Reaching out

[KatiePink]

Just reaching out for any advice on relaxation techniques that may have worked for you. Tips to stop tensing up I do it without noticing, I'm waking with such a sore jaw in the morning, I can't afford a mouth guard from the dentist at the moment.

I just need to destress but it doesn't come naturally to me.
Any advice appreciated x

[Fishmanpa]

Have you read THIS or the other articles on remedies and self help?

Positive thoughts

[KatiePink]

Have you read THIS or the other articles on remedies and self help?

Positive thoughts

This is really helpful and I've never even looked, thank you!

[MyNameIsTerry]

Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) is an old technique from the 1920's they still use today. My therapist gave me a worksheet for it, there are near identical ones online that are easy to find on Google Images.

Bruxism was one I had for about 6 months when I started a med. My dentist spotted it from the signs on my back teeth and asked me if I was having jaw pain, especially worse when waking and easing off slightly later in the night. Night grinding in my case.

I did some looking around about TMJ but my dentist told me it's not TMJ, just a clenching/grinding issue so I think TMJ is overused as I came across it on here before I was a member. Since then I've seen how quickly people jump from clenching/grinding and decide it's TMJ and remember what my dentist said about that.

He gave me an exercise, it did help. It was done at bedtime:

1. With closed mouth touch tongue to roof of mouth.

2. Open mouth wide and close.

3. Repeat.

It helps with jaw muscles.

Breathing techniques may help. Do them a few times a day to get your body used to feeling calmer.

Otherwise all the usual vids, recordings, etc for relaxation can be useful. Visualisation techniques can help.

[KatiePink]

Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) is an old technique from the 1920's they still use today. My therapist gave me a worksheet for it, there are near identical ones online that are easy to find on Google Images.

Bruxism was one I had for about 6 months when I started a med. My dentist spotted it from the signs on my back teeth and asked me if I was having jaw pain, especially worse when waking and easing off slightly later in the night. Night grinding in my case.

I did some looking around about TMJ but my dentist told me it's not TMJ, just a clenching/grinding issue so I think TMJ is overused as I came across it on here before I was a member. Since then I've seen how quickly people jump from clenching/grinding and decide it's TMJ and remember what my dentist said about that.

He gave me an exercise, it did help. It was done at bedtime:

1. With closed mouth touch tongue to roof of mouth.

2. Open mouth wide and close.

3. Repeat.

It helps with jaw muscles.

Breathing techniques may help. Do them a few times a day to get your body used to feeling calmer.

Otherwise all the usual vids, recordings, etc for relaxation can be useful. Visualisation techniques can help.

Thanks Terry I will try this every night, and I did start with the breathing techniques and they helped a lot to relax my body but then before I knew it anxiety had took over about something or other and I'd stopped, it's about consistency.

I've never been diagnosed with TMJ, my dentist saw evidence of grinding or clenching on back molars, I know I do not clench in the day so it's at night for me too, especially as im waking with a sore tight jaw. I do struggle with opening my mouth wide and head a clicking noise quite often, when very stressed one side of my jaw can hurt quite a lot for days. So I'm not too sure.

[MyNameIsTerry]

It was the same with my night grinding, Katie.

- couldn't open my mouth fully, it felt tight (some may see that's an unexpected perk though )
- couldn't close my teeth together, it felt tight.
- worse upon waking. Eased off a bit as the day went on.
- could be worse when eating but not a major factor for me outside of the worst times with it.
- felt like I had some sort of toothache but it was more the gums.
- swollen jaw muscles noted by the dentist along with the grinding but nothing wrong on the x-ray which he had taken weeks before to update their records (I was a new patient).
- pain down the right side of my face, sometimes both sides.
- sometimes a bit of neck pain.

I looked at night guards but they are pricey and some say they don't help anyway. Later when I joined the walk-in groups I spoke about it and the co-ordinator had been through it with his anxiety. He bought a nightguard but found it too uncomfortable to sleep in. That was one of my concerns as insomnia was a major problem for me earlier on.

What he did in the end was sleep with his little finger in the corner of his mouth and it worked! Whether he's a permanent thumb sucker these days, I'm not sure

I found the exercises worked well for me. I did them when it felt stiff in the day sometimes. But it got to a point where it wasn't getting any better and I found having a couple of paracetamol before bed helped.

I've only had it back here & there in the years since but never for more than a few days at the worst times.

Good to hear the breathing stuff works. I agree, we start feeling better and drop our healthy behaviours I've done that loads too.

[KatiePink]

It was the same with my night grinding, Katie.

- couldn't open my mouth fully, it felt tight (some may see that's an unexpected perk though )
- couldn't close my teeth together, it felt tight.
- worse upon waking. Eased off a bit as the day went on.
- could be worse when eating but not a major factor for me outside of the worst times with it.
- felt like I had some sort of toothache but it was more the gums.
- swollen jaw muscles noted by the dentist along with the grinding but nothing wrong on the x-ray which he had taken weeks before to update their records (I was a new patient).
- pain down the right side of my face, sometimes both sides.
- sometimes a bit of neck pain.

I looked at night guards but they are pricey and some say they don't help anyway. Later when I joined the walk-in groups I spoke about it and the co-ordinator had been through it with his anxiety. He bought a nightguard but found it too uncomfortable to sleep in. That was one of my concerns as insomnia was a major problem for me earlier on.

What he did in the end was sleep with his little finger in the corner of his mouth and it worked! Whether he's a permanent thumb sucker these days, I'm not sure

I found the exercises worked well for me. I did them when it felt stiff in the day sometimes. But it got to a point where it wasn't getting any better and I found having a couple of paracetamol before bed helped.

I've only had it back here & there in the years since but never for more than a few days at the worst times.

Good to hear the breathing stuff works. I agree, we start feeling better and drop our healthy behaviours I've done that loads too.

Yes I do it with everything, stop as soon as I get good results! I'd be scared to sleep with my finger in my mouth it might not be intact when I wake