In every TMJ consultation that I do, I ask about clenching. I consider it to be an important factor that contributes to jaw tension, which I treat with manual therapy. Clenching is a habit that people do unconsciously, and most of the people who come to me for TMJ relief consultations and sessions clench and/or … Continue reading Treating TMJ Issues: you can learn to stop clenching
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Jaw pain is rarely entirely in the jaw! If you were building a tower, and one of the floors wasn’t level, it would affect the floors above it — unless you somehow compensated. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is kind of like that, only it’s because it has settled unevenly on the ground beneath it. … Continue reading Treating TMJ issues: asymmetries in the rest of the body affect the jaw joints
A new clue about bruxism. A neurology practice noted that of its patients who had restless legs syndrome (RLS), 60% also had bruxism (grinding teeth during sleep). Eighty-three percent had RLS and migraines, and 52% had RLS, migraines, and bruxism. Do you relate? The lead neurologist for this study speculated there is a gene that … Continue reading Treating TMJ issues: restless legs and sleep bruxism
I’ve learned that some widely used medications can cause jaw clenching and grinding as side effects. The best known are in a class called SSRIs, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, commonly prescribed for depression and/or anxiety. I'm sure you've heard of Prozac (generic name fluoxetine). Here are some other SSRIs that can cause bruxism. There may … Continue reading Treating TMJ Issues: some medications cause jaw clenching
I have discovered an excellent source of information about TMJ pain and dysfunction. It's a great website called Be My Healer offered by a doctor of physical therapy, Sophie Xie. She's got a couple of posts about TMJ issues. I am impressed with the quality of her posts in terms of credible information, writing to a … Continue reading Treating TMJ issues: types, causes, and exercises
Learning how to de-stress yourself is huge. Everyone experiences stress. It’s just part of life. Stress becomes an issue when there’s too much of it, and your system has trouble rebounding resiliently to a calm, alert state. How is this relevant to TMJ issues? So much TMJ misery is related to chronic and acute stress. … Continue reading Treating TMJ issues: de-stress quickly with these breathing techniques
For decades, the news has cautioned us about the ill effects of stress on our health, longevity, and happiness. But what is stress and how do you know when you are experiencing it? What does it have to do with jaw pain and dysfunction? Most of all, what can you do about it? Stress is … Continue reading Treating TMJ issues: the effects of stress
Are you aware that there is a pillow specially designed for people with TMJ and neck issues? I've had one for several years, and I love it. I take it with me when I travel and when I camp. Since I started using it, I've never woken up with neck or jaw pain. It's the Therapeutica … Continue reading Treating TMJ issues: sleep posture
You have nine jaw muscles: two pairs of large ones on the outside of your head (the masseters and temporalises), four small ones inside your mouth (two medial pterygoids and two lateral pterygoids), and one in the floor of your mouth (digastric). Any of them can get trigger points. What is a trigger point? It’s … Continue reading Treating TMJ issues: releasing trigger points in your jaw muscles
Previously I shared two links to YouTube recordings of music to heal the throat chakra in this post, in case you missed it. Today, I want to share more about this. Keep in mind that the throat chakra includes the throat, jaw, chin, mouth, lips, cheeks, nose, and ears — basically from the clavicles to … Continue reading Treating TMJ issues: music and meditation to heal the throat chakra