The Root Cause: Discover The Why Behind Your TMJ And Sleep Problems

FIX YOUR BREATHING TO FIX YOUR HEALTH!
Everyone must breathe to live, and how well you do it will make or break your health. Not sure how you measure up? Noisy breathing, facial pain, and fatigue are just a few of the signs you’re not getting the air you need.
Airway dysfunction, like improper breathing, can cause partial suffocation twenty-four hours a day among people of all ages. And it’s robbing millions of the healing sleep their bodies need to fight physical and emotional ills like high blood pressure, heart disease, and depression.
In The Root Cause, Dr. Ryan Robinson shows how opening your airway can dramatically improve your breathing and help reverse chronic illness. This book describes Dr. Robinson’s cutting-edge approach and how he started acquiring his expertise after searching for a better way to treat his son’s life-threatening asthma.
Now you, too, can learn how breathing better can turn surviving into thriving and sickness into health!

FOREWORD TO MY PATIENTS MY JOURNEY TO FIND THE ROOT CAUSE HEALING STARTS AT HOME FINDING THE ROOT CAUSE THE TRIAD OF HEALTH THE IMPORTANCE OF FINDING THE SOURCE— ESPECIALLY FOR ATHLETES TMJ—THE GREAT IMPOSTER SLEEP SHOULD BE REJUVENATING TMD AND SLEEP APNEA—THE “WHICH CAME FIRST?” CONUNDRUM TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA: DO WE ALWAYS NEED MEDICATIONS OR SURGERIES? COMPREHENSIVE THERAPY AND TREATMENT MODALITIES TODAY CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE TOMORROW WHAT ELEVATES OUR TEAM ORTHOTICS AND ORAL APPLIANCES ... WHAT DO THEY LOOK LIKE? ENVISION A LIFE WITHOUT PAIN HOW IMPORTANT IS A VICTORY TO YOU? ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ABOUT THE AUTHOR

“Dr. Robinson is a pioneer in the field of pain and sleep medicine, and is one of only a few doctors educated and trained in helping people uncover and resolve the root causes of their sleep and craniofacial pain disorders. He is passionate about helping people achieve their best health and happiness and unlock their true potential. This book beautifully illustrates Dr. Robinson’s journey of professional transformation and the health transformation that is possible in working with him and his exceptionally trained staff. It is a great resource for anyone interested in understanding some of the common causes of sleep apnea and TMD. Dr. Robinson’s commitment to treating the whole person by understanding how a variety of lifestyle choices are interconnected and impact one’s sleep and pain is commendable and an example for all physicians and health care providers.” —Karen Smith, Registered Dietician, Health Coach

“It is truly impressive to read such a passionate and eyeopening medical book. Dr. Robinson is able to share his own personal stories and then show how he applies the same values to treating every patient who comes into his office. His desire to find out not just the how but also the why is going to help countless patients over the next few decades of his career. If the medical community can get on board with Dr. Robinson’s holistic approach, it is going to lead to a healthier, happier society that is less dependent on medications.” —Gregg Fink, DMD

“As a lifestyle medicine physician, I adhere to the belief that sleep is one of the six pillars of lifestyle medicine for optimal health. Dr. Robinson’s practice is unique, and I am very fortunate to be able to collaborate with him both for patient care and for my own health. Never did I think I would be grateful to know that my narrow nostrils were negatively impacting my health! After meeting with Dr. Robinson, I learned techniques to improve my sleep, and my ‘I’ll never be a morning person’ identity has been ousted by waking up before my alarm. The patient evaluation provided by Dr. Robinson is very thorough and offers a real solution to the root cause of the problem instead of a Band-Aid to ameliorate the symptoms. Seeing my patients improve their sleep, relieve their pain, or achieve their victories after consulting with Dr. Robinson is the best reward.”
—Bryanne E. Robson, MD, DipABLM, Progressive Health of Delaware

“Breathing is important! It is the most important thing we do, and as a primary care internist and lifestyle medicine physician, trained at some of the finest institutions, I never learned much about it. In his book The Root Cause, Dr. Ryan Robinson leads us through a fascinating tour of perhaps the most important medical subspecialty, which shockingly does not formally exist! To assemble the knowledge that one needs to uncover the mysterious underlying cause of so many debilitating maladies, from jaw pain to tiredness to neuralgia, one needs to walk in the footsteps of Dr. Robinson. He is one of a preciously rare pedigree of board-certified professionals in three disciplines related to the airway and sleep. Additionally, as he shares in the book, Dr. Robinson’s family has struggled mightily with airway and breathing issues. The book walks us through the personal experiences of so many individuals, telling their amazing stories of triumph over airway-related diseases, which are so common and so tragically misdiagnosed. Along the way, Dr. Robinson shares the tricks of his (rare) trade and the overlooked science that has the power to guide so many people to dramatically better breathing, sleep, and overall health.” —David Donohue, MD, FACP, DipABLM

“This book is a jewel when it comes to discussing the missing link between oral and systemic health. For decades, medical and dental professionals have focused on developing best practices and treatment solutions to various health problems that have become more widespread. Despite developments of so many lifesaving therapeutics and procedures, human civilization is not getting healthier. Are we missing the fundamental understanding of the root cause? Or is our convenient modern lifestyle to blame for the rise of many of these health issues? The answers to these very important questions are found in this book. Dr. Robinson not only shares his family’s health journey but also his professional experiences while seeking answers to these questions. Dr. Robinson is one of the very few health professionals committed to making a global difference. He is driven by compassion and love for his patients and cares for the future of our health, aiming not only for the most optimal patient care but also for the best patient experience. We are truly privileged to have him and his team in our community.” —Marianna Evans, DMD, Specialist in Orthodontics and Periodontics

“The Root Cause is about taking a biomechanical approach to solving some of the most challenging problems in health care. Chronic pain and fatigue are not life threatening but ruin lives nonetheless. If you are frustrated with offerings to mask pain with medication or use temporary modalities that don’t truly get to the source of your problem, Dr. Ryan Robinson has laid out a new path for you to take. Dr. Robinson and I share a belief that the body is always doing the best it can to meet its needs. And the need to breathe is on the top of the list. When your body is struggling with the most primitive requirement for life, it will make as many sacrifices as it needs to get the job done. This includes waking you up at night, preventing you from falling asleep at all, or clenching your teeth to the point of injuring the joint needed to chew and talk. When your body is so concerned that it will suffocate at night, it will do all these things to prevent you from sleeping. Lack of quality sleep then leads to a cascade of deterioration in almost every other system of the body.
“While some may argue otherwise, we also share a belief that the body never loses the ability to heal itself when barriers to doing so are removed. Pain is an indication that something is out of balance. Resolving pain will happen when balance is restored. This optimal environment allows for a return to efficiency in all areas that have been compensating to help you breathe. A path to doing just that is laid out for anyone willing to continue reading. Dr. Robinson wants to empower his readers with knowledge. He holds nothing back, giving the reader every detail needed to check his credibility, while using common analogies to help those of all backgrounds understand why his work is so important to health and wellness. His enthusiasm to help people comes through on each page, offering the reader hope that the status quo of health care in the United States is changing for the better. This book is directed right at the chronic pain sufferers and insomniacs who have been told to accept their fate. Instead, Dr. Robinson explains how these problems can be caused by multiple factors and resolved with manageable modalities. His case studies help illustrate the diverse problems that can be helped so the reader can say ‘That’s me!’ or ‘I know that person.’ While reading, there were several times I identified with stories of chronic pain and lost hope during an initial evaluation in my physical therapy office. Now, when I see the signs of a body struggling to heal, I am glad to have an additional avenue for that person to explore that has light at the end of the tunnel.” —Julia Kegelman, DPT, CFMT, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Certified in Functional Manual Therapy

“I recommend this book for any health care provider who treats patients with facial pain and sleep disorders. A multidisciplinary approach is crucial and I commend Dr. Robinson for providing the background and expertise for treating this challenging group of patients.” —Gregg Goldstein, MD, ENT & Allergy of Delaware