Stress & Anxiety Can Lead to TMJ Disorder Dr. Meyer explains that temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ) can develop over time. This is as a result of restless, stress-induced sleep where you are grinding your teeth and jaw clenching unconsciously.
Some patients find some relief from TMJ pain and anxiety through stretching and massaging the jaw muscles, applying heat or ice to the affected area, and avoiding things like chewing gum or sticky foods that can make TMJ problems worse.
A TMJ-associated mood disorder is not uncommon; physical progress is easier when you overcome anxiety. Many people dealing with TMJ find that it's a chronic pain issue. Any time that a person experiences ongoing chronic pain it is possible to have depression and or mental health problems develop.
When your body goes through sickness and seems unresponsive to treatment, this can cause patients to stress out. That is why TMJ-induced anxiety is common with people dealing with shoulder, neck, or head pain. Some even have jaw pain and stress, tinnitus, clicking, headaches or dizziness as well.
Both stress and bruxism facilitate the development of chronic TMJ pain. “When stress causes chronic jaw tension and clenching, the jaw muscles start to fatigue and register pain.
Jaw. Emotions of anger and resentment are often held in our jaw and around the mouth. If you often have a sore throat, mouth ulcers or grind your teeth at night, it could be a sign that there is an excess of overactive or stagnant energy in this part of your body.
If you experience jaw pain, you should know about its link to emotions. Poor vagal tone is linked to things like clenching and grinding. When we have overstimulation of the trigeminal nerve from the masseter muscle, one of our main jaw muscles, we are in sympathetic nervous system (flight/flight) overdrive.
Antidepressants or Anti-Anxiety Medications
Tricyclic antidepressants can relieve TMJ pain for some people. You may benefit from these drugs even if you aren't suffering from depression. In other cases, stress can contribute to TMD symptoms, and anti-anxiety medications can be used to treat this issue.
The answer is “yes.” Stress can definitely contribute to TMJ, or even be a direct cause of TMJ. This is because stress is thought to be a big factor that contributes to grinding and clenching, also known as “bruxism.”
The link between stress/anxiety and jaw pain
Stress may subconsciously contribute to us clenching more frequently than usual, which creates more pressure within the jaw (or temporomandibular joints). Over time, this can lead to poor control of the muscles responsible for opening and closing the mouth.
Psychological Factors That Contribute to TMJ
Some personality types are more prone to developing TMJ than others. In particular, neurotic personality types and those described as “type D” are significantly more likely to develop TMJ.
Yes, TMJ disorder can affect your memory. TMJ disorder affects the body in a similar way to how chronic pain does, which can lead to several cognitive impairments, including shortened attention span, difficulty concentrating, and reduction in mental clarity.
Aching pain in and around your ear. Difficulty chewing or pain while chewing. Aching facial pain. Locking of the joint, making it difficult to open or close your mouth.
Perform TMJ exercises to help relaxation.
Some of the best exercises include: Resisted mouth openings, where you put a finger beneath your chin and open your mouth. Resisted mouth closings, in which you put a finger between your lower lip and chin and close your mouth. Forward and side-to-side jaw movement.
The good news is that most TMJ symptoms will clear up in no more than three weeks typically. However, certain TMJ conditions, especially those brought about by arthritis or bruxism, can last months or years, depending on the severity of the underlying condition.
Trauma: Acute trauma to the jaw and/or muscles of the jaw is a leading cause of TMJ injury and can often be attributed to car accidents, falls, punches, etc. In regard to auto accidents, a collision at a speed as low as 9 mph can cause whiplash, which can then cause a dislocation of the jaw joint.
In general, yes, the answer is that TMJ disorders may cause symptoms that a person would describe as "lightheadedness." You may also describe it as dizziness or feeling like you are about to fall.
Remember that for most people, discomfort from TMJ disorders will eventually go away on its own. Simple self-care practices are often effective in easing symptoms. If treatment is needed, it should be based on a reasonable diagnosis, be conservative and reversible, and be customized to your special needs.
According to research, taking magnesium supplementation is really helpful to get relief from TMJ pain. Keep in mind that magnesium has the ability to relax the muscles. As reported, most Americans have low magnesium levels, so taking magnesium supplementation can make a huge difference in that case.
Bite guards are the most widely recommended treatment for moderate TMJ symptoms. Research has found that splints can reduce TMJ pain and the risk of long-term side effects is minimal. There are two main types of dental splint, a TMJ mouthguard, and a bruxism (tooth grinding) mouthguard.
There are many potential muscle relaxants that can be used for TMJ. Two of the most common are cyclobenzaprine (Amrix and Fexmid) and diazepam (Valium).
The most common areas we tend to hold stress are in the neck, shoulders, hips, hands and feet. Planning one of your stretch sessions around these areas can help calm your mind and calm your body. When we experience stressful situations whether in a moment or over time, we tend to feel tension in the neck.
Trauma is not physically held in the muscles or bones — instead, the need to protect oneself from perceived threats is stored in the memory and emotional centers of the brain, such as the hippocampus and amygdala. This activates the body whenever a situation reminds the person of the traumatic event(s).
Exercise helps your body burn off adrenaline, release endorphins, calm your nervous system, and relieve stress. While any physical movement can help get your energy moving, some forms of exercise are especially helpful for trauma.