Stress and Jaw Pain
It is possible for patients to experience jaw pain when they are experiencing high levels of stress. There is a known connection between discomfort in the jaw joint and increased stress.
Our body naturally reacts and handles harmful situations with stress. When patients are under high levels of stress for extended periods of time, it can result in physical discomfort and side effects. Stress often causes patients to clench their teeth. This places additional pressure on the jaw joint and stress on the surrounding muscles. Patients who chronically clench their jaw or grind their teeth may experience soreness in the jaw, teeth or muscle pain, and headaches. They can also fracture a tooth, which may lead to extraction.
Patients may find relief from this pain when practicing stress management using the techniques below:
- Accept: Learn to accept anything that you cannot control. Avoid an angry or emotional response to these situations. Practice of gratitude and make lists of things you appreciate.
- Lifestyle: Maintain a healthy lifestyle with a regular sleep schedule. Patients should work to get about eight hours of sleep each day. Exercise is an excellent way to prompt your body to release endorphins. It is easier to maintain something that you find enjoyable. This may including riding a bike, tennis, walking, running, or other types of physical activity.
- Prepare and respond: Plan ahead for situations which can be stressful and train yourself to control how you respond. Take a slow deep breath in, count to three, and exhale. Set realistic goals and prioritize what is important. Practice saying “no” as needed and learn to ask for help.
- Relax: Sometimes stress cannot be avoided. Balance the stress with relaxing activities. This may include music, breathing, meditation, yoga, or other types of stress-reducing activities.
- Stress triggers: Identify stressful triggers or times when you experience stressful situations. Create a journal or log to identify patterns.
Bruxism or grinding of the teeth is one of the most common causes for jaw pain. Patients who chronically grind their teeth or clench their jaw can experience discomfort and also damage their teeth. Bruxism often occurs when patients are sleeping and they aren’t even aware they are grinding their teeth until their dentist alerts them.
The dentist may suggest that the patient begins using a night guard to help protect their teeth. Night guards create a barrier between the teeth and helps prevent damage. The guards are created from a softer silicone material. They can be created from customized molds obtained at the dentist or can be purchased over-the-counter and created at home. Night guards are an affordable and effective method for protecting the teeth from grinding and reducing jaw pain.
Patients with persistent jaw pain may also find relief from physical therapy. A physical therapist can use massage, manipulation, dry needling, and other techniques to reduce pain. Benefits of physical therapy can include:
1. Reducing frequency or eliminating locked jaw
2. Increased range of motion and mobility
3. Decreased neck pain
4. Reduce frequency and severity of headaches
5. Restore jaw function and eliminate dietary restrictions
Jaw pain should be taken seriously. Patients who experience jaw pain should follow up with their dentist for an evaluation to determine the underlying cause. Jaw pain can result in serious, long-term consequences when it is left untreated.