Influence of CMD on lymph nodes | Craniomandibular dysfunction

Influence of CMD on lymph nodes

Lymph nodes are a so-called filter station for the lymph. The lymph describes a bodily fluid that is found in the lymphatic system. It contains electrolytes, proteins and white blood cells.

Many of these nodes are located in the head and neck area. When there is inflammation, these are enlarged as they try to fight off the disease. CMD does not necessarily have to be accompanied by an enlargement. However, since inflammation of teeth, sore throats, joint diseases or other complaints are also associated with it, it is not unusual for the lymph nodes to swell. As a precaution, one should therefore have this symptom clarified by a doctor so that no other disease is overlooked.

Osteopathy

Osteopathy deals with the treatment of the cause of illness, a holistic view of the human being is carried out here. The aim is to find connections between CMD complaints and individual organs and other (pre-)diseases, so that the cause of the complaints can be specifically addressed. An osteopath can dissolve blockages between bones and other tissues in a targeted manner and thus alleviate complaints. However, since osteopathic training is not legally regulated in a uniform way, a doctor cannot issue prescriptions for it at present. This is a purely private service.

Are there operations for the treatment of CMD?

If conservative methods, i.e. manual therapy or the insertion of a splint, fail, it may be advisable to consider an operation. Lavage, also known as joint lavage, should be mentioned here as acute therapy. It is carried out under general anaesthesia and is intended to flush out inflammatory cells and pain messengers from the joint.

If nothing helps and the joint even grows together with the base of the skull, only an open jaw joint operation can help. In this case, the joint is visualized through an incision in front of the ear, any connections are separated and in some cases a cartilage disc or similar is inserted. This material is then used to prevent further adhesions from occurring. This procedure represents the so-called “last resort” and should only be used in really urgent cases without improvement.