Listen to this exciting podcast where Dr. Joshua Wechsler, doctor of pediatric gastroenterology, has first-hand experience with reducing his own TMJ, tinnitus and Long COVID symptoms through treatment with Dr. Hobson. He explains his journey and realization of how the breathing retraining program can also help his pediatric patients with GI problems including feeding aversion, vomiting, choking, chronic cough, feeling food pass slowly or get stuck. He agrees that Dr. Hobson’s breathing retraining program helps improve their GI symptoms and has included this in his approach to treating his patients.
Joshua B. Wechsler, MD, MSCI, is Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Allergy and Immunology at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.
Dr. Wechsler is a patient of Dr. Hobson who has this unique background and specialty and has found that his personal treatment of Long COVID symptoms including tinnitus, headaches, TMJ, and hyperventilation has been reduced considerably through Dr. Hobson’s treatment. He now refers his pediatric patients to the practice.
The vast majority of his patients have an Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorder: Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE), Eosinophilic Gastritis, Eosinophilic Duodenitis. The primary symptom in many of these cases is dysphagia, and many of these patients have chronic regurgitation/rumination. In addition, hypermobility and dysautonomia are common in these patients as well.
The patients range in age from 9 months to 22 years. The symptoms really vary by age with young children having feeding aversion, vomiting, choking, and older children/teens having a chronic cough, feeling food pass slowly or get stuck. Chronic regurgitation is quite common and can be associated with hiatal hernia which has an unknown prevalence in EoE but appears to be present in up to 10-15% from his experience. Dr. Wechsler believes in a more holistic approach and attempts to address issues well beyond just the esophagus or stomach focusing on quality of life by including CranioFacial Physical Therapy, swallowing retraining, and breathing retraining.
Dr. Jenny Hobson is a head and neck, TMJ physical therapist, protégé of renowned expert, Dr. Mariano Rocabado. She is known for her treatment of TMJ, sleep disordered breathing, chronic headaches, concussion, neck pain, tinnitus, and postural dysfunctions. Dr. Hobson is trained in myofunctional therapy and is certified in the Buteyko Breathing Method. She treats in-person in Chicago and trains breathing virtually to those in need in the US, Europe and South America through the Hobson Institute.
