Bruxism is a disorder of tension in the mouth (teeth and jaw) that can lead to severe problems of pain in the face, head, neck and back, and even affect our postural activity. In many cases it derives from emotional problems related to stress, so CBD, as an anxiolytic capable of reducing anxiety, could play a fundamental role in bruxism treatments.
What is Bruxism?
Bruxism is a disorder of the mouth in which people clench their jaw and teeth, unconsciously and for no apparent reason. A repeated movement that can be performed when we are asleep, or when we are awake. This reflex act of grinding our teeth or contracting our jaw does not respond to any real physiological need, as it does during the act of eating, when we clench our teeth to chew food.
This repeated tension in the jaw can lead to problems with wear and tear of the mouthparts, or muscle pain in the face, skull, neck and even back. It is common for the symptoms of bruxism to be treated with rest, sleep or even daytime dental splints, to prevent oral malformations and muscle contractures.
Causes: Why does bruxism occur?
The causes of bruxism are multiple, and only specialized personnel (doctors, osteopaths or physiotherapists, among others) can clarify the reasons for each bruxism. In any case, people can suffer from bruxism due to the following causes:
- Dental or oral malformation: when the shape of the bite does not fit correctly, and leads to an uncontrolled contraction of the mouth
- Stress, nervousness and mood: when bruxism appears as a physical response to a state of internal nerves
- Use of certain medications
How CBD helps in a case of bruxism
CBD, as a cannabinoid capable of connecting with the CB1 system of our body’s endocannabinoid system, can modify our response to pain, inflammation, and emotions. Therefore, it could have benefits against bruxism of different types, depending on whether we use cannabidiol one way or another.
Pain relief
On the one hand, CBD could relieve the headache and muscle pain caused by bruxism, thanks to its analgesic properties. Depending on the impact of the entourage effect (according to which the different components of cannabis – different cannabinoids and terpenes – complement each other, and modulate the effects produced by one and the other), it would be important to assess, for the relief of bruxism pain, the use of full spectrum oils, which provide more complete analgesic benefits against pain.
Muscle relaxation
The anti-inflammatory properties of CBD contribute to muscle relaxation, so cannabidiol would mitigate the symptoms of bruxism. Some studies carried out in this field (https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/15/7807) suggest that CBD would counteract the muscle contraction in the face caused by bruxism, relieving the symptoms of this jaw disorder.
Improves sleep quality
Nocturnal bruxism is highly frequent: that pressure of the mouth while sleeping that causes the teeth to grind and wear down. In fact, it is common to use dental splints for sleep that protect the teeth and cushion the contraction of the jaw. On this point, CBD, as an active component influencing the reduction of the REM phase of sleep (the one during which we dream or have nightmares, and during which our body reacts to the emotions of those dreams), CBD would improve the quality of sleep.
Mandibular Physical Therapy with CBD
Some of the most commonly used treatments against bruxism are those related to physiotherapy and osteopathy. By means of pressure massages in the affected area, the contraction mechanisms of bruxism can be broken, and even re-educate the area so as not to continue emitting this involuntary movement of our body.
In these cases, the topical use of CBD (creams and oils with high levels of cannabidiol in their formulation) is usually used to relieve inflammation in localized areas. The application of cannabidiol ointments during therapeutic massages in the area would enhance the effects of the treatments thanks to their anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.
How to Apply CBD to Treat Bruxism
For bruxism, two types of CBD applications can be considered: topical or oral. Topical use involves an external use of CBD, through creams applied directly to the area (cheekbones, jaw, chin, neck, head) to distend the contracted area. As we mentioned before, massages are a recurring treatment against bruxism, and giving these massages with CBD creams would enhance the positive effects of therapeutic friction.
How bruxism affects our daily lives
The constant contraction of the mouth and jaw degenerates into broader health problems . As it is permanently exerting tension in specific muscles, it is common for bruxism to cause contractures and muscle pain in the area of the face, head and neck.
It is important to remember that some of the strongest muscles in our body are located precisely in our face. That is why bruxism has such an impact on our health when we exert continuous, and prolonged pressure over time, of great intensity. That is why our day-to-day life can be negatively altered by headaches, pain in the cheekbones and on the side of the skull, and even cervical blockage.
Bibliography and Digital Sources
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- Porter, B. and Jacobson, C. (2013). Report of a parent survey of cannabidiol-enriched cannabis use in pediatric treatment-resistant epilepsy. Epilepsy & Behavior, 29(3), pp.574-577.
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- Lal, S. J., & Weber, K. K. (2020). Bruxism Management. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.
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