International Handbook of Clinical Hypnosis - E-Lib FK UWKS

292 INTERNATIONAL HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL HYPNOSIS
III. SUGGESTIONS
Sense the relaxation throughout. Feel warm, safe and secure. Float with the feeling,
and once again, take a deep, deep, deep, breath through the nose and hold it, now
gently release the tension. Nice and comfortable, pleasantly relaxed, more deeply
relaxed. Feel good and con®dent that relaxation is always just a breath away. Want it
to happen, expect it to happen, it does happen. Enjoy the calmness, the tranquillity
and the serenity.
IV. Alert
Now, as though waking up from a pleasant relaxed rest, feel naturally bright, alert and
refreshed. Sound in mind, sound in body, sound in health. Eyes open, bright, alert and
refreshed. Ready to proceed.
This technique is so effective because it focuses on the head, face and mouth; the
part of the body with the highest concentration of neuronal innervation. The body±
mind and the mind±body effects are most pronounced in the head, face and mouth.
The mere act of smiling, contracting the muscles of facial expression to stretch the
obliquularis oris, consistently produces a sense of well-being. Tensing the masseters
and temporalis muscles will produce a sense of tension not only around the mouth
and face, but also throughout the whole body. Thus the tape is used to teach
patients not only to relax but to manage muscle tension headaches and to abort
bruxism.
IS THE PAIN IN THE MAIN PLAINLY IN THE BRAIN?
While many clinicians view headaches as primarily a psychological manifestation,
it is imperative that a complete medical/dental workup be performed. One of the
prime causes of muscle tension headaches in the temporal area may be attributed to
bruxism and dental malocclusion.
To understand the relation between muscle tension headaches and the mouth,
place the tips of the ®ngers of the right hand on the right temple and the left ®ngers
on the left temple, as though ready to massage the sides of the head. Clench the
teeth together, and feel the muscles bulge. When the mouth is closed, do all the
teeth ®t together comfortably? When the mouth is opened, does the jaw shift to the
right or to the left? Do the muscles on the right and left temple contract equally on
both sides? If the teeth don't close comfortably and are sensitive to cold or to
pressure, if the mouth can't be opened wide without the jaw deviating, if there are
popping or grating sounds around the ears when the jaw is opened or closed, or if
the muscles of mastication are hyperactive and tender to percussion, then the
differential diagnosis of temporomandibular disorder TMD) must be considered.
The term TMD is replacing the more popular TMJ, which is an abbreviated
acronym for Temporo Mandibular Joint Pain Dysfunction Syndrome. This disorder