How is stress linked to TMD?

How does our body respond to stress?

When we become stressed over a situation, our body reacts with a fight or flight response. Sometimes stress is a good thing, like when we have to make an important life decision or think fast to avoid a car accident. Stress can sharpen our focus and drive us to take action.

Our stress response is physical - the body releases extra hormones to help us rise to the challenge, and our muscles tighten as we get ready to fight or fly.

Stress is just stress. Unfortunately, the body does not really distinguish between different types of stress, as with an argument with a friend vs. a life-or-death crisis. The physical stress response is pretty similar in each case.

Continued stress over a long period of time causes the physical response to be repeated and can potentially lead to harmful effects on the body:

• Negative physical reactions to stress can include stomach upset, diarrhea, dizziness or blurred vision, nervousness, sleep disruption, rapid heart rate, anxiety or panic attacks (to name a few).

• Clenching our jaw and tightening our facial muscles is also a common response to stress; and, for some people, bruxism can be a physical reaction to stress.

Can Stress Cause TMD?

Symptoms of temporomandibular joint disorders can include jaw pain, ear pain, headaches and migraine headaches, as well as jaw joint popping and clicking sounds. Repetitive clenching or bruxism can place added strain on the TMJ muscles and tendons; this could contribute to improper function of the jaw joint and result in a TMD diagnosis. If a patient already has TMD, stress can heighten pain and make symptoms worse.

Our TMJ dentist Dr. Leigh Bennett generally recommends considering ways to reduce stress levels and daily stress management techniques like deep breathing and meditation as part of treatment for TMJ disorders.