The human jaw and neck have different anatomical structures and have symptoms interconnected to each other since they have the same pathway of nerves and muscle attachment points. The jaw is an essential part of the face while the neck is responsible for holding the head in its place. The jaw bones helps in chewing and swallowing food, while the structures in the mouth are protected by the jaw.
Tightness of the jaw and neck causes discomfort. An individual with a stiff jaw finds it difficult to chew food properly and causes discomfort when swallowing food.
Causes of jaw and neck stiffness
- People who have the habit of clenching and grinding the teeth. Take note that both of these can cause muscle spasms of the jaw joint and leads to a stiff jaw.
- Arthritis of the jaw joint and neck bones, a traumatic injury caused to the jaw such as a blow on the jaw and neck can cause pain and stiffness. This can lead to difficulty in moving the jaw and neck.
- Eating foods that are too hard since it adds pressure on the jaw muscles such as beetle nuts. Even chewing gum can strain the muscle jaw and result to stiffness and pain.
- Stiffness of the jaw and neck can be caused by the irritation of the sensory nerves found at the base of the wisdom tooth and can also produce tension in the neck muscles.
- Pain and stiffness can be caused by engaging in a hard work or climbing stairs which can be a symptom of a cardiac disorder.
- Sometimes, whiplash can also cause jaw stiffness and tightening of neck.
- A spur in the neck bone can also cause stiffness in the jaw.
Symptoms
- Stiffness of the jaw when opening the mouth as well as tightness of the jaw can cause difficulty in fully opening the mouth.
- When opening the mouth, there is a ‘click’ sound.
- Tightness in the jaw after walking in the morning since some people have the habit of grinding the teeth while sleeping.
Treatment and home remedies
- A person suffering from tightness of the jaw should avoid eating hard or solid food for a few days or a week. The individual should eat only soft or semisolid food, milk, porridge and soups.
- The individual should chew food slowly and avoid opening the mouth fully.
- Apply a warm compress over the affected muscles of the jaw.
- When yawning, the individual should support the lower jaw using the fingers since this will help limit the wide opening of the mouth.
- Perform some gentle massage since this helps in relieving the spasm and tightness of jaw muscles.
With the help of these treatment options and remedies, it can relieve the stiffness of the jaw and neck.
FACT CHECK
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neck_stiffness
https://www.spine-health.com/conditions/neck-pain/stiff-neck-causes-symptoms-and-treatment
https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-get-rid-of-a-stiff-neck