Foto: iStock.com/michelangeloop

…the tip to «grit your teeth» is perhaps well meant, but in actual fact leads to tension in the jaw and neck muscles, which has many negative effects.

These muscles, also called «stress muscles», are often unnecessarily and unwittingly tensed in everyday life, e.g., because you are concentrating intensely, feeling overwhelmed, annoyed by something, constantly suppressing your desires or opinions, or are emotionally very tense. This can result in headaches or toothache, impaired vision, hearing problems, tension in the neck, shoulders and often even in the pelvic area.

Relaxation and stretching bring improvement

In view of the diverse effects caused by tension in the jaw and small neck muscles, it is all the more important to become aware of the problem and do specific exercises on a regular basis to relax. Because when these muscles are loosened again, not only can the problems mentioned above disappear, but on the physical level your blood and lymph also flow again, and compressed nerves can recover. And last but not least, a sense of calm, serenity, balance, and recovery can spread out through your mental sphere again.

Specific exercise examples can be found in the audio book «Kiefer-Entspannung» (Jaw Relaxation) by Heike Höfler, which is published by the TRIAS Verlag. More information (in German)