If you grind your teeth at night you know the pain of Bruxism.

It is not done on a conscious level. While you sleep at night your jaw tightens causing your teeth to push together forcefully. The movement may even be a slight back and forth which can wear the jaw and teeth down even more.

Night time teeth grinding causes you to have a painful jaw in the morning, even sometimes waking you up in the middle of the night with the need for an anti-inflammatory or ice application. Holding an ice pack to your face can help sooth the discomfort. Who wants to be up all night icing their face though, no one.

Bruxism is diagnosed by looking visually at the wear of teeth, inside mouth bite marks, reports of tooth grinding noises during sleep, and a feeling of jaw exhaustion and tiredness.

Some possible solutions are to wear a dental guard at night, take turmeric daily (a natural anti-inflammatory), and if necessary, keep an ice pack in the freezer. While these all help, the real cause can stem from stress and or a misaligned set of teeth or your jaw being slightly off.

Surprisingly spinal subluxations can cause bruxism. Once corrected through chiropractic treatment and adjustments, the grinding stops.

If jaw or tooth pain is keeping you up at night your first stop may be your dentist to check to make sure your teeth are healthy but we also highly recommend a visit your chiropractor for an exam and adjustment. Living with jaw pain can be unbearable. There is no reason to go on day to day like that.

• Wear a mouth guard at night
• Reduce your stress levels
• Take Turmeric daily
• Take Nsaid anti-inflammatories only when necessary
• Use an ice pack to reduce inflammation
• Visit your dentist to rule out tooth issues
• Visit your chiropractor and get the root cause adjusted

Keep in mind the Bruxism is not the same as TMJ. TMJ disorder is a condition which involves pain and improper function of the muscles and joints that attach the lower jaw to the skull. It can be helped through chiropractic treatment as well, but requires a much longer course of treatment and is more difficult to correct.

Nutritionist | Chiropractor in Ft Myers, FL

Chiropractic care is a safe, alternative treatment when applied appropriately. Chiropractic treatments help in dealing with the symptoms of many conditions. Add to that, nutritional recommendations that can help your body heal itself. Are you going to wait for your symptoms to be felt, or are you going to prevent it as soon as possible?

Dr. Jason B. Kaster, a chiropractor in Fort Myers can help you and your family achieve their optimal health.