Bruxism/Clenching

Bruxism and Clenching Can Increase Headache Pain

While there has been a recognized association between bruxism (grinding) and temporomandibular disorders, this has not been well-studied. Clenching has been associated with anxiety disorders, and may be highly comorbid with migraine as well. The trigeminal nerve, which is associated with migraine, also innervates the masseter muscle, which is the muscle responsible for clenching the jaw, and it is felt by many headache experts that activation of the trigeminal nerve—which happens in migraine—will result in activation of the masseter muscles during a migraine.

Clenching is also a possible adverse effect of the SSRI antidepressants.

by Christina Peterson, MD

updated Feb 8, 2010

ShareThis