# TMJ and vertigo **URL:** \ **Category:** Specific Illnesses & Conditions\ **Tags:** vertigo, migraine, vestibular-migraine, amitriptyline, tmj\ **Created:** [April 21, 2018, 2:20am UTC](https://mvertigo.org/t/tmj-and-vertigo/15196 "2018-04-21T02:20:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![sheepdog\_lord](https://mvertigo.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@sheepdog\_lord](https://mvertigo.org/u/sheepdog_lord)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2024, 7:44pm UTC](https://mvertigo.org/t/tmj-and-vertigo/15196/41 "2024-05-22T19:44:39Z")
i think all the conventional treatments for TMJ apply, like night mouth guard, treatment for teeth grinding. for masseter muscles that are highly hypertrophied, i know botox is often used but i doubt any insurance would cover it as folks also use botox on masseter muscles for cosmetic purposes… ---
**Author:** ![turnitaround](https://mvertigo.org/user_avatar/mvertigo.org/turnitaround/32/4441_2.png) [@turnitaround](https://mvertigo.org/u/turnitaround)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2024, 7:48pm UTC](https://mvertigo.org/t/tmj-and-vertigo/15196/42 "2024-05-22T19:48:15Z")
Shouldn’t the muscle contract over time if you get back “reasonable” neurological control and learn to give up any bad habits? ---
**Author:** ![sheepdog\_lord](https://mvertigo.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@sheepdog\_lord](https://mvertigo.org/u/sheepdog_lord)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2024, 7:50pm UTC](https://mvertigo.org/t/tmj-and-vertigo/15196/43 "2024-05-22T19:50:07Z")
yeah you have to stop putting tension on the muscle. botox accelerates this because it literally paralyzes them, but anything that would relax the jaw muscles should slowly cause them to winnow away to a more normal size over time ---
**Author:** ![turnitaround](https://mvertigo.org/user_avatar/mvertigo.org/turnitaround/32/4441_2.png) [@turnitaround](https://mvertigo.org/u/turnitaround)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2024, 7:51pm UTC](https://mvertigo.org/t/tmj-and-vertigo/15196/44 "2024-05-22T19:51:42Z")
I know I used to (and can still) flinch a lot with my mouth during stressful moments (e.g. in video games 😅 ) … if you are addicted to those kinds of dramas I can see you could really mess up your jaw and surrounding tissue … ---
**Author:** ![sheepdog\_lord](https://mvertigo.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@sheepdog\_lord](https://mvertigo.org/u/sheepdog_lord)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2024, 7:54pm UTC](https://mvertigo.org/t/tmj-and-vertigo/15196/45 "2024-05-22T19:54:22Z")
yes I’m a teeth clencher too. whenever im anxious or focused, i notice that my jaw is tight. funnily enough, a lot of medications that can treat vertigo with migraine can actually cause bruxism (mostly SSRIs). I think pharmacologically it _can_ be treated with tricyclics or dopamine agnonists, although I’m not sure how effective they are/you always have the risk of new side effects with new medications. ---
**Author:** ![turnitaround](https://mvertigo.org/user_avatar/mvertigo.org/turnitaround/32/4441_2.png) [@turnitaround](https://mvertigo.org/u/turnitaround)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2024, 7:57pm UTC](https://mvertigo.org/t/tmj-and-vertigo/15196/46 "2024-05-22T19:57:19Z")
The other activity which might bring this on is straining during weight training. In the lead up to my MAV I was very active at the gym, going 3-4 times a week. I would rep with my highest bearable weight, and that definitely caused me to strain my face and jaw muscles. It’s possible the very physiology of muscle “building” probably encourages the jaw muscles to grow too? (Note I did not take any supplements nor a particularly special diet) ---
**Author:** ![sheepdog\_lord](https://mvertigo.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@sheepdog\_lord](https://mvertigo.org/u/sheepdog_lord)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2024, 7:59pm UTC](https://mvertigo.org/t/tmj-and-vertigo/15196/47 "2024-05-22T19:59:50Z")
yeah i would say that if you’re gaining muscle mass in the gym through working out, the same factors that facilitate that process would also facilitate the jaw muscles growing proportional to whatever load they were under while you were clenching. [Previous page](https://mvertigo.org/t/tmj-and-vertigo/15196.md?page=2)