Teeth grinding/jaw clenching
So, I've been doing great with not googling, using rational thoughts to combat my HA, and finding different ways to relax. However, I find myself still incredibly tense and I've having a hard time with teeth grinding and clenching my jaw when I feel anxious. Has anyone had symptoms that resulted in shoulder pain, neck tension, eye blurriness (I'd venture to say this is a tension/allergies combo), and ear clogging from this? I'm not too worried because I'm almost a hundred percent sure that it's causing this but anyone have tips to stop this, aside from a mouth guard?
Thanks
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Re: Teeth grinding/jaw clenching
Yeah, it's one of those weird things that you don't know you're doing but can affect all sorts of other things.
Teeth grinding is something I do a lot, but I do find that when it's happening a lot it helps if I consciously stretch my jaw out and take 5 minutes several times a day to mindfully unclench, it helps alleviate symptoms.
I did buy a mouthguard once, but I found it actually made the problem worse as it allowed me to bite down even harder, I almost chewed through it.
Ultimately it's best to focus on overall relaxation rather than the individual symptom itself.
Re: Teeth grinding/jaw clenching
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ankietyjoe
Yeah, it's one of those weird things that you don't know you're doing but can affect all sorts of other things.
Teeth grinding is something I do a lot, but I do find that when it's happening a lot it helps if I consciously stretch my jaw out and take 5 minutes several times a day to mindfully unclench, it helps alleviate symptoms.
I did buy a mouthguard once, but I found it actually made the problem worse as it allowed me to bite down even harder, I almost chewed through it.
Ultimately it's best to focus on overall relaxation rather than the individual symptom itself.
Thank you for replying. I'm gonna try some progressive muscle relaxation targeted for the jaw this weekend and see if that helps. Even knowing what's causing the symptoms seems to set off my anxiety so I'm willing to try anything.
