Man hasn’t been able to open his mouth wide or eat a burger in fifteen years. Then a Texas therapist touched his neck on a Princess Cruise

Most people go on cruises for relaxation or adventure, but what if it also solves a 15-year struggle en route to Alaska? This is exactly what happened when a Texas-based occupational therapist decided to help a student’s husband. Alison Taylor, who is developing a specialized method called Treatment Without Pain, was running a class on a Princess Cruises ship when the breakthrough occurred.

According to the post caption on Facebook, after a session, one of Taylor’s students, Gina Kang, asked if her husband, Charlie, could join the second day of the class. Charlie was not a therapist, but he was there to support his wife, and as Taylor noted on Facebook, he spent his time quietly absorbing information and practicing with tools. The situation changed when Gina asked if Taylor’s techniques could help with her husband’s persistent TMJ issues. 

The group stayed behind after the class, and the resulting interaction has since gained 1.2 million views on Instagram. In the footage, Charlie explains that he has lived with a locked jaw for years. He told Taylor, “I had someone hit the bottom right here. With their head accidentally a long time ago, like 12 years ago, and a couple years later this.”

A gentle touch

According to MedlinePlus, TMJ disorders affect the chewing muscles and the joints that connect the lower jaw to the skull. Symptoms often include clicking or popping sounds, difficulty opening or closing the mouth, and pain in the face or jaw area. For Charlie, the impact was severe. He had spent fifteen years fearing a yawn and unable to eat a burger properly because his jaw would lock. 

In the video, He even told Taylor, “I haven’t gone that wide. Because I’ve had it unable to get back in for like 10 minutes. And the doctor has told me I’ve got to go to the emergency room. To get it re-put in.”

During the session, she assessed Charlie’s neck and noticed that the skin was pulled tightly. She explained to the group, “Wherever the skin is tight and adherent, it’s usually shaded, and where it’s white, that’s where the sensory nerves are under a lot of tension.”

Then she used a very gentle, precise touch to glide the skin. The change was immediate. Charlie opened his mouth wide and looked completely shocked, exclaiming, “Allison! I haven’t been able to eat a burger in like 15 years. I eat it like bottom and top. Yeah. No way.” As Charlie experiences, physical therapy is incredibly important for recovery. Unfortunately, in a different case, it is something Kiara Bowling will be facing for the rest of her life after a car accident. 

Taylor’s approach is fascinating. In a follow-up post on Instagram, she provided more detail about her process and what she actually did to help Charlie. She explained that she focuses on the skin and fascial layers rather than just the joint itself. According to Taylor, the goal was to override the pain signals the brain was receiving. In a different story of recovery, a Texas couple is battling pain from burns, and physical therapy to recover from their Taco truck exploring.

She noted that because Charlie had been hit in the jaw years ago, his body had essentially entered a protective, tight state that kept the jaw locked. Taylor worked on his neck and jaw area for about an hour. At the end, he noted that his jaw felt “Flawless. It’s nothing. This one feels more natural than this one now.”

Taylor shared that her touch was so light because the skin has the highest number of pain receptors. In her therapy, she stimulates specific receptors like Meissner and Pacinian corpuscles with light touch or vibration to influence the brain’s response to pain. 

The comment section was in awe. One user on Instagram commented, “Omg that’s so wild. Can’t imagine getting that kind of relief from a random woman on a cruise. So awesome!!” 

Another viewer expressed a sentiment shared by many, stating, “I want SO MUCH MORE of this— you can tell he is holding back tears. There are so many, unbelievably talented, incredibly gifted and experience people in this world that don’t get connected to the people who need their help. I want Instagram to end suffering.”

For those suffering from similar issues, Taylor’s work offers a glimpse of hope. One Facebook user shared, “You are truly a blessing to share all your knowledge with everyone! I too have had TMJ for 30 years. I tried just what you did to this gentleman and it is amazing the difference I feel.!! thank you for always sharing!”