In this week’s post I talk about natural remedies and solutions to help overcome Bruxism and Migraines. Written by Hypnotherapist Harley Street, Malminder Gill, 9 September 2015 published online via the Hypnosis in London Blog.

We have all had moments when something stressful causes us to clench our jaw and perhaps mutter some few choice words under our breath. This grinding of our teeth can be more serious if we are constantly taking our stress out on our jaw. Medically, the name for teeth grinding is Bruxism. Act of clenching and gritting our molars together may help you get through that frustrating moment, but could also lead to further issues that may need some additional acknowledgement and treatment to prevent pain or permanent damage to the body.

Often, people grind their teeth in their sleep as well as during the day. If your natural tendency is to clench and grind during those frustrating moments, often you will continue even when you are unaware. This behavior may increase your chance for recurring headaches and often leads to Migraines.

Anatomically, the joint, muscles, nerves, and ligaments that connect your jaw to your skull are constantly in motion as you speak, eat, drink, etc. When your jaw is at rest, which occurs when you are not actively moving it, the tissues and nerves have the ability to recover from use. Constantly grinding your teeth [Bruxism] doesn’t allow the body to return to a stable place of rest and the jaw area can become inflamed, sore and increase the likelihood of earaches, stress headaches and other more severe physical issues such as Migraines.

If you suffer from recurring Migraines, recognizing your physical triggers is important. Since Bruxism can be caused by more than stress and anxiety. Having a dental professional determine underlying causes of the grinding is a healthy option. According to TMJdisorders.com, “Bruxism and TMJ disorders can be potent triggers for migraines as the trigeminal nerve also innervates the jaw and jaw muscles…[pain] can be significantly decreased with treatment.”

A dentist could recommend a type of temporary splint that reduces the physical action of your jaw and prevents improper movement. Studies have shown that wearing such a device reduced the number of migraines the patients experienced per month [MigraineTrust.org]. Other treatments such as use of Botox has been used in migraine prevention. Treatments like this can also help give women more of a V shape jaw as well as prevent grinding of the teeth.

If you have recurring migraines a trip to a professional can help relieve some of the symptoms that add to your stress and anxiety. The link between teeth grinding and migraines is clear, but different patients require individual diagnosis and treatments. In the meantime, take a deep breath, and stretch those tired jaw muscles with a nice relaxing yawn.

Exercises for Bruxism can help relieve the jaw and help to prevent referred pain. Livestrong.com recommends relaxing your jaw, parting yor lips and placing your tongue on the roof of your mouth. Although this may also be hard to do with severe teeth grinding. It will take some practice and should be done regularly in addition to other specific exercises recommended for Bruxism.

Cranial/Facial massage combined with stretching and relaxing the jaw can help reduce the number of migraines and provide relief for those who grind. In addition, alternative therapies such as hypnosis or accupuncture may help those who suffer according to the Bruxism Association website. All of these treatments are recommended for Migraine sufferers as well. Videos are available on websites such as You Tube, that show tutorials for areas to massage for pain relief as well as proper techniques for performing the Bruxism exercises. Explore all of your options and utilize both professional and alternative therapies to help relieve your symptoms of Bruxism and perhaps some of your issues with Migraines will also be allieviated.

The physical link between Bruxism and Migraines is clear. There are symptoms and pain that is obviously an indivualized experience and should be reviewed by a professional. There are numerous treatments and therapies that are recommended for relief of patient complaints. Discover the right treatment for you.

If you are suffering from migraines and/or bruxism, it might be time to seek hypnotherapy to uncover and address the stress and anxiety which could be leading to the pain. For more information about Hypnosis for Bruxism and Migraines contact Malminder for private 1-2-1 sessions at her practice in Harley Street or online via Skype. You can also visit the online store for a relaxation Mp3 download to aid stress releif.

Sources & References:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001413.htm
http://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/t/teeth-grinding
http://www.migrainetrust.org/factsheet-jaw-tension-in-migraine-and-headaches-10889
http://www.tmjdisorders.com/migraine-headaches.aspx
http://www.livestrong.com/article/82020-bruxism-exercise/
http://www.bruxism.org.uk/management-of-sleep-bruxism.php

Malminder is a Clinical Hypnotherapist, NLP Master Coach and a published author. Stay in touch with Malminder:

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