Funny, my jaw always acts up more on the right—guess we’re all a little asymmetrical. I’ve tried the massages too, and they do help, but only if I’m consistent (which is, uh, rare). What’s made the biggest difference for me is focusing on my posture during the day. Turns out, slouching at my desk somehow translates into more tension in my jaw muscles. My physical therapist called it “postural compensation,” which sounds fancier than it feels.
Stress is definitely the trickiest part. Even with all the relaxation techniques and mindfulness apps, my jaw still decides to clench up whenever work gets hectic. Sometimes I catch myself doing it while just scrolling through emails... classic. I’ve heard some people swear by mouth guards at night, but I haven’t tried one yet—partly because I’m not sure if I’d actually keep it in.
Honestly, it’s a lot of trial and error. The small wins—like waking up with less stiffness—do feel encouraging though. Makes you realize how much these little habits sneak into daily life.
I get the posture thing, but honestly, I never noticed much difference for my jaw pain when I tried to sit up straighter. For me, the mouth guard actually helped way more—surprised me, since I was convinced I’d spit it out in my sleep. Turns out, I kept it in and woke up way less sore. Maybe worth a shot, even if it feels weird at first.
That’s actually super reassuring to hear about the mouth guard. I’ve been hesitant because I thought I’d just wake up with it on the floor or something. Glad it worked for you—maybe I should just get over the weirdness and give it a proper try.
I thought I’d just wake up with it on the floor or something.
Honestly, that was my worry too, but after the first couple nights I barely noticed it. If you get one that fits right, it really does stay put. I used to clench my jaw so bad, and the mouth guard made a bigger difference than I expected. It’s a little weird at first, but you get used to it way faster than you’d think.
I totally relate to the fear of waking up with the thing lost somewhere in my sheets... or worse, choking on it. I kept checking my pillow the first few nights. Weirdly enough, it stayed put and I stopped noticing it after a while, like you said. Still, I do get anxious about cleaning it properly—germs freak me out more than the jaw pain sometimes. Anyone else paranoid about that? Maybe I’m just a germaphobe, but hey, at least my jaw hurts less now.
