Are you a teeth grinder/clencher?

I, Dr. Katelyn used to and currently still struggle with clenching and grinding my teeth at night. For me, it is totally involuntary and sometimes I wake up and I can't open my mouth more than an inch. Before I started receiving chiropractic care, I tried mouth guards, orthodontics, calming supplements and facial massage to help relieve my intense jaw pain and headaches. Everything I tried was a band-aid and helped for a few hours, but I would go to sleep and wake up the next day with the same issues. I even considered getting Botox in my TMJ because the pain was so intense, but I was WAY too nervous about getting a shot in my face.

Now, let's break down what teeth grinding is. Teeth grinding, or Bruxism, is a very common side effect of physical and/or emotional stress in a person's life. What this means is that people who have high sympathetic tone or an elevated fight or flight response, they are activating the TMJ muscles unintentionally. Teeth grinding can happen at night or during the day and has negative side effects no matter when it occurs. Some of these effects can include jaw pain, headaches, and dental issues. While most people don't even realize they are doing it, they definitely feel the effects. This is where we come in! We can help with finding the root cause of your physical stress, balance the nervous system and calm the muscles down. Yes, there can be an emotional component to it as well, but in my experience, going to the chiropractor was my first step to implementing healthy self care habits into my day to day life. Once I started implementing getting adjusted weekly (sometimes more), I instantly noticed a reduction in headaches and jaw pain. As I said earlier, it is a constant battle for me as it was not only physical stress but also emotional stressors as well. Some ways that I combat emotional stressors is journaling, going on a walk without headphones or other distractions, listening/singing worship music and turning on my oil diffuser with a calming blend like serenity or balance. If it is really bad, I will actually drive in silence to and from work. In this crazy life, we do not get a lot of quiet time to ourselves. This is one of the only times I can get true alone time to hear myself think.

So when my jaw acts up, I know there is something going on that needs more attention in my life, aaannddd I need to get adjusted