Beatrice 05/12/20 Australia 

I started using Patakara in April 2020. Initially, I didn't think I had any particular ailments; I just heard that using Patakara is very helpful for blood circulation and anti-aging. I used it as a health supplement, thinking it would be very beneficial for my overall health.

When I first started using it, I followed the instructions carefully and practiced diligently: four times a day for at least 5 minutes each time. After about a week, I started noticing I slept very well. I didn't need to get up in the middle of the night to use the toilet, and my problem with frequent urination disappeared.

Before using Patakara, if I drank a bit more water or beverages in the evening, I would have to go to the toilet at least 3-4 times throughout the night, which severely affected my sleep quality. I had detailed check-ups at the hospital, but everything was fine. The doctor advised me to drink less water at night, but the frequent urination didn't improve significantly. I had been troubled by this problem for years.

When winter arrived, my hands and feet were constantly cold, especially at night. The doctor said it was due to poor peripheral nerve blood circulation and advised more exercise, but it was ineffective. After using Patakara for about three months, I noticed my blood circulation improved. My hands and feet were no longer cold, my lips weren't chapped or peeling, and after bathing, my skin no longer itched due to dryness.

After continuing to use Patakara for a while, I suddenly realized that the occasional heart palpitations I used to have were gone. Previously, after standing and working for a while, my head would feel tight, and my toes would feel stiff. Now, these conditions have disappeared.

Therefore, I feel that using Patakara can simultaneously improve many unnoticed ailments and has been a great help to my health. I now treat it like brushing my teeth—I must use it every day, at least four times a day for at least 5 minutes each time, looking forward to even more positive effects.

Two years ago, I noticed a creaking sound, like a loose screw, coming from the joint near my right ear. The sound wasn't very loud when I ate with my mouth slightly open or when I bit down with my mouth closed, but it was noticeable when I took larger bites of food or when I opened or closed my mouth wide, like when yawning.

Although it wasn't painful, the creaking sound worried me greatly. I was afraid my jaw might dislocate if I yawned, so I would hold my chin with my hand whenever I needed to yawn.

Feeling uneasy about this situation, I went to see a doctor. The doctor suspected temporomandibular joint (TMJ) arthritis and arranged for an X-ray. The results showed no issues with the joint itself. It was decided to take a dental impression and make a mouthguard (splint) for me to use. The mouthguard certainly helped; my long-standing headaches and stiff shoulders improved. However, the creaking sound did not improve. As there were no other alternatives, I wore the mouthguard for nearly two years, except during meals.

In late June of Heisei year 12 (2000), upon my dentist's recommendation, I started using Patakara, a facial exerciser. This coincided with my mouthguard breaking. Hearing that Patakara exercises could help with TMJ arthritis, I went to consult with Dr. Akihiro.  Dr. Akihiro explained that although my TMJ itself was fine, the sound was likely due to poor balance in the facial muscles around the mouth and cheeks. He said training those muscles would gradually reduce the sound.

The wrinkles on my chin and neck became finer

The first time I tried the Patakara exercises, my muscles were so weak that I couldn't close my mouth against the resistance. I had to pull the cord forward to help my mouth close. After 3-4 days of this, I could close my mouth using my own muscle strength. At the same time, I stopped experiencing gum pain. I typically did the Patakara exercises for about 2 minutes each time, before meals and before bed, about 3-4 times a day. After about two weeks of this routine, unexpectedly wonderful effects started to appear. The vertical wrinkles above my upper lip, under my nose, became noticeably less visible. Even the lines on my chin and neck became tighter and more defined. By the third week, the creaking sound started to diminish. Whether eating or yawning, the sound became barely noticeable, and I could freely open my mouth wide to eat or yawn.

Although the creaking sound hasn't completely disappeared yet, I am very confident that it will vanish completely if I continue the exercises. The fine lines around my jaw and mouth have almost disappeared, and my skin has become more elastic.

The Patakara exercises are beneficial not only for health but also for aesthetics; I am determined to continue them.

Dr. Akihiro's Advice

The cause of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) arthritis is not always related to bite (occlusion). There are many cases where patients have TMJ arthritis symptoms even without bite problems. In such instances, the issue could be an imbalance of the surrounding muscles. At Tokyo Medical and Dental University, we have patients with TMJ arthritis who did not improve with mouthguards perform Patakara exercises, and they have seen improvements. Ms. Kawaguchi's case was similar, so I was confident from the start that we could help her.

Ms. Kawaguchi seemed even happier about the disappearance of wrinkles around her mouth. Actually, producing multiple benefits like this is one of the greatest advantages of the oral muscle trainer. Her lip closing strength was initially 12.7 Newtons (N) and increased to 14.7N after one month of use.

Ms. Kawaguchi recently reported her progress to me: "Now I don't feel like I have bad breath anymore, and my gums don't bleed. Recently, what surprised me the most was the improvement in my long-standing nasal problems like congestion, runny nose, dry tongue, and trouble sleeping due to these issues. Now my nose is clear, and I can sleep well. I haven't had to visit an ENT doctor since I started the oral muscle exercises."