docMorning Headaches
Sleeping represents a time to heal and recover from the daily grind. A restful night of sleep makes for a better day. However, some people wake up with a morning headache. And this is no way to get the day off to a good start. Why is it that we sometimes wake up with morning headaches?
There are many reasons why we wake up with a headache. They range from excessive alcohol consumption to poor diet or electronic and digital overload. People who snore or who suffer from sleep apnea often wake up with headaches. Nerve impingement or poor blood flow can lead to headaches. Another reason we wake up with a headache is due to nighttime clenching (or grinding) of our teeth.
Clenching and Headaches
What is clenching? Clenching is the action of squeezing our back teeth together. Clenching happens for a number of reasons. We clench our teeth as a protective measure. For example, when we want to lift something heavy or some similar action we clench our teeth. When we are going to punch someone (or get punched), we do the same. We clench our teeth when we are stressed, studying for a test or a job interview. Some medications (both prescription and over-the-counter) cause clenching. And so forth. As you see there are a lot of reasons why we clench our teeth. And there are more reasons that we still don’t fully know. However, one thing is for sure. Excessive clenching leads to other problems, one of them being headaches.
Muscle Tension Causes Headaches
Our body at its core has a skeleton. This skeletal structure (e.g. bones, spine, skull) is then covered with layers upon layers of muscles (and lots of other soft tissue we won’t discuss). Muscles are attached to the underlying bones. And they can place stress and tension on the muscles when they become active.
Our skull is essentially several bones that are semi-fused together. This allows the skull to change shape along these fissure lines. When the muscles of the head and neck get too strong, they place tremendous stress on the bones. It is this squeezing action that causes headaches. Clenching causes the chewing muscles which encase the sides of the skull to get immensely strong. That’s why people who clench regularly get headaches.
Clenching also leads to problems for the teeth and the jaw joints.
Clenching – Broken Teeth – TMJ
Clenching also places a great amount of force on the teeth causing some of them to chip, crack, break or get loose. Any of these can result in dental pain. And dental pain itself is a risk factor for developing headaches. And we haven’t even talked about the impact clenching has on the jaw joints yet. The joints can suffer damage leading to further pain as well as movement issues for the jaw.
The harmful effects of clenching are obvious. So what can be done to stop this harmful habit?
Treatment Concepts
When it comes to treating “headaches”, it is more about managing versus curing the headache. And while some headaches are effectively cured once the cause is discovered and treated, others can only expect improvement in symptoms.
People who clench their teeth do so at different intensities and different times. Some people clench their teeth while sleeping, others while awake. Some people clench around the clock. If it is discovered that you do suffer from nighttime clenching, then a sleeping mouth guard is recommended. While this mouth guard doesn’t “cure” the patient of the desire to clench, it stops the action of clenching by the patient.
For people who clench while awake, we can use therapies aimed at modifying their “clenching” behavior. Botox has also proven effective in helping patients with clenching and grinding.
Let’s Get Started
Let’s face it. Headaches are a drag, on your health, social and professional life. Our TMJ dentist has years of experience treating patients who suffer from headaches. We can help you too. Contact us now at (760) 510-1157 to get started. You can also fill out the contact form below and we’ll reach out to you.