On Twitter, there were three of us in the RA "club" who lamented over our preponderance towards the dreaded double-chin.
In my case, it's partially hereditary; shared by my mom, uncle and grand-father.
A friend, who is a speech pathologist, pointed out that I have a slight over-bite; an architectural feature that may influence the confluence of my tempor0mandibular joints (TMJ).
What I'm wondering is how many people with RA double-chins. Could this be the result of TMJ issues which lead to changes our facial features? Let me know your thoughts, please. I plan on asking my rheumatologist about this on my next visit.
Anyway, I've found that doing The Guppy helps considerably.
- Rest head against chair back, so your neck is supported (what not to do in this hastily-taken picture!)
- Slightly tilt your head backwards
- Let your jaw drop open, like a guppy about to feed
- Bring your jaw up, closing your mouth
- Hold
- Repeat
I relate! And find it very upsetting when I catch a glimpse of myself 🙁
Could it really be connected to RA?!
Interesting, let me know what you find out.
I too have the lovely chin bags…hate them…I attribute it to use of prednisone for many years (12 at 4-8 mg per day depending on the flare level)…I cannot do the Guppy as I have RA in my jaw at times and over using it is a big trigger…
Those of us with JA (from before there were treatments) often have this characteristic bird look with the lower jaw sort of receded. Pain in the arse. What (if any) impact does RA in the top cervical joint have on your ability to do this exercise? If it’s unstable, you’re not supposed to hyperextend, but I guess the support of a chair would take care of that?