Acupuncture vs Massage, For Jaw Release!
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It’s Q&A Day at 10almonds!
Have a question or a request? We love to hear from you!
In cases where we’ve already covered something, we might link to what we wrote before, but will always be happy to revisit any of our topics again in the future too—there’s always more to say!
No question/request too big or small 😎
❝I was wondering if there have been any studies showing the comparison between Acupuncture for jaw release and using Massage?❞
Thanks for asking! We will start by assuming that you are referring to myofascial release of the temporomandibular joint, and not, say, unhinging your jaw like a snake*.
*If you do want to unhinge your jaw like a snake, then a) we do not recommend that b) anecdotally, we may comment that massage can certainly achieve it if sufficiently vigorous, but we hope you’ll forgive us if for legal reasons we don’t write a how-to.
Silliness aside and addressing the more serious question, the answer is yes there has, albeit not much and the quality of evidence remains low.
First, let’s look at the evidence for massage:
❝Three studies showed significant improvements in headache intensity and frequency following TMJ or orofacial physiotherapy. One study favored the control group, and one showed no significant difference. However, variability in study quality, therapist roles, and poorly reported interventions limited comparability and prevented meta-analysis.❞
Translating from sciencese:
“We don’t know, because we got mixed results and the methodology was sloppy”
You can read the paper in full, here: The effectiveness of physiotherapy for chronic headaches in patients with temporomandibular disorders: a systematic review
And now, let’s look at the evidence for acupuncture:
❝the evidence for acupuncture for TMD management, especially for TMJ and masseter muscles pain, is weak❞
~ this after about 3,000 words detailing the litany of failures in methodology.
You can find the paper itself here: Acupuncture for treating temporomandibular joint disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized, sham-controlled trials ← unfortunately, you can’t read this one in full unless you have institutional access or want to buy access from the journal. Failing that, you can trust us that it wasn’t inspiring reading.
Finally, let’s look at the evidence for each when compared head-to-head (so to speak):
❝There was moderate evidence that classical acupuncture had a positive influence beyond those of placebo (three trials, 65 participants); had positive effects similar to those of occlusal splint therapy (three trials, 160 participants); and was more effective for TMD symptoms than physical therapy (four trials, 397 participants), indomethacin plus vitamin B1 (two trials, 85 participants), and a wait-list control (three trials, 138 participants). Only two RCTs addressed adverse events and reported no serious adverse events.❞
Source: Acupuncture for temporomandibular disorders: a systematic review
👆 So this one was the most positive towards acupuncture, but even we were not able to find the full text for this one. It’s not merely paywalled like the previous one (for which we enjoy institutional access and can read it on your behalf), rather this one’s simply not there. All we can find is the abstract, so we cannot comment on the validity of their claims, and can rather only report that those are the claims they make.
In summary:
- Yes, science has been done
- No, it isn’t very compelling
About the best we can say is that if you want to try it, the (admittedly weak) evidence that exists suggests it is quite safe.
Want to learn more?
You might like our main feature on…
How Does One Test Acupuncture Against Placebo Anyway?
Take care!
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An Important Way That Love Gets Eroded
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
It is unusual for a honeymoon period to last forever, but some relationships fair a lot better than others. Not just in terms of staying together vs separating, but in terms of happiness and satisfaction in the relationship. What’s the secret? There are many, but here’s one of them…
Communication
In this video, the case is made for a specific aspect of communication: airing grievances.
Superficially, this doesn’t seem like a recipe for happiness, but it is one important ingredient—that it’s dangerously easy to let small grievances add up and eat away at one’s love and patience, until one day resentment outweighs attachment, and at that point, it often becomes a case of “checking out before you leave”, remaining in the relationship more due to inertia than volition.
Which, in turn, will likely start to cause resentment on the other side, and eventually things will crumble and/or explode.
In contrast, if we make sure to speak our feelings clearly (10almonds note, not in the video: we think that doing so compassionately is also important), the bad as well as the good, then it means that:
- things don’t stack up and fester (there will less likely be a “final straw” if we are regularly removing straws)
- there is an opportunity for change (in contrast, our partner would be unlikely to adjust anything to correct a problem they don’t know about)
- all but the most inclined-to-anxiety partners can rest easy, because they know that if we had a problem, we’d tell them
This is definitely only one critical aspect of communication; this video for example says nothing about actually being affectionate with one’s partner, or making sure to accept emotional bids for connection (per that story that goes “I knew my marriage was over when he wouldn’t come look at the tomatoes I grew”), but it is one worth considering—even if we at 10almonds would advise being gentle yet honest, and where possible balancing, in aggregate if not in the moment, with positive things (per Gottman’s ratio of 5:1 good moments to bad, being the magic number for marriages that “work”).
For more on why it’s so important to be able to safely air grievances, see:
Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!
Want to learn more?
You might also like to read:
Seriously Useful Communication Skills! ← this deals with some of the important gaps left by the video
Take care!
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Human Connection In An All-Too-Busy World
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
Many of us, in many ways, have more discretionary time than ever… On paper.
But rather than the 8-hour block of work of yesteryear, nowadays the things that take our time often come in a series of short bursts that punctuate our day.
This means that while in theory, we have n hours of “free” time per day, we actually have 9 minutes here, 23 minutes there, 1 hour 6 minutes somewhere else, and so on.
Social commitments, meanwhile, tend to require not only that we have time in a block, but also, that the time around that block also be sufficiently free, for travelling, preparation, etc.
The result? “We must do this again, and not leave it so long next time!” we say, sincerely, to the friend whom we will next see again in approximately 17 months’ time.
The problem is how our many theoretically-small obligations reduce the rest of our time to “time confetti”, and that happens on the large scale like we saw above, as well as on the small scale of “Ah, I have an hour to relax between these two things” and then suddenly the time is gone, once again reduced to time confetti:
Time Confetti and the Broken Promise of Leisure
So, how to maintain human connection with people beyond those with whom we live?
Some is infinitely better than none
Let’s say you want to call a friend or relative. There may be generational differences in how much one is expected to arrange this by text first, vs just calling, but either way, you don’t have to have an open-ended block of time, and sometimes, it’s better if you don’t.
Establish, at the start of the call, “Before we get into catching up, how are we for time, by the way? For my part, I’ll have to go by such-and-such a time”, and then work with that.
The benefit of doing this is that you’ll both know enough about the time constraints to use the time appropriately; you won’t run out the clock on smalltalk before getting to something big, and you’ll both come away feeling satisfied that you shared and were shared-with in a meaningful fashion.
In contrast, guessing at time constraints can leave big things clipped off, or else result in someone “looking for a way to politely end this conversation that stopped being interesting a while ago but it’ll seem rude if I say I have to go now”, of the kind that results in someone not being so open to a call next time.
Don’t rush to dismiss texts as a medium for meaningful connection
When text messages were first a thing, you’ll remember how we were all working within a very short character limit and a cost-per-message. It was telegrams for the modern age, basically.
Nowadays, that isn’t so; we can write as much or as little as we like, and this has two benefits:
- We can have longer, meaningful conversations around the other stuff in our life. We can reply in seconds, or after making a cup of tea and thinking about it, or after our grocery-shopping trip, or whenever suits us. Suddenly, time confetti isn’t such a barrier to human connection. Writer’s example: my prime social time in this manner is when I’m cooking dinner (which is often about an hour). There’s no way I could have a phonecall while doing that; my bad hearing notwithstanding, I just have my hands full too often with much else going on. But texting? I can do that in the several-minute gaps between assorted culinary tasks, while I’m waiting for the kettle to boil or the onions to brown or whatever.
- Sometimes, the brevity makes it easier. A quick text saying “Hey, just to let you know I’m thinking of you, and hope your day is going well!”, or “Unrelated to anything: I was just thinking about how I’m glad to have you in my life; you’re a good friend, and I appreciate that more than I often remember to say. Anyway, that’s all; it was just on my mind. I hope your day is going well!”
(The cheery closing words in those last two text message examples help signify: “don’t worry, I’m fine and am not looking for anything from you”, which will help the recipient to relax, and counterintuitively, more likely to reply with some kind words of their own, knowing that they’re not signing up for a potentially deep talk when they also have time confetti issues going on)
Seize the moment (and also let it go)
You probably have many small interactions with strangers, most days. In the store, walking the dog, at the doctor’s office, etc. So, two things:
- Make smalltalk. And if you’re not one for traditional smalltalk topics (weather etc), or even if you are, a level-up is:
- Compliment sincerely. Straight out of “How To Win Friends And Influence People”, of course, but it creates a moment of genuine connection; you say a thing, their day is improved, they smile, you complete your business with a smile of your own and go about your day.
(of course, do steer clear of anything that could be interpreted as flirting, if that is not your intent, and really it should never be your intent when it comes to the captive audience of someone who will get fired if they’re not nice to you)
But, with a little practice, these little moments add up to a lot more human connection than if we treat the strangers with whom we interact as though they were merely part of the scenery.
Want more than that?
Check out:
How To Beat Loneliness & Isolation
Take care!
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Hazelnuts vs Cashews – Which is Healthier?
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
Our Verdict
When comparing hazelnuts to cashews, we picked the hazelnuts.
Why?
It’s close! This one’s interesting…
In terms of macros, hazelnuts have more fiber and fats, while cashews have more protein and carbs. All in all, all good stuff all around; maybe a win for one or the other depending on your priorities. We’d pick hazelnuts here, but your preference may vary.
When it comes to vitamins, hazelnuts have more of vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, C, and E, while cashews have more vitamin K. An easy win for hazelnuts here, and the margins weren’t close.
In the category of minerals, hazelnuts have more calcium, manganese, and potassium, while cashews have more copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium, and zinc. This is a win for cashews, but it’s worth noting that cup for cup, both of these nuts provide more than the daily requirement of most of those minerals. This means that in practical terms, it doesn’t matter too much that (for example), while cashews provide 732% of the daily requirement for copper, hazelnuts “only” provide 575%. So while this category remains a victory for cashews, it’s something of a “on paper” thing for the most part.
Adding up the sections (ambivalent + clear win for hazelnuts + nominal win for cashews) means that in total today we’re calling it in favour of hazelnuts… But as ever, enjoy both, because both are good and so is diversity!
Want to learn more?
You might like to read:
Why You Should Diversify Your Nuts
Take care!
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Avocado vs Kiwi – Which is Healthier?
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
Our Verdict
When comparing avocado to kiwi, we picked the avocado.
Why?
Both are great, and indeed, each normally wins most comparisons we put them into! But…
In terms of macros, avocado has more than 2x the fiber, nearly 2x the protein, and many times more (famously healthy) fats, while kiwi has more carbs, so this round’s an easy win for avocado.
In the category of vitamins, avocado has more of vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, 5, B6, B7, B9, and E, while kiwi has more of vitamins C and K, so this one’s another win for avocados.
Looking at minerals, avocados have more copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, and zinc, while kiwi has more calcium, so it’s a third win a row for avocado.
In other considerations, kiwi does have some specific cancer-killing properties that avocado can’t boast, so that is a point in kiwi’s favor.
Adding up the sections makes for an overwhelming overall win for avocado, but still, do enjoy either or both, as kiwi is excellent too, and diversity is best!
Want to learn more?
You might like:
Top 8 Fruits That Prevent & Kill Cancer
Enjoy!
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When “Sleeping It Off” Helps, & When It Harms
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At 10almonds, we’re often encouraging our readers to get more sleep, and especially in the context of the common myth that older people require less sleep; the reality is that sleeping less and not dying of it does not equate to needing less.
See also: Sleep: Yes, You Really Do Still Need It! and How Sleep-Deprived Are You, Really?
As well as ensuring to get in a good quantity of Zs, we also urge you to get good quality, too—see: The 6 Dimensions Of Sleep (And Why They Matter) ← duration is just one dimension out of the six!
Sleep & stress (or rather: stress & sleep)
❝Sleep that knits up the ravell’d sleave of care,
The death of each day’s life, sore labour’s bath,
Balm of hurt minds, great nature’s second course,
Chief nourisher in life’s feast.❞~ William Shakespeare (Macbeth, Act 2 Sc. 2)
It’s very reasonable that after stressful events have exhausted us, whatever their nature or cause, we will at some point crash (energywise), and want to sleep.
But watch out! Because that can turn out to be a bad idea, sometimes. More on that later.
First, let’s examine the situation before the sleep: stress can both disrupt and promote sleep; the outcome depends on stress type, context, and timing.
Sometimes, some kinds of stress will keep us at night and thus prevent us from getting restorative rest. That’s usually a bad thing. See: What’s Really Keeping You Awake? The Brain’s Role in Sleepless Nights ← in other words: when things might well be “all in your head”, and/but that’s the worst place for things to be when you’re trying to sleep
Sometimes, on the other hand, other types of stress (including psychological or purely physical stressors, such as emotional or immune issues, respectively) can lead to sleep that helps us to recover and build resilience. This isn’t a vague wishy-washy thing or a nod to the broadly restorative effect of sleep; it has to do with specific brain-things we can point to, in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and lateral habenula; we’ll link to the science for this shortly.
Notably, stress-activated sleep-promoting neurons reduce anxiety, too; this has to do with GABA-signalling; see: A Neurotransmitter Less Talked-About: GABA Against Stress/Anxiety
Practical tip: it’s important to try to get good, healthy, complete sleep cycles in after stress, because both REM and non-REM sleep have important parts to play;
- Non-REM sleep: for physiological repair while autonomic nervous system activity is reduced
- REM sleep: for emotional processing and memory consolidation.
You can read all about these things here: Sleep and the recovery from stress ← whose short title belies the fact that it’s a very comprehensive review of many kinds of evidence from human and animal studies; we particularly recommend checking out figure 3 for a graphical representation, too
Now comes the “but watch out”….
The researchers note that improving sleep after stress (per CBT, sleep hygiene, etc) can reduce our vulnerability to anxiety, depression, or PTSD. They also note that poor sleep after stress can (and often will) worsen these conditions.
However, paradoxically: immediate sleep deprivation after trauma can reduce formation of traumatic memories—meaning that there is nuance to how we must go about this, as sometimes it can do more harm than good, when trying to “sleep it off” can effectively do the opposite, and engrain a traumatic experience permanently.
This goes for PTSD-inducing events of the kind that might come to mind when PTSD is mentioned, but it’s also another point in favor of the common marital advice to “never go to bed on an argument“, too. It’s better to process those kinds of things healthily before sleeping, rather than let your brain decide that you need a permanent easy-access record of such unpleasantries, to regularly replay it in your mind later—which is usually neither fun nor beneficial.
Learn more: How Your Brain Chooses What To Remember ← this is about the neurophysiology of sleep and memory consolidation
Want to learn more?
Here are some resources that might help with this, depending on your individual situation, of course:
- Ruminating (Bad) vs Processing (Good), & How To Tell The Difference
- How To Stop Revisiting Those Unwanted Memories ← a powerful tool to keep yourself from accessing certain memories accidentally
- The Off-Button For Your Brain (sometimes this is what’s needed, in the moment)
Take care!
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Dancing vs Parkinson’s Depression
10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
This is a fun study, and the results are/were very predictable, and/but not necessarily something that people might think of in advance. First, let’s look at how some things work:
Parkinson’s disease & depression
Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative neurological disease that, amongst other things, is characterized by low dopamine levels.
For the general signs and symptoms, see: Recognize The Early Symptoms Of Parkinson’s Disease
Dopamine is the neurotransmitter responsible for feelings of reward, is involved in our language faculties and the capacity to form plans (even simple plans such as “make a cup of coffee”) as well as being critical for motor functions.
See also: Neurotransmitter Cheatsheet ← for demystifying some of “what does what” for commonly-conflated chemicals
You can see, therefore, why Parkinson’s disease will often have depression as a comorbidity—there may be influencing social factors as well (many Parkinson’s disease sufferers are quite socially isolated, which certainly does not help), but a clear neurochemical factor that we can point to is “a person with low dopamine levels will feel joyless, bored, and unmotivated”.
Let movement be thy medicine
Parkinson’s disease medications, therefore, tend to involve increasing dopamine levels and/or the brain’s ability to use dopamine.
Antidepressant medications, however, are more commonly focused on serotonin, as serotonin is another neurotransmitter associated with happiness—it’s the one we get when we look at open green spaces with occasional trees and a blue sky ← we get it in other ways too, but for evolutionary reasons, it seems our brains still yearn the most for landscapes that look like the Serengeti, even if we have never even been there personally.
There are other kinds of antidepressants too, and (because depression can have different causes) what works for one person won’t necessarily work for another. See: Antidepressants: Personalization Is Key!
In the case of Parkinson’s disease, because the associated depression is mostly dopamine-related, those green spaces and blue skies and SSRIs won’t help much. But you know what does?
Dance!
A recent (published last month, at time of writing) study by Dr. Karolina Bearss et al. did an interventional study that found that dance classes significantly improved both subjective experience of depression, and objective brain markers of depression, across people with (68%) and without (32%) Parkinson’s disease.
The paper is quite short and it has diagrams, and discusses the longer-term effect as well as the per-session effect:
Dance is thought to have a double-effect, improving both cognitive factors and motor control factors, for obvious reasons, and all related to dopamine response (dancing is an activity we are hardwired to find rewarding*, plus it is exercise which also triggers various chemicals to be made, plus it is social, which also improves many mental health factors).
*You may have heard the expression that “dancing is a vertical expression of a horizontal desire”, and while that may not be true for everyone on an individual level, on a species level it is a very reasonable hypothesis for why we do it and why it is the way it is.
Want to learn more?
We wrote previously about battling depression (of any kind) here:
The Mental Health First-Aid That You’ll Hopefully Never Need
Take care!
Don’t Forget…
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