Panama City Podiatrist writes about TMJ, Women & their Feet

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President Bill Clinton and Dr. Burton S. Schuler,

Temporomandibular (TMJ) Disorder is included in a recent study about women’s chronic pain sponsored by the Campaign to End Chronic Pain in Women http://wwww.endwomenspain.org). This campaign links a variety of misunderstood chronic pain conditions suffered by women, and it suggests that more research needs to be done to understand the causes of women’s pain. The report included sections on Vulvodynia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Endometriosis, Fibromyalgia, Interstitial Cystitis, and TMJ.

Jaw pain is a primary symptom of TMJ, and basic functions like speaking, and chewing and swallowing food can be affected by the disorder. Like many of the other disorders included in the study, it is unclear what causes TMJ, and there is no clear treatment path to follow.

About 35 million Americans suffer from TMJ, and it mimics other conditions like Fibromyalgia in that it overwhelmingly discriminates against women: 90% of all TMJ patients are women of childbearing age, and it takes an average of 4 years between the onset of TMJ symptoms and its diagnosis http://www.endwomenspain.org/about ). The report states that “this is a highly complex disease involving genetic and hormonal influences as well as a myriad of complex biologic factors.” One genetic connection, not mentioned in the report, is the misfortune of inheriting a longer second toe http://www.footcare4u.com/category/the-wrong-kind-of-inheritance/)

“Morton’s Toe” (Long Second Toe) is named after Dr. Dudley J. Morton, who first studied and wrote about this widespread medical phenomenon in the 1930’s, and it is a condition that applies to millions of people. But how does a longer second toe influence the jaw region? According to Morton’s Toe expert, Dr. Burton S. Schuler, who has practiced podiatry for 36 years in Florida, a longer second toe can have painful reverberations throughout the body–including the jaw.

When the foot does not hit the ground and roll properly because the second toe is longer than the first, this is said to be an example of abnormal pronation. When abnormal pronation occurs, it is myofascial trigger points throughout the body can be effected http://whyyoureallyhurt.com/mortons-toe/myofascial-pain-and-the-mortons-toe/). Myofasical Pain Syndrome (MPS) is muscle pain, and it was first researched by Dr. Janet Travell, Dr. Dudley J. Morton’s peer and a White House doctor for both Presidents Kennedy and Johnson. There are two possibilities Dr. Travell considered that have immediate consequences for those suffering with TMJ today. The first is pain in one body part can affect another body part body, and the second is that a Morton’s Toe can possibly be the cause of unexplained pain away from the foot.

When we consider that women are 90% more likely to be diagnosed with TMJ, does this mean that the majority of people who suffer from Morton’s Toe are women? Not necessarily. But due to cultural standards of beauty, women do tend to wear shoes that do no fit the foot well and may exacerbate pain in the foot caused by Morton’s Toe, leading to pain in other parts of the body. Dr. Morton warned women about the negative impact of high heels on women as early as 1935 http://whyyoureallyhurt.com/mortons-toe/high-heel-shoes/). Even though times have changed and there is more awareness about high heels and ill fitting footwear, a mere review of women’s magazines reminds us that these beauty standards still exist for women. So if all of this is correct, we may have an example of putting our foot in their mouth when it comes to women and TMJ diagnosis.

More about the Morton’s Toe,

In the 1920’s and 1930″s Dr. Dudley J. Morton of Yale Medical School and Columbia Medical School wrote that a problem with the 1st metatarsal bone, known as a Morton’s Toe could be the reason for most foot problems. Dr. Janet Travel, White House physician to Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, and Professor Emeritus of Medicine at George Washington University took this concept further by writing and teaching that the Morton’s Toe could cause pain all over your body. She wrote and taught for four decades that a Morton’s Toe could cause back, hip, knee, leg foot and ankles problems. She felt that the Morton’s Toe, was so important that at the age of 89 she made a video tape to teach other physicians about how to recognize it and how to treat it.

Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts in the Foot, tells the story of these two famous physicians and their association with the common, but painful, medical condition known as the Morton’s Toe. Millions of people suffer everyday with chronic aches and pains from head to toe and don’t know why. Many of them have lost all hope, and believe they will have to live with these pains for the rest of their lives. The book is significant because for the first time in seventy years the public is made aware of the importance of the Morton’s Toe (Long Second Toe) , and the fact that could be the real unidentified reason (the “medical missing link”) for their unending torments. This book will also show how Morton’s Toe can also cause fibromyalgia, arthritis, sleep disturbances (RLS), temporomandibular joint pain, and numerous other problems through out the body The good news is that all of these problems can be treated with a simple pad that costs about two to three dollars. The bad news is that in spite of the fact that two of the most famous doctors of the twentieth century were behind the Morton’s Toe, most modern day physicians are not aware of Morton’s Toe or of it ability of causing pain all over the body. This book took six years to research and write, but Dr. Burton Schuler author of Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts In The Foot, feels it was worth it because it should be able to help many people get out of pain. The book is disturbed national by the Cardinal Publishing Group. It will be translated to Greek this Year.

About the Author: Dr. Burton S. Schuler foot doctor, foot specialist, podiatrist of Panama City, Fl and the director of the Ambulatory Foot Clinics Podiatric Pain Management Center and is a leading authority on the Morton’s Toe, Long Second Toe and it associated problems Why You Really Hurt: It All Starts In The Foot, is the story of how one bone in your foot could be the real reason for pains thru out your whole body. It is important because it offer the public new information about why millions of people suffer everyday with aches and pains, and offers new hope to get rid of problems they believed they would have to live with forever. It literally can be the “medical missing link”

Dr. Schuler, graduated from the N. Y. College of Podiatric Medicine in 1975 at the age of twenty-four, and has been in private practice ever since. In 1982, he published his first book, The Agony of De-Feet: A Podiatrist Guide to Foot Care. During his thirty-five year professional career, he has written for Collier’s Encyclopedia and various podiatric journals and publications. He has been interviewed by The New York Times, First in Women, and other publications. Dr. Schuler has appeared on hundreds of radio and television programs both here and aboard. He is a Diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management, and the National Board of Podiatric Examiners. Dr. Schuler is certified as a wound specialist from the American Academy of Wound Management. His professional and civic accomplishments have earned his inclusion in the 1999-2002 Who’s Who in America (Marquis).