I recently began a very stressful job in which I keep very late hours. As a result I have begun to experience a lot of tension in my jaw which has in turn been giving me head aches. Perhaps I am grinding my teeth in my sleep. I consciously try to relax my jaw during waking hours but the ache and tension in my jaw nevertheless persist. It’s getting to the point where my jaw is so stiff that it is hard to open my mouth all the way. Has anybody experienced anything similar?? Should I start smoking pot again to relax myself. I don’t feel particularly stressed, but I am extremely focused and am concentrating for long periods at a time. I have even stopped drinking coffee but that hasn’t helped. Any ideas dopers??
I have the same problem at times. Try to be more aware of when you are doing it and relax your jaw when ever you realize what’s going on. It’ll get to be a habit. That sounds like kind of stupid advice but that’s what worked for me.
Haj
For nighttime grinding: don’t drink caffeine within something like 3 hours of bedtime. A dentist can make you a guard to protect your teeth while you sleep.
For daytime grinding: you could get an athletic mouthpiece to chew on. Trim it a little to make it more comfortable to wear.
I recently saw an oral surgeon for a TMJ evaluation. What I have, it turns out, is not worth worrying about at this time, fortunately. However, the symptoms you describe are exactly those the doctor told me to be on the lookout for as indicators that something would need to be done.
If I were you, therefore, I would run not walk to get a recommendation from my dentist or M.D. for an oral surgeon to take a look at that.
Hope this helps.
What is TMJ??
A couple of months ago I had a very sore jaw so I went to the doctors.
She had a look in my ear and it turned out I had an ear infection and that was what was causing the jaw ache.
Sorry. Here you go: http://www.merck.com/pubs/mmanual_home/sec8/96.htm