anxiety, depression, separation anxiety, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD.

Worrying too much on things before they actually happen or too concerned about friends, school or activities is the most common symptoms of GAD. However, each child may experience symptoms differently. It may also include

constant thoughts and fears about safety of self andor safety of parents

refusing to go to school

frequent stomach aches, headaches, or other physical complaints

muscle aches or tension

sleep disturbance

excessive worry about sleeping away from home

clingy behavior with family members

feeling as though there is a lump in the throat

fatigue

lack of concentration

being easily startled

irritability

inability to relax

Several anxiety medications are available for treating GAD. A few of these medications include Zoloft, Paxil, Xanax, and Prozac. All of these medications are known as SSRI’s, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. These medications are all fairly new anti-depressants on the marketplace and they often have very little side effects. When a child takes any of these drugs, he or she may experience overly nervous at first. However, after several weeks the feeling typically moves away. Some side consequences of anti-depressants that children may experience are sleepiness, tiredness, and confusion.

These medications should only be taken in with consultation from a child’s physician. A physician’s decision on what medications to be taken by a child depends on the child’s physical structure chemistry as well as how severe the child’s anxiety is.

Parents should not discount a child’s fears. Aside from the symptoms mentioned above, anxious children may also be quiet, compliant and eager to please, thus their difficulties may be missed. Parents should always be alert to the signs of severe anxiety so they can intervene early to prevent future complications.