That’s so relatable. I did the same thing after my last adjustment—figured if I barely moved my jaw, it’d hurt less and maybe heal faster. But by the next day, it just felt stiff and weird, and chewing anything was a pain. Now I try to keep it moving a bit, but nothing too intense. Even just chatting or humming seems to make a difference. It’s tricky though, because I’m always worried about overdoing it and making things worse. Finding that middle ground is definitely key... and honestly, it saves me from needing extra pain meds, which is a win for my wallet too.
Finding that middle ground is definitely key...
I get what you mean about keeping it moving, but honestly, I kinda go the opposite way. After a tightening, I just let my jaw chill for a bit. Every time I tried to “work through” the pain, it felt like it just dragged things out and made me more sore. Maybe I’m just lazy, but sometimes just resting up works better for me. Guess everyone’s got their own sweet spot with this stuff.
Every time I tried to “work through” the pain, it felt like it just dragged things out and made me more sore.
That’s interesting, because my ortho actually encouraged gentle movement after tightening, saying it could help with stiffness. I was skeptical, but when I skipped moving my jaw, it seemed like the soreness lasted longer. Not saying you’re wrong—maybe it’s just one of those things where bodies react differently. I do wonder if there’s any research on this...
- Gentle movement can actually help reduce stiffness—think of it like stretching sore muscles after a workout.
- Too much movement, though, might just make things angrier down there.
- Some small studies suggest light jaw exercises can speed up recovery, but nothing super conclusive.
- Honestly, I found chewing gum (sugar-free) helped a bit, but only after the first day or two. Before that? Nope, just pain.
- Everyone’s pain threshold is different... if it hurts more, maybe ease up and let your body chill.
