Why Anxiety Can Cause Jaw Tightness (And What You Can Do About It)

Chest pain…sweating…elevated heart rate…shortness of breath…jaw tightness. Are you having a heart attack, or is it your anxiety?

This question isn’t always taken seriously by those who haven’t dealt with stubborn anxiety. Long-term stress and worry lead to physical symptoms that can be debilitating, like persistent jaw pain and discomfort from tension. 

Why does anxiety cause jaw tightness, and how can you relieve the discomfort? We’ll dive into the answers to those questions here.

How Stress and Anxiety Affect Jaw Muscles

The terms “stress” and “anxiety” are thrown around today to describe everything from feeling nervous about an upcoming test or deadline to severe phobias that limit daily activities. 

The two terms are used interchangeably and have similar symptoms, like sleep bruxism — unconscious teeth grinding and jaw clenching that leads to painful facial and neck muscles and other physical issues. 

“Stress and anxiety” is the number one cause of grinding. Although they’re thrown together in research studies, the terms are actually quite different. Understanding the nuances helps you recognize how to manage your jaw tightness effectively.

Stress and Your Body’s Response

Stress is a normal, temporary reaction to internal and external stimuli. The body releases cortisol, telling each system to be alert for threats. 

It’s part of our human survival system; we’re wired to respond to stressors (like hunger or danger) to keep us safe. Sudden onset stress causes the muscle to tense up all at once, like bracing before impact in a car accident. The tension is released when the stress passes.

Most stress dissipates when the stimulus disappears, but chronic stress — a reaction to ongoing real concerns that keeps the fight-or-flight response hypervigilant — can persist and have long-term physical effects. 

Because your body is constantly on high alert, the jaw muscles unconsciously clench and tighten (as seen with bruxism), which strains the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and leads to jaw problems, pain, headaches, and overall discomfort. What starts as a survival mechanism turns into something that can cause permanent damage.

Anxiety and Your Body’s Response

On the other hand, anxiety happens when you’re living in a “future-oriented” state. Instead of being reactive to current stimuli, you’re on alert for anticipated threats, whether realistic or unrealistic. 

Think of anxiety as the butterflies in your stomach before you’re about to do something new and important. Asking someone to marry you. Standing in front of a crowd to give a speech for the first time. Taking a test that’s going to make or break whether you pass or fail a class. 

Anxiety can be a wake-up call that we need to pay attention, study harder, or work more diligently to ensure we do well on this big thing. But when it happens excessively or chronically, it becomes problematic, often reaching the anxiety disorder level:

• General anxiety disorder - Persistent worry
• Panic disorder - Characterized by panic attacks
• Specific phobias - Anxiety that kicks in when dealing with fear of a particular object or situation
• Social anxiety - Fear of engaging in social situations because of worry of negative judgment

These anxiety disorders are mental, but can show up physically as restlessness, irritability, sleep issues, and avoidance of activities. 

Over time, high levels of tension in the neck and surrounding areas cause the jaw muscles to contract, and nighttime grinding becomes a regular part of your sleep cycle.

Signs Your Jaw Tightness is Stress-Related and Not Something Else

Anxiety and stress can cause tight jaw muscles, but so can many other factors. Let’s look at some of the other common reasons for a tight jaw:

• Bruxism: Chronic clenching and grinding can happen due to genetics, sleep disorders, excessive use of alcohol or other stimulants, and more. Whatever the cause of your bruxism, your jaw muscles are working overtime, leading to fatigue and tightness.
• TMJ: The delicate TMJ is easily inflamed or dislocated, making the muscles around it spasm and tense up. Long-term TMJ issues are referred to as a temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD).
• Sleep apnea: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) occurs when your airway becomes obstructed, triggering reflexes that cause the jaw to clench and tighten during sleep. OSA can be dangerous (or deadly in the most severe cases). If you think you may have sleep apnea, talk to your healthcare provider as soon as possible.
• Misaligned bite: Your natural bite uses particular muscles in an organic design that keeps the system working as it’s intended. But when your bite is uneven or misaligned, these jaw mechanics shift, forcing certain muscles to work harder to overcompensate. 
• Excessive chewing: Chewing gum, steaks, and other tough or sticky foods (as well as talking too much) can lead to tight muscles. 
• Trauma: Have you had a direct injury to the jaw or face recently? Trauma activates the immune system, triggering inflammation and protective muscle spasms. This tightness could be part of your healing process.
• Arthritis: Arthritis is any joint inflammation, including of the jaw joint. When this area is inflamed, it alters how the jaw moves, forcing the attached muscles to work harder to maintain jaw stabilization.
• Sinusitis: Yes, even your sinuses can cause jaw pain! Inflamed sinus cavities send pressure down towards the jaw, and the muscles around it tense up to protect it.
• Other, less common reasons: Don’t discount other important causes of jaw pain, including tetanus, cardiac arrest, and fibromyalgia.

With so many reasons for your jaw to be tight, it’s vital to recognize that stress or anxiety might be causing it, but it might not be, either.

What’s the Difference Between Stress-Related Muscle Tension and Other Causes?

Because the symptoms of stress-related jaw tightness can overlap with other signs, how can you tell if your tight jaw is something to be concerned about immediately?

The good news (if you want to call it that) is that mental health causes of muscle tension usually have other signs along with jaw tightness. You can be pretty sure your issues are stress or anxiety-related if you notice the following physical symptoms, as well:

• Pain and soreness across your neck and shoulder muscles, sometimes into the lower back
• Signs of teeth grinding, like chipped or cracked teeth, sensitive enamel, and receding or bleeding gums (Night Guard Info – Three Long-Term Negative Effects of Teeth Grinding)
• Headaches
• Earaches
• Limited jaw movement when you chew or speak
• Jaw popping and clicking
• General facial muscle tiredness
• Bite changes

These signs can be mild and easy to ignore, but when they’re accompanied by jaw tightness, chances are, you’re dealing with the physical manifestation of stress or anxiety.

Home Remedies to Treat Jaw Tightness

Getting rid of the things causing you stress or anxiety is the best way to heal your jaw, but it’s often easier said than done. While you work on adjusting your life to the ultimate goal of becoming stress- and anxiety-free, try these home methods to relieve the discomfort of a tight jaw.

Jaw Massages

Adding gentle pressure to the jaw muscles with your fingers increases blood flow and releases trigger points. Rub the tight area in small circles to ease the overactive jaw and remind it to relax. 

Stretching Exercises

Yes, even your jaw muscles can benefit from a bit of stretching and exercise, and talking doesn’t count! Controlled opening and closing exercises for your jaw help lengthen tight muscles, improving mobility and reducing the reflexes that cause the jaw to clench and tense up. 

Ice Packs

Ice packs are part of the healing process for many ailments. The application of cold for 10-15 minutes reduces inflammation and numbs the nerves causing pain. This helps the jaw muscles relax and speeds up the recovery process. If you don’t have a dedicated cold pack for injuries, grab a frozen bag of veggies. 

Dietary Changes

Got tight jaw muscles? Make a temporary diet change to soft foods only. 

Avoiding chewy and sticky foods like steak or caramel, hard foods like apples and celery, and anything that causes your jaw muscles to open wide or work overtime gives your mouth a much-needed break.

Posture Changes

Your mother was right: posture matters. Adjusting for the proper posture correction — where your head and neck are aligned — reduces the strain that comes from today’s typical forward-head posture from electronics use. With the right alignment, your muscles don’t work as hard to do the basics, like keeping your head on straight and chewing your food.

Over-the-Counter Medication

While it’s not a go-to for everyone, OTC medication can be just what your tight jaw muscles need to relax. This result isn’t just palliative and temporary. Anti-inflammatories and pain relievers decrease the pain signals that put your protective muscle on guard.

Stress Reduction Techniques

Even if something else is causing your muscle tightness, incorporating stress reduction techniques into your day is a good idea for overall well-being. A little yoga, some journaling, a walk in nature, and any kind of exercise or activity you enjoy can lower stress, decreasing subconscious clenching and muscle tension. You might find it puts you in a better mood, too, making it easier to deal with otherwise stressful situations.

Custom-Fit Night Guards

Night guards look like teeth whitening trays. They slide over your upper or lower teeth, forming a protective barrier that prevents the arches from touching. Your jaws can’t gain traction to clench and grind, and your muscles get to relax. 

Custom-made night guards from reputable online professionals, like ours at JS Dental Lab, are affordable, high-quality, and delivered right to your door!

How to Know If It’s Time to See a Dentist

Not all jaw pain can be fixed at home, though. Sometimes, physical problems require expert intervention. If you notice any of these symptoms, you’ll need to see a dentist to discuss your treatment options. 

Warning Signs That Medical Help is Needed

Is your jaw making clicking and popping sounds that just won’t go away? When you’ve had ongoing noises and your jaw seems to be “locking” occasionally, something is going on beneath the surface. Let your dentist check your oral health out and see if you may need some extra treatment.

The same thing is true if you have trouble opening and closing the mouth, even if there’s no audible clicking, popping, or jaw discomfort. These warning signs are your body’s way of telling you there’s a serious issue that needs to be addressed, such as a TMJ disorder.

When your jaw pain is persistent, lasting beyond a few days and not responding to any of the above home remedies you’ve tried, wave the white flag and call your dentist.

Most importantly, if the pain radiates from the jaw into the neck or is accompanied by fever, redness, or other signs of infection, don’t wait. Call the dentist or head to your nearest urgent care facility or emergency room. Infection can be dangerous; the earlier you treat it, the easier it is to recover from.

Dentistry Treatment Options

What might you expect is on the agenda when you finally visit the dentist? 

The answer depends on the cause of your muscle tension and your overall oral health. With jaw pain tightness, it can be one of many potential treatment options, such as:

• Oral splints or night guards 
• Bite adjustments
• Dental restorations such as veneers or crowns

In severe cases, oral surgery may be recommended to correct bite misalignments or fix structural joint problems or damage causing tightness. However, surgery is typically a last-resort option after conservative care.

Other Professional Care Treatments for Jaw Tightness

Don’t be surprised if, after home remedies and consistent night guard use, your dentist refers you to other professionals for ongoing jaw tightness issues. 

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy is a great way for you to learn targeted stretching and strengthening techniques to reduce muscle guarding and clenching. You’ll focus on retraining your body for proper posture and teaching your mouth how to settle into its natural bite again. With the right alignment, the surrounding muscles around your skeleton relax back into their natural places, too.

Medication

Prescription medication from your healthcare provider — whether muscle relaxants or anti-inflammatories — can be short-term measures to decrease spasm and pain enough to help you stretch and exercise your jaw muscles.

TMJ Pain Treatments

TMJ pain treatments, including Botox injections, biofeedback, and TENS therapy, are standard methods of helping to relieve muscle tightness and heal damaged joints.

Behavioral Therapy

And just because there’s a physical reason for your jaw to be tight doesn’t mean some mental stuff isn’t going on, too. Add a few sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or general psychotherapy to your treatment plan to create a holistic toolkit that keeps your stress levels low while you’re healing the skeletal and muscular system, too. 

Conclusion

Anxiety and stress are everyday parts of life for most of us. With your busy schedule, it can be challenging to incorporate relaxation techniques into your daily routine. 

However, something as simple as a few minutes of journaling instead of mindless scrolling on the phone can make all the difference in your cortisol levels, relieving muscle tightness and neck pain.

Whatever’s causing your jaw to tighten up, wearing a night guard from JS Dental Lab while you sleep gives your muscles overnight relief from clenching. You may have 99 problems, but bruxism doesn’t need to be 1 of them when you wear our custom-made oral appliance to reduce your jaw tightness. 

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