The Biggest Culprits
Physical and Emotional Stress
While emotional stress is certainly one culprit, David J. Calabro, DC—a certified pediatric and pregnancy chiropractor and functional medicine practitioner in Linwood, New Jersey—says physical stress also plays a role. That includes falls, accidents, and traumas such as falling off a bicycle, jamming your head getting out of a car, or undergoing a C-section delivery (which puts extra stress on the neck). Even if these things happened when you were young, “they can manifest years later as pain or other symptoms,” he adds. But here’s the kicker: Too much emotional stress manifests as an increase in physical stress. “You might hold more tension in your body, stress-eat (which can drive weight gain and add to more physical stress), or use poor posture,” Calabro explains.
Bad Postural Habits
Unfortunately, modern-day living exacerbates poor posture. Maybe you have an office or a work-from-home station that’s not set up properly: The mouse is positioned too far away and your arm is overstretched for too long, which can cause shoulder and neck tension that extends into your jaw. Perhaps your head is too far in front of your shoulders, which puts extra stress on the joints and muscles of the neck, shoulders, and jaw; which Calabro says can affect nerves at the base of your skull. Joyce notes that because so much of what modern living requires is forward-focused—sitting at a desk, looking at your iPhone, even driving—and because most people don’t perform mobility or strengthening exercises to counteract poor posture, you’re bound to experience tension at some point. If you don’t get this tension under control, it can create bigger issues. “Basically, it can lead to pain, soreness, stiffness, tenderness, arthritis, loss of mobility, muscle spasms, muscle loss, muscle imbalance, numbness, tingling and burning in the arm and hands, and other neurological pains and symptoms,” Calabro says. It can also exacerbate existing conditions like high blood pressure, headaches, migraines, and sinus problems. At the very least, tension, pain, or aching in the neck, face, and jaw is plain old uncomfortable. So how do you keep it in check and find relief? While you may need to seek medical care, especially if the tension is caused by a structural issue like a joint dysfunction or dental condition, these six strategies can help get things under control. RELATED: 14 Meditation, Mindfulness, and Breathing Apps to Help You Keep Your Cool If you’ve been clenching your teeth all day, this could be a little uncomfortable, so go nice and easy. RELATED: 4 Self-Massage Techniques That Can Help You Relax at Home Set a recurring timer for every 30 minutes to remind you it’s time to switch it up. RELATED: 3 Gentle Stretches for Upper Back and Neck Pain From Hours of Sitting (and Stress) For the first stretch: For the second stretch, start in the same seated position as above—but before applying pressure on or tipping your head toward the right shoulder:
