Emotions and the Jaw

Ever wondered what it means when you hear phrases surrounding emotions being held in the body, or as the title of Bessel Van Der Kolk’s famous book suggests ‘the body keeps the score’?

 In particular, the jaw physically reacts to unexpressed stress and holding back your truth. There is meaning behind phrases such as ‘I had to bite my tongue’, ‘spoken through gritted teeth’, and ‘some things are best left unsaid.’ - Which makes me wonder, best for who, exactly?

When we experience oxidative stress, it activates our fight or flight response. The jaw is one of the first muscles to respond by clenching whilst the shoulders tighten, the psoas tenses, and our breathing becomes shallow. Even if there is no real threat, perceived stress sends the body into a protective response as it prepares for confrontation or defence.

The tensing of jaw muscles can be part of emotional motor response which is a physical action or change to the body caused by a specific feeling. For example, jumping in surprise or freezing with fear. Feelings and emotions are processed in the limbic system, the emotional part of the brain responsible for memory and human emotion. Here you will find the Amygdala, known as the primary controller which perceives new threats and activates the stress response leading to a cortisol release to prepare the body for action.

The Amygdala has the intelligence to recognise stressors associated with the memory of a specific event which may have occurred years ago. It also causes rhythmic muscle movement activity (RMMA) which is associated with unconscious teeth grinding. Overactivation in the Amygdala causes individuals to become vulnerable to new stress, and prone to experiencing anxiety and depression. All of which have been found to negatively impact sleep quality in a study on TMJ patients (Ecki et.al, 2020).

Recent findings also identified a common characteristic shared by men and women with sleep bruxism; Avoidance of unpleasant feelings such as anger, rage, aggression and depression. The word ‘depression’ literally comes from the latin meaning ‘to push down.’  It can be uncomfortable, painful or feel unsafe to express unpleasant emotions but if we do not find an outlet for them, they accumulate in the body which attempts to hold it all together.

Jaw tension represents that unspoken energy and can be a physical reflection of the following:

·        Unspoken anger / frustration

·        Fear of confrontation or speaking up

·        Feeling unheard or dismissed

·        A need for control in stressful environments

·        Anxiety

·        Emotional suppression

·        Unresolved issues and unprocessed trauma

Traditional Chinese medicine also sees jaw discomfort as the body’s physical expression of unresolved emotional tension and nervous system dysregulation. Stagnant liver Qi is caused by suppressed emotions and inability to speak freely. When the nervous system feels unsafe to speak, protest or express anger the jaw tightens. Difficulty in expressing our tears or frustration suppresses what needs to release. An increase in clenching may be intended to relieve psychological pressure.

Our bodies are always speaking to us. Practice using your voice in a way that feels safe by journalling or speaking your feelings out loud daily. Try gentle stretches which open the throat, neck and shoulders, and rebalance your chakra centres and release stagnant energy with mindful practices such as humming, breathwork techniques and meditation.

Holding back your true feelings is an unhealthy way to regulate emotions. Your feelings are valid and being able to process them can lead to a decrease in physical tension, greater self-awareness, growth and healing.

Giraki.M. et al. (2010). Correlation between stress, stress-coping and current sleep bruxism. Head and face medicine. 6.2. https://www.head-face-med.com/content/6/1/2

Ekici. Omer. (2020). Association of stress, anxiety and depression levels with sleep quality in patients with temporomandibular disorders. Cranio: The journal of craniomandibular practice. 41. 5. 407-415. DOI: 10.1080/08869634.2020.1861886.

Kreibig. S. et al. (2023). The role of emotion regulation, affect, and sleep in individuals with sleep bruxism and those without: Protocol for a remote longitudinal observational study. JMIR Research protocols. 12. DOI: 10.2196/41719.

Miletic. Et al. (2018). Stress assessment in patients with clinically diagnosed sleep bruxism. Vojnosanit Pregled. 75.10. DOI: 10.2298/vsp160902029M

Pavlou. J. et al (2023). Nutrient insufficiencies and deficiencies in the pathogenesis of bruxism (review). Experimental and therapeutic medicine. 26. 6. DOI: 10.3892/etm.2023.12262.

Santos Chemelo. V. (2020). Is there association between stress and bruxism? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Neurology. DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.590779.

Xu. L. et al (2021). Association of oral behaviours with anxiety, depression, and jaw function in patients with temporomandibular disorders in china: A cross-sectional study. Clinical research. 27. DOI: 10.12659/msm.929985

Van Der Kolk. B. (2014). The body keeps the score. Penguin: UK