Pain in the... Jaw?
Jaw pain is more common than you might think. Learn more to help yourself out!
Stress and Anxiety?
There is plenty to go around these days. Oftentimes, emotional issues will manifest themselves in a physical way. A common physical expression of stress and anxiety is jaw and facial area pain. Unconscious tension in our jaw and mouth is commonplace and a natural expression of tension. We clench and grind our jaws, or even push our tongues forward against our teeth without even knowing!
The clinical term for grinding our teeth is bruxism. This can happen unconsciously to just about any individual throughout the day. The effect is much worse when bruxism occurs overnight. An estimated 10% of the population and 15% of children experience bruxism while sleeping. Biomechanically, bruxism is the overuse and excessive contraction of our muscles that we use to bite and chew our food.
There are 4 main muscles that are overused when we clench and grind our teeth: the temporalis, masseter, medial pterygoids, and lateral pterygoids. There are others as well, but for the sake of this article, we will stick to the most common culprits. Pain and tightness in our temples and face result from holding these muscles tight for longer than normal periods of time. Just like any other overworked muscle, they can develop lactic acid deposition, tightness, trigger points and spams. This can feel like a headache on the sides of your head and pain in your cheek areas. It is very common to experience pain in the back of your head and neck in conjunction with these symptoms.
While muscular pain is particularly common, we can also injure our jaw joint. This joint is called the temporomandibular joint, or more commonly abbreviated to the TMJ. Injury usually stems from excessive compression of this joint when we clench and grind. The TMJ can make clicking or popping noises and even become stuck open or closed. Clicking and locking is attributed to a little movable disc within the joint that sometimes moves out of place and can block normal motion at the joint.
While pain is what brings many patient's to the point of seeking care, excessive bruxism can wear away the surface of your teeth or even cause deeper damage. Left unchecked, these symptoms and problems can worsen.
The good news is that there are solutions!
You may or may not know that physical therapists are the most qualified professionals to treat and rehabilitate individuals with TMJ dysfunction and pain. There are many options that a PT can offer to help manage your symptoms or eliminate them altogether.
Physical therapists are experts at treating both joints and muscles which is what makes up the TMJ, just like all body parts! Some treatment options are corrective exercises to improve motion in the TMJ, hands on treatment to reduce tightness and restriction in involved muscles and thereby relieve pain, or free up a restricted joint. In many cases, there will be treatment provided both inside the mouth as well as to the face, head, and neck. Relaxation and stress reduction techniques are important as well, since these can be the underlying cause of the condition. One way to make an immediate effect is education on proper jaw and mouth positioning as well in conjunction with posture (poor posture while sitting on zoom meetings all day long has us all struggling!) In some occasions patients may also benefit from a properly designed and fitted nighttime appliance. Physical therapists work closely with Dentists to get the right appliance for your situation.
Outside of specific exercises and biomechanical changes, there are other lifestyle considerations that may help manage symptoms. Reducing stress in your life or making some dietary changes can have a big effect. Reducing stressful factors in your life may be difficult, but considering some stress management techniques may be a more palatable solution. Caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol all increase bruxism and eliminating these factors may be the key to your care. Speak to your dentist or doctor about medications that can help you relax at night and manage the pain. If you would rather avoid medication use for the condition, beginning with PT is a great way to start!
Physical therapy has made a significant difference in many suffering clenchers over the past 25 years and many more satisfied patients are soon to come. If you want to get a head start, remember: "Lips together, teeth apart, tongue relaxed inside your mouth."