Physical Therapy Doctor and Head Injury Survivor Uses Experiences to Write New Book: Temporomandibular Joint Disorders: One Name for Two Diagnoses

Out of Alaska comes Dr. Catherine Mormile, a new leader in health care with her bold, new book, which explains that temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD) are really one word for two diagnoses. One diagnosis, joint TMD presents with measurable structural damage to the cartilage, bones, and ligaments of the joint itself. The other, muscular TMD, presents as a painful condition of the muscles involved in chewing, and often involving the muscles of the scalp, base of neck, and shoulders. With a background of stubbornly surviving near-death on the Iditarod Trail, academic excellence, and scientific inquiry, Dr. Mormile now offers her one-of-a-kind way of thinking and approach to the nagging problem of TMD to all.

Anchorage, AK (PRWEB) August 14, 2008 -- Out of Alaska has come a new leader in health care with her bold, new ways to explain and treat temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD). With background of stubbornly surviving near-death on the Iditarod Trail, academic excellence, and scientific inquiry, doctor of physical therapy, Catherine Mormile has written and illustrated a new ground breaking and evidence-based book, which explains a new paradigm concept: Temporomandibular joint disorders: One name for two diagnoses.

Using her signature thinking out of the box approach, Dr. Mormile shatters previously held notions to identify and explain a fresh new way of approaching temporomandibular joint disorders to clinicians and patients alike.

Disorders of the temporomandibular joint are sources of distress and dysfunction for an estimated 10 million Americans. Temporomandibular joint disorders can occur in men and women alike. However, four times more women report TMD dysfunction than men. Additional distress of TMD occurs when both the patient and medical practitioner attempt to accurately identify the problem because, like the two sides of one coin, TMD is one name for two diagnoses. One diagnosis, joint TMD presents with measurable structural damage to the cartilage, bones, and ligaments located within the joint itself. The other, muscular TMD, presents as a painful condition of the muscles involved in chewing, and often involving the muscles of the scalp, base of neck, and shoulders. Muscular TMD is often a sub-class of fibromyalgia and some regional pain disorders. Sometimes both muscle and joint conditions occur simultaneously.

Dr. Mormile has successfully treated more than a thousand TMD patients in her private practice in Anchorage, Alaska. This book was forged after her personal recovery of surviving a near-death experience and subsequent traumatic brain injury while competing in the Iditarod sled-dog race. Upon recovery, she wrote the 228-pg. text and illustrated the 140 black and while pencil drawings at her Knik, Alaskan homestead with her husband and more than thirty furry animal companions.

In 2006, in recognition for over coming adversity and ridicule while continuing to serve the State of Alaska and its people, she was awarded an Alaska State Legislature citation.

Dr. Mormile now offers her one-of-a-kind way of thinking and approach to the nagging problem of TMD to all.

Temporomandibular joint disorders: One name for two diagnoses is currently available for $49.95 plus $7.00 shipping and handling by contacting: Mormile Physical Therapy, 1600 A Street Suite 215, Anchorage, Alaska, 99501, phone (907) 561-1800, Fax (907) 562-4705 or e-mail donmormile @ alaska.net.

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