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Teeth Grinding
Bruxism is clenching or grinding the teeth, usually during sleep and usually without any awareness of doing it. It loads the jaw muscles and joint heavily for hours at a time, and the result is morning jaw ache, headaches and dental wear. Physiotherapy will not stop the grinding itself, but it treats what the grinding does — and that is often what people actually want relief from.
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Does this sound like you?
Most people have several of these, not all of them.
- Jaw ache and tightness on waking
- Headaches at the temples, worst in the morning
- Worn, chipped or sensitive teeth
- Visibly enlarged muscles at the angle of the jaw
- A partner reporting grinding noises at night
Why it happens
- Stress and anxiety, the most common driver
- Sleep disorders, including sleep apnoea
- Certain medications, notably some antidepressants
- Caffeine and alcohol, particularly in the evening
- Bite issues, which is where a dentist comes in
What we would do about it
Roughly in this order — each step waits for the one before it.
- Dry needling and soft tissue release to the chewing muscles
- Manual therapy to the jaw joint and the neck
- Jaw relaxation and awareness strategies for daytime clenching
- Sleep and stress management advice
- Working alongside your dentist, who may provide a night splint
- Addressing the neck, which contributes to the headache pattern
See a doctor first if
- Your pain followed a significant injury
- It is getting worse rather than settling
- It comes with numbness, weakness or unexplained weight loss
This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Symptoms overlap between conditions, so the right treatment depends on an assessment.
We treat the damage, your dentist treats the teeth
A splint protects your teeth but does not settle the muscles. Hands-on treatment to the jaw and neck is what relieves the morning ache and the headaches. Ask a question first, or call us on 0403 907 587.
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Other jaw conditions we treat
Related reading: jaw joint pain and restriction, clicking and locking and neck-driven headaches.
General information only, not advice about your own problem — nothing here replaces an assessment. Source: Temporomandibular Disorders on Physiopedia.
