Search Results for: tmj

May 30, 2016 by: Rachel Mátos

TMJ, weight and the perfect chambray jumpsuit

In the last year or so, I’ve gained a bit of weight. My TMJ disorder forced my body into a ton of changes since it first erupted two years ago. Initially, I dropped 35 pounds right away. I wasn’t able to eat and had zero appetite. I got too thin. When I started the current treatment I’m on, I got my appetite back and ate all the food. All the food. I did not care. I just wanted to be happy. I not only gained all my weight back, I gained another 30 pounds on top of that (if it doesn’t show, it’s all in the pose). Why an additional 30? Well, I was not able to workout or even go for walks because one of my symptoms was vertigo. I had to be very careful about doing anything that would make it worse. Saying that this disorder is a nightmare is understatement. I was going to eat my pizza, and no one was going to stop me.

Until …

[Read more…]

June 5, 2015 by: Rachel Mátos

My TMJD story

I’ve been wanting to write a more comprehensive post about my temporomandibular joint dysfunction issue aka TMJD, but never really knew where to begin. I still have so many unanswered questions myself and am currently in the process of treatment. But I know how scary it can be and how little information there is out there. This post is for those who are going through this battle. If you googled this disorder and found your way here, I want you to know – You are not alone. Your symptoms are real. And yes, your jaw can cause a lot of strange problems. To get right to it, I’m going to just break down what I went through and what I’ve done to get myself to a better place.

TMJD SYMPTOMS

I’m not 100% sure how I developed TMJ disorder. I’m attributing it to a bad fall that I had when I was kid and years of stress that turned into Bruxism, which led to a serious case TMJD. After a difficult time in my life, I got my first “flare up” in 2005. It started with severe neck pain literally over night, roaring tinnitus with pulsating beats, vision issues that included visual snow, lack of 3-dimensional perception, light sensitivity, jaw pain, fatigue, eye and sinus pain, lethargy and a nice case of health anxiety. I had no idea what was going on. I blamed the botox I recently received to control my eye twitching, which I later learned was my first TMJD symptom.

Not being entirely convinced that it was a botox issue, I thought it may be my wisdom teeth so I had them removed. When that didn’t work, I was convinced I had a brain tumor. Yep. A tumor. Embarked on that journey but of course the MRI came back normal. With no answers, I thought I had some kind of neurological issue. I checked out fine. I decided to go down the holistic route. I did massage, acupuncture and even went to a spiritual guru who told me that I had a sensitive Incan blood line so he proceeded to ring bells over my head. Um, ya, that didn’t work either. Then I thought it may be an ear problem so I went to the top ENT in LA. She told me that I likely have TMJD. Really? My jaw? Sigh. I did some research and found a very reputable neuromuscular dentist in my area, and (yes!) I started to get better within 6 months or so. I stopped wearing my orthotic and lived my life. Awesome, right? Nope. As the years went by, my body started adapting to my moving jaw position until the day it just didn’t anymore, which was in January of 2014.

Up until that point, I had been dealing with random muscle pain. Nothing to get alarmed about, I thought. We all get them, right?

[Read more…]

May 8, 2017 by: Rachel Mátos

Blush and chambray

This former angsty Gen-Xer has officially embraced milennial blush. Because, why not. It’s so pretty! Ask me to wear pink when I lived in NYC, and the answer would have likely been no. It was black or nothing. But since moving to LA, I’ve embraced color a lot more (like this coral romper, bright coral top with yellow cluth and these green and yellow dresses). Give me all the color.

[Read more…]

May 5, 2017 by: Rachel Mátos

Reflections

In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been blogging my heart out. So much to say and share, my friends. So much. I decided to bring back my weekly series – A week in pictures – with some changes. Instead of posting photos as the recap, I will simply just write it down with, like, one photo. Mostly because I just feel this need to write. One photo will do. Maybe two. We will see what happens.

The second change is the name. The series now called Reflections. I will share things I love, feel challenged by, am working on, lessons learned and so on.

[Read more…]

May 4, 2017 by: Rachel Mátos

The benefits of collagen

Who knew that my naturopath’s advice about incorporating collagen into my diet would become the latest wellness craze.

[Read more…]

April 23, 2017 by: Rachel Mátos

Why being over 40 is awesome

I’m going to sound cliché but age is state of mind. Yes, our bodies get older. Our hair turns gray. But the way we feel is all up to us.

[Read more…]

April 5, 2017 by: Rachel Mátos

Turmeric Chickpea Soup

When my TMJ disorder got really bad, soup became my best friend. Over the last couple of years my fiance and I have learned to create a variety of different stews, soups and purees packed with flavor and hearty ingredients that are easy on my jaw, simple to make and gluten-free. We recently made a turmeric chickpea soup with Mountain High Yoghurt, and it was all of the above and more!

[Read more…]

March 14, 2017 by: Rachel Mátos

My hair care routine

I often get questions about my hair care routine, so I thought I would write a post about it in case you were wondering too. As you can tell from all of my pictures, I have a lot of hair. What many people don’t know is that it’s actually really curly. I don’t usually wear it natural because my curls drop quickly no matter what I do. It’s a combination of it naturally not holding curls well and all of the stuff I’ve done to it over the years. It just falls flat.

[Read more…]

February 6, 2017 by: Rachel Mátos

The ruffle

I’m sticking to my word for 2017, my dear muses. Vivacious. And you know what that means? Ruffles, of course!

Let me tell you, it’s not an easy thing to stick to when TMJ symptoms come creeping in. But I’ve been trying. A little over a week ago, I kinked up my neck on the couch waiting for my son to get home from a party. I must’ve slumped over in exhaustion. Well, when I got up the room was spinning. All I could say was “Darn it! Not again!”. I thought I rid myself of this awful symptom. It was so annoying, but I was determined to not let it get the best of me. It’s transient and all part of the healing process. Between my orthotic, chiropractic appointments and physical therapy, my body is shifting and trying to find its ideal position. I really cannot do more than what I’m already doing. When a symptom pops up, I acknowledge it, take a deep breath and try not to let it take a hold of me.

Hey, OK, you’re here, you can settle down. It’s all good.

[Read more…]

January 2, 2017 by: Rachel Mátos

Mal de Ojo

Receiving a “Mal de Ojo” bracelet or azabache (typically has a black bead or hand) when you’re a baby is a tradition in my family. I still have the ones my grandmother gave me and the one she gave my son. The bracelet is intended to protect you from anyone who is envious or wants to inflict pain or harm on you. This belief goes back over 3,000 to ancient Greece and Rome, and is a symbol in many religions.

The evil eye amulet is supposed to offset negative energy by staring back at it.

[Read more…]

December 29, 2016 by: Rachel Mátos

Stepping into 2017 like…

2017 is upon us and I know one thing for sure, I’m walking right into it with confidence and style. The challenges of 2016 all came and left with a lesson for each and every one of us, and we cannot ignore the signs. Let’s use the current energy to manifest greatness. It’s time for more self-love. It’s time for more quality time with loved ones. It’s time to grow in our personal lives and careers. As we saw this past year, it can all be taken from us. We experienced that nothing is guaranteed. The world needs our good vibes, our drive, passion and love.