Do you suffer from teeth grinding? As a child I did suffer from teeth grinding, and now I don’t. So I’m living proof it can be cured. Teeth grinding may be accompanied by jaw clenching, blocked nose, tinnitus, sleep apnoea and headaches. Along with clicking jaw, painful jaw and sinus problems. Teeth grinding is so common, dentists are making splints/ mouth guards for a high percentage of their clients. These guards are uncomfortable, unsexy and do not fix the problem. Its a bandaid for a life long problem. In my clinic I have seen multitudes of women who wear a splint at night and would prefer not to. Some women also take medication to relax their jaw muscles to try to reduce teeth grinding. I say women because teeth grinding is far more prevalent in women compared with men. Saying that, men who suffer with sleep apnoea will often discover on a sleep test that they are teeth grinding . The body tries to open the airways when oxygen levels get so low, and it does so by clenching and grinding the teeth. The problem with teeth grinding and sleep apnoea is we are unconscious at night. We are unaware of what happens when we are asleep. It’s only in the morning when we wake up with a headache, pain in the jaw or fatigue, that we may suspect what happens at night. I practise Craniosacral therapy and inner mouth work to gently release the tension in the jaw muscles. Also it is essential to treat the neck tension and head tension. Its important to get help asap. As the small discs in the jaw joints, the TMJ, are extremely fragile and once damaged cannot heal themselves. Please don’t wait until the surgeons want to operate , this is much better avoided. I am happy to answer any questions, call me on 0409508020 if you suspect teeth grinding is causing you trouble.
About Caroline Welsh
Bellarine-based Manual Therapist specializing in the relief of TMJ pain, sleep apnoea and other musculo-skeletal problems. With over 30 years experience and many success stories, my goal is to help you live a more active and satisfying pain-free life.
Leave a Reply