Beyond the Bite Guard: Acupuncture Gets to the Why of TMJ and Jaw Tension

A couple years ago, my dentist said it looks like I'm grinding my teeth. And then ... I did nothing.

No surprise that she kept mentioning it every time I saw her after that. Have I gotten that bite guard she told me to get yet?

Um... this is embarassing. No, I had not.

I was a non-compliant patient! 

I did eventually relent and get that bite guard. (You can find them online for $99.) 

And then the headaches started. I don't get headaches! But here I was with my very first migraine. I'm self-diagnosing, but I've seen and treated enough patients with migraines to know what it is. Migraine-sufferers, you have my full sympathy, because they are truly horrible. 

The good news is - I knew what to do. It's just had to actually do it. 

In TCM, the jaw is part of the Stomach meridian. That makes sense, right? Chewing, digestion, etc. happen here. 

In most cases of TMJ and jaw pain that I see, however, the tension is along the Gall Bladder channel. 

➡️ Just because that's where the problem is located, it does NOT mean you have a problem in that organ! 

Most head pains, including jaw tension, TMJ, migraines, and headaches, are along the Gall Bladder channel.

It's a long, zig-zagging channel. Qi tends to get stuck there. 

To improve tension or pain on those channels, we use other points on those meridians that balance it out.

How do you know if it's balanced? The discomfort goes away. 

How long does it stay away? 

At first, it may only be a day or two.

With each treatment, it tends to stay better for longer periods of time. 

For most people with TMJ and jaw tension, there's usually another part of the story, as well.

Jaw tension usually means you have some Adrenal fatigue.

The Adrenals are your stress, hormone, and energy glands. They're like a battery pack for your body.

If you have low-grade, chronic stress (like kids or a full time job, haha); if you don't get enough rest; or if you've had an intense, high-stress situation, your body prepares to fight or flee. After the initial shock, you either go back to baseline normal, or you stay in the high-alert state of overactive Adrenal glands.

Until they start to lose power. 

The Adrenals also react strongly if you're going through a period of hormone adjustment (menopause, fertility challenges, pregnancy, etc).

Tension from stress subconsciously causes you to clench and grind. It's similar to when you're falling asleep and jerk yourself awake. Or when you get a muscle twitch or spasm. They're stress-reactions.

They can also be signs of mineral (potassium, magnesium, calcium, etc.) deficiencies. Keep in mind that more stress means your body pulls more vitamins and minerals from your reserves in order to "push through." 

The process of Adrenal repair is the key to long-lasting relief from TMJ and jaw pain. 

I say "repair" because it's rarely a quick-fix.

It's the body equivalent of an overdrawn bank account and credit card debt.

It will take time to pay it off and rebuild your reserves. It will take a concerted effort, if you're a "Type-A" kind of person, to tone things down a notch. For example, take a nap instead of having a second (or third) cup of coffee. 

Stop over-spending your energy! It's the same concept. 

I do use a bite guard, which is great for protecting your teeth. However, the bite guard does nothing to prevent tension from happening in the first place. 

To get to the root of Adrenal stress, you need enough rest & recovery time.  Acupuncture and herbs can help with this. 

The part you can do on your own at home is, of course, the rest & recovery. I think it helps to identify the stories you tell yourself about things you "have" to do. 

Things you may think you need to do but don't really need to do:

*work out - hard-core - every day.

*work more than 35 hours a week. Maybe? I don't know. Do you? I don't. 

*go out with friends every single weekend. And stay up super-late.

*volunteer. I love to volunteer at my kids' school and stuff like that, but at a certain point, I 'just say no.'

Remember, you can always say "yes" to things, and you also always have the freedom to change your mind. 

The best way to relax is to slow down.

Sit down. (Sitting is bad for your health? I don't think so! Sitting with poor posture is bad for your health. But so is standing or walking with incorrect alignment.) Even better, lay down. Weird fact - I start most of my workouts lying down. 

There is still movement happening, but it's subtle. It's the movement of your breath. Focus on that. It's the movement of your circulation. Use your mind's eye 👀🔮🙃 to visualize what's moving inside your body. 

You can be like ice --> no movement at all. This is stagnation. We don't want this. 

You can be like steam --> you've burnt yourself out. 

OR... You can be like a river --> moving, steady, flowing. 

Doing more stuff doesn't necessarily equate to better Qi flow.  Often, doing less is more. Like most of life, it's a balancing act.