Physiotherapy Management of Clenching

You all know what clenching is; you’ve done it when you’re stressed, angry and sometimes without even realising. For most people, clenching is a ‘sometimes’ habit and doesn’t really impact their day-to-day function, but for others who do it often enough, it can result in:

• cracked teeth

• jaw pain and tightness

• headaches

• neck and shoulder pain

What happens when you clench over long periods of time, is your clenching muscles become shortened, when this happens it makes it easier for the muscles to stay in a clenched rather than relaxed state, causing you to get ‘stuck’ in the chronic cycle of clenching.

The role of a physiotherapist involves several aspects:

1) Increasing your awareness to how frequently you are clenching

2) Providing education on the ideal tongue and jaw resting position - tongue stickers may be provided for those who require more feedback

3) Completing manual treatments to improve the length and reduce the sensitivity of the clenching muscles

4) Teaching you simple exercises to strengthen your tongue and relax your clenching muscles

If you’d like more details or would like to book in an appointment, see our Contacts page