I am a cynical person when I am perusing possible treatments for Burning Mouth.

After all, through nearly eighteen years of burning neuralgia, I have tried just about everything that has a reasonable likelihood of helping.

When this YouTube video was brought to my attention, I applied that same questioning attitude, and I must admit, between the somewhat monotone delivery of the doctor and the fact that I didn’t agree with everything he said, it was a bit of a slog. But I am glad that I stayed with it and heard about the connection between the cervical vertebrae and the multitude of major nerves that are affected by them.

I have tried chiropractic care in the past, and although it was pleasant and my Chiropractor was excellent, it did not relieve my pain to any large or lasting way. We did discover that I had a slight reversal in my cervical vertebrae, most likely caused by a minor case of whiplash in my 20s after being rear-ended.

This video highlighted the situation as a potential cause for irritation of multiple nerves, and the doctor recommended a series of exercises to both relax and minimize strain while strengthening the muscles in the neck area to better support proper posture and alignment.

I thought, “What do I have to lose?”

I have used physical therapy for many things over the years, but my Burning Mouth had never occurred to me as a likely target that might improve my pain. I started on a routine immediately, and as the crackles in my neck started to lessen and smooth out into a full range of motion, an interesting thing happened.

My pain lessened dramatically. Don’t get me wrong, it didn’t disappear or get cured. It just went down in intensity until by the time I finished my routine, I was down to the tingle at the end of my tongue that I considered success from some of the strong meds I had been on and had to cease due to side effects.

Will this work for everyone? Will it work for you?

I have no clue, but I do know that as long as you are careful and don’t overdo it, it should not hurt you. Don’t stretch to the point of discomfort. Don’t do more than one or two treatments a day, particularly at the start.

Here is the YouTube Link to the information about your vertebrae, and as usual, talk with your doctor before starting anything new. There are many resources on YouTube for cervical stretches and strengthening, so search and find some you like and that fit into your schedule if you decide to pursue it. Your doctor may also have some PT recommendations they can share with you.

Good luck, and I hope this is helpful.