Cerebral circulation improvement method using boxing and orthodontic mouthguards

Abstract

Due to the active hostilities in Ukraine, the rates of exacerbations of chronic diseases, trauma to the head and spinal column due to both gunshot wounds and increased force load on the musculoskeletal system have increased significantly. The issue of improving rehabilitation approaches is relevant due to the available statistics on cerebral blood supply pathologies. Given the need for affordable and effective methods of musculoskeletal rehabilitation, the study aims to investigate the effectiveness of orthodontic and boxing mouthguards on the state of cerebral blood vessels. Five patients with a history of contusion and post-traumatic stress disorder were studied at the Kyiv Regional Centre for Mental Health using a physical examination and rheoencephalography. The use of orthodontic and boxing mouthguards showed positive dynamics in the restoration of maxillofacial muscles, compensation of bite height and satisfactory blood supply to brain structures compared to the baseline data. The analysis of the encephalograms showed rheoencephalographic signs of improvement in cerebral circulation: a decrease in spasm of the arterial walls of cerebral vessels, compensation for blood supply deficit, improvement of blood circulation in the carotid basin and venous outflow in the deficit mode were detected. In the examined patients with injuries, pain syndrome and constant mechanical stress on the musculoskeletal system, a decrease in pain and improvement of muscle symmetry in the affected anatomical areas were noted while wearing orthodontic and boxing mouthguards. The obtained results can be implemented in the rehabilitation protocols for patients with concussion, brain concussion, and spinal and skull injuries. The availability and effectiveness of the proposed technique allow it to be used for patients with chronic diseases of the cardiovascular system, especially with complicated blood supply to brain structures