10 Causes of Jaw Pain
Reviewed: Dr. Gromatzky
Cause #4: Emotional Stress
Emotional stress is a feeling of pressure or strain. It is considered to be a type of psychological pain. Some examples of emotional pain include depression, anxiety, and anger. When an individual is stressed, it may increase their pain by increasing the visceral, autonomic, and skeletal activity and reducing the inhibition of the descending pathways of the limbic system.
This can be described as the “anxiety-pain-tension” cycle that is often seen in TMJD. The negative emotions cause teeth grinding and increased muscular contraction of the face producing pain and anxiety. This prolongs muscular spasms, ischemia, vasoconstriction, and the release of pain mediators.
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