Why Long-Term Migraines Can Be Worth a Jaw Evaluation
Laurie had been told that migraines usually ease with age. For her, they kept getting worse, to at least 15 headaches a month at their peak.
She had tried a long list of approaches over the years, including antidepressants, seizure medications and Botox. What she hadn't considered was her jaw. Looking back, Laurie recognized a pattern from her teaching career: she often clenched her jaw while powering through a long day, and at night she would wake up with a severe headache.
Clenching and grinding put ongoing strain on the jaw muscles and joints, and that strain can contribute to headaches for some people. It is one reason that persistent headaches or migraines, especially when they show up on waking or after stressful days, can be worth a jaw-focused evaluation alongside the care a patient is already receiving.
After she and Dr. Fernandez talked about a splint, Laurie started wearing one at night. Over about three years she says she has seen a lot of improvement: the migraines have diminished, it's hard for her to remember what 15 headaches a month felt like, and when a headache does come it is often mild enough for a Tylenol or ibuprofen, and she keeps going. Results vary from person to person, but a custom oral appliance is usually where we start: a conservative, reversible way to take strain off the teeth and jaw before anything more involved is considered.
Laurie has been a patient of Dr. Fernandez for about ten years. Her migraine story, in her words, is simply that the splint "really made a difference."