Intolerable Tension!!

Hi S.,
You may have a condition called TMJ syndrome which can cause this tension and pain. Sometimes the problem is much wider than just the temporal mandibular joint (jaw) itself. Your posture and the strength and alignment of your upper shoulder and neck muscles also plays a role in what the muscles around the TMJ do. You may benefit from some physical therapy to address some of these issues. I would be more than happy to get you more information.
B.

2 moms found this helpful

i used to grind my teeth, it would drive me crazy (and my husband lol), it was due to stresses in my life and eventually i had to take anti dpressants - just a mild one, a beta blocker. i would get awful headaches during the day and my jaw would ache and click.
it went away with the beta blocker, you could try that.

1 mom found this helpful

Good Morning S., I watched the Saturday CBS Early show last week. They had a segment on at home or work stress relievers. They suggested putting a pencil crosswise in your mouth to relieve the tightness you get from clenching your jaws. I do the same sometimes and don't even realize I am doing it until it starts aching.

Try it, it just might help.
God Bless
K. Nana of 5

I definately think it's related to stress. I clench my teeth but not sure if I grind at night. Do you ever take time out for yourself? I know I need to follow my own advice:)...Try taking some deep breaths throughout the day and maybe taking a bubble bath after you put your daughter down for the night. My skin has been itchy lately and when I scratch my skin welts up. I think that's related to stress also. It's crazy what it does to your body. It's hard being a single Mom I know. Hang in there!

Hey S.,

I was a dental assistant for 12 years and have experienced this myself as well. You can try wearing you night guard for awhile during the day if there is a certain time you notice you start to clinch I would put it in. If this is not possible I would go to your dentist they may put you on a mild muscle relaxer or have some other suggestions. Good luck I know it is not fun.

T. Cogan
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"Nothing is difficult to those who have the will." --Dutch Poet's Society

I had this same problem - it was leading to terrible headaches. My dentist said that when I find myself tensing my jaw muscles to put my tounge between my teeth. This actually relaxes all of my facial muscles. It worked for me!

Hi S.,
I'm a high stress person and have been wearing a mouth guard at night for years. One thing I'd recommend is wearing your mouthguard during the day for periods where you can. I've also had some body work done by Abby Deckard (nststlouis.com) and in addition to that work, Abby showed me some tapping exercises that help reduce stress (sorry, I don't remember the name of the technique). These have really helped me stay in balance.

Good luck,
R. J

Either I had TMJ or developed it after a whip lash some years ago or both. That does the same thing you described. I find that I am also a tense person so don't know if I grind my teeth at night but I do find neck stiff on the pillow at night and just don't relax. A chiropractor told me he couldn't work on me as I would not relax and was so tight. I have to tell myself to relax and also sometimes if you lay down and find the pressure points in your neck and head and press on them until they don't hurt that will help you relax and that also helps the jaw. I've had the jaw pop and have to almost adjust it myself and sometimes that helps. I know it's a problem and I also find that sometimes I don't think I'm tense and yet I am so I will just stop and pray and give God all the burdens and be glad he has life in his hands and that seems to help me realize I'm free to relax. That may help and yet if it's a physical problem that needs braces or something to realign your teeth and take stress off the jaw that may need done. They suggested that after my whip last but I decided against it. You may want to see an orthodontist and see what they say whether you do it or not.

If it is possible go to a physical therapist, I had the same problem. The tension made my TMJ really painful. The therapist worked on my most tender spots and also use e-stem(electric stimulation) to relax the muscle spasms in my face. He also gave me exercises to do and taught me how to work on the tender spots myself. I was in a lot of pain at the time and now I hardly ever have problems with TMJ.

S.,

Sorry to hear you are suffering with jaw pain. I had that earlier this year during a very stressful time in my life. I tried mouth guards and muscle relaxers, but the best thing I did was return to the gym. I had taken about 3 months off from my workouts and that coupled with the added stress, resulted in horrible lock jaw and pain. The gym offered me the stress relief I needed and I was finally able to pinpoint the source of my stress.

I hope this helps and that your pain subsides soon. Try to find the real issues that you're stressing over. If you're not able to change them, add some relaxation time for yourself - even 15 minutes of you time can make a difference.

S.

About myself: I'm a single mother and have a soon to be 6 year old son who is autistic. He's very verbal and has made some huge improvements over the past two years. It's both exhausting and rewarding being his mom!

Keep your head up and this too will pass!

I had the same problem. Looking back it was from stress. I would suggest starting an exercise program to help reduce your stress. A walk around the block each day is a good start. I ended up taking antidepressants too. It was my first signs of depression. I had no idea at the time. Also, try chewing gum when you notice you are chenching your teeth. It can help some people & for others make it worse, so try it. Also, try to keep your teeth from toughing when you are chenching your jaw. Stick the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth behind your top front teeth & keep your teeth from touching. This can help a little. As for night, only reducing your stress & taking motrin & a hot compress before going to bed can help, but I didn't have too much luck with that.

My suggestion..... try all the suggestions you get here & if they don't work, talk to your general practioner about your stress levels. Mention EVERYTHING going on with you. For example, I was having stomach/digestive issues during that time but did not link the problems as having anything to do with each other.

Enjoy your detective work!

J.

Hi S.!
I'm so glad you asked about this problem! I had the same problem for over a year and it was so bad I could barely open my mouth to eat. Tears running down my cheeks and everything! So I found someone to help. His name is Dr. Kirk Iodice. He is a chiropractor that specializes in a technique called Active Release Techniques. He fixed my TMJ in 4 visits. I mean 100% better. Now I just go for maintenance occassionally or when I know that I am stressed and can feel the pain creeping back in. I did NOT have to go to a dentist and spend hundreds of dollars on a mouthguard. Here is his website. He is amazing. Even if you don't believe a chiropractor can help you please give him a chane. You will be amazed.
http://www.reliefatacr.com His office is off of 151st and I-35 in the new strip where Panera Bread is.
Good luck and I hope you are pain free soon!
K.

Hi S., do you have your wisdom teeth? I have had the same problem that you do since I was in my teens. My jaw would tense up so bad that I couldn't open my mouth. When I had my wisdom teeth removed it helped alot, gave my teeth a and jaw muscles a little more room - I have a small bite and thats why it helped me. Keep wearing the guard at night. I haven't been good about it and I have bone loss in my jaw. My dad has had to have his jaw rebuilt - that was really painful and a long process.

I wish that I could tell you what to do about during the day but that's hard. When my jaw gets to bothering me I put in my night guard and that will sometimes help. If my kids are in bed I get a glass of wine and have hubby rub my neck. But I know what you are talking about. Also talk to your dentist, he may have some ideas. If you find yourself clentching your teeth take a deep breath and try to releax.

Good luck and God bless!!

S.-
I have had the same problem. I have TMJ and wear a mouth guard too. When I have stress, I get horrible headaches. One thing that helps me is to relax the jaw and don't let your teeth touch. You will get into the habit of doing it. Also, when mine got really bad, I went to the chiropractor. He can't solve your issue (if you have tmj), but he can help the muscles to relax.

Chiropractor/kinesiologist. There are several in Wichita. I see Dr. Kelley Arnold at 21st and Ridge Rd. His phone number is ###-###-####. Your insurance may not cover it (the office staff can check that for you), but after the initial appt, office visits are $60. This is hands-on treatment--no machines. I have benefited from this kind of health care for close to 20 years.

Hi S.--

I used to struggle with grinding and clenching my teeth at night. I also had a night guard which only helped a little. I finally found relief from my chiropractor--she was able to put my jaws back into alignment. (It only took one or two visits!) This really relieved the tension and headaches that I was experiencing. I can recommend Dr. Sharon Cavanaugh at Metro North Chiropractic in the Northland. I drive 30 minutes to see her..she is great! Good Luck!

J.

Hi S..
I don't have any great words of wisdom, but wanted to thank you for asking the question because I am dealing with the very same thing. Let me know what ends up working for you. There are some interesting suggestions on here that I will try as well. It amazes me how much tension a person can hold in their jaw! I wish you all the best and hope you are able to find a solution that works for you.
God bless!
C. :)

I had the exact same thing. I used to put my tongue between my teeth to try to stop from clenching my teeth-- and my tongue used to go numb! Every time you notice that you're clenching, stop what you're doing and inhale and exhale 2-3 times. Eventually, you'll get really good at catching when you're clenching and soon you'll just stop clenching altogether.

Also, it might sound strange, but meditating every morning for 15 minutes REALLY lowered my stress levels. One day I just noticed that the things that used to bug the heck out of me just didn't really bother me much anymore. I think I've seen meditation classes in UMKC's continuing education catalog, or you can just look for local meditation classes offered by various spiritual centers. You can also get meditation CDs on Amazon-- check the reviews, though. Some of them are pretty hokey. Good luck with everything! A less-stressed mom is going to be a wonderful gift for your 3yo. ;-)

It probably TMJ. My dentist and Orthodontist recommend no chewing gum, bagels, or tough meat. All of these cause to much work for the jaw. Try to make it a habit of rememberto to relax your jaw. Set the alarm clock on your cell phone to help you remember. Also if you are not eating you can wear your mouth gaurd. Try to do it for an hour after lunch or so, or on the way home from work. This will help your jaw relax.

I have a similar problem. My jaw will be so tense that it clicks when I open my mouth. I went to my primary care doctor and he referred me to a physical therapist. It's even covered by my insurance because this is a sign of TMJ. You should talk to your doctor about physical therapy.

Try wearing the splint during the day for a few days, too. You will be surprised how it can help - but you need to give it several days - to relax the knots in your muscles. When I have a bad episode, this has really worked - and I don't wear it all day long - just in and out for an hour or so at a time.