Can Sitting at a Desk All Day Cause Jaw Clenching?
Sitting at your desk for long periods will affect your body in ways that you might not know right away. From concentrating on your tasks, to attending meetings, and meeting deadlines, you will find that you are unknowingly clenching your muscles. One area that often gets overlooked? Your jaw.
If you catch yourself clenching your teeth while working, your daily work habits might have something to do with it. But can sitting at a desk all day really contribute to jaw clenching? Here, we’ll see how stress from work, bad posture, and sitting for long periods can cause strain in your jaw muscles and tips on how to relieve the stress at the end of the day.
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How Much Time Do You Spend Sitting at Your Desk?
A desk job requires one to spend many hours sitting while working on the computer, paperwork, and meeting other employees. This is the case for office workers and even those who work remotely from home.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), workers in computer and mathematical occupations spend 87.1% of their workday sitting, averaging nearly seven hours per day. Administrative support personnel and office workers spend about 6.05 hours seated during their day at work as well.
The effects of sitting for long hours could include discomfort, particularly that affecting the neck, shoulder, and lower back areas. In another study conducted on office employees, a lot of sitting time and musculoskeletal discomfort was found. Such observations show that individuals sit in static postures for most of their working hours.
Can Sitting at a Desk All Day Contribute to Jaw Clenching?
Jaw clenching is one of the common signs of awake bruxism. According to the Cleveland Clinic, you may tighten your jaw when you're trying to concentrate or when you're feeling stressed or anxious. If you're someone who works at desks, these instances are not unknown. The Canadian Dental Association further states that common working habits like operating a computer or attending a meeting can lead to clenching during the day.
How Poor Desk Ergonomics May Affect Your Jaw Muscles
Your workstation and routine activities can influence your body posture and muscle tightness in different ways. For instance, let us consider how your head alignment, workstation ergonomics, and excessive sitting may affect your jaw and jaw muscles.
Workstation Setup and Sitting Position
Workstation arrangement may affect the way one comfortably sits while at work. According to a study conducted in 2020 that involved more than 1,000 workers in Saudi Arabia, many of the respondents experienced muscle aches and discomforts. Other complaints included uncomfortable sitting posture and poor ergonomic working stations.
While this study does not look at the effect on jaw clenching, this demonstrates the way that ergonomics in the workplace could impact your muscle comfort level. Maintaining proper posture for your neck and head can help to eliminate muscle tension.
Slouched Sitting and Neck Strain
But what does your sitting posture have to do with your jaw? A 2021 study examined how jaw clenching and sitting posture affected muscle activity while participants performed computer typing tasks. Researchers found that jaw clenching increased activity in certain neck muscles, while slouched sitting increased activity in the upper trapezius muscles.
Though the study was done on a relatively small number of subjects, results from it indicate that clenching one’s jaws and sitting positions can affect the muscles of your neck and torso during work.
Curious about how poor posture may contribute to jaw pain or teeth grinding? Read our next blog: Can Poor Posture Cause Jaw Pain or Teeth Clenching?
Physical Inactivity and Jaw Discomfort
Spending most of your workday sitting may leave you with fewer opportunities to move throughout the day. A 2021 study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that lower physical activity levels were associated with more temporomandibular disorder (TMD) symptoms, particularly pain-related symptoms.
While this study was not focused on desk workers specifically, it may indicate the existence of some relationship between physical activity and discomfort in one’s jaw. Regular movement during the day is important because it prevents sitting in one place for too long.
If you work remotely, your daily routine may also affect your activity levels and teeth-grinding habits. Learn more in our guide: How Working From Home Can Affect Teeth Grinding & Bruxism
Signs Your Desk Job May Be Contributing to Jaw Tension
Some of the indicators which show that your sedentary work is causing your jaw problems are:
- Tight and painful jaw: Your jaw hurts or feels tight after a day of work.
- Headaches: The headaches occur around the temples when you concentrate for a long time.
- Stiffness or tension in the neck and shoulders: Neck and shoulders become stiff or tense after sitting down for too long.
- Fatigued facial muscles: These are your cheek and jaw muscles that feel tired or fatigued.
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Tooth sensitivity: Your teeth feel sensitive or uncomfortable, possibly from repeated clenching.
It should be noted that the mentioned signs may also have other reasons. In case you feel constant pain in the jaw, headaches, and tooth sensitivity, contact your dentist.
How to Decompress After a Tiring Day at Work
After hours of concentrating and possibly clenching your jaw, taking a few minutes to unwind may help ease muscle tension. Following are a few easy methods of relaxing your jaw and other nearby muscles after working:
- Relax your jaw: Keep your lips gently closed and your teeth slightly apart to release tension.
- Do mild jaw exercises: Open and close your jaw slowly without straining yourself.
- Use warm compress: Apply a warm compress on your jaw muscles to relax them.
- Jaw muscles massage: Massage your cheeks and temples to relax your muscles.
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Try deep breathing: Breathe deeply as you try to relax your jaw and facial muscles.
Give Your Teeth a Break From Clenching
If grinding or clenching your teeth is part of your nighttime routine, then wearing a night guard could be beneficial to protect your teeth against wear. ClearClub provides you with custom night guards that use your teeth impression, while also allowing customization of the thickness and design.
Explore ClearClub's night guard options and give your teeth extra protection while you sleep.
Frequently Asked Questions
❓ Can sitting at a desk all day cause jaw clenching?
Sitting in front of a desk is not the direct cause of jaw clenching, but stress from work, concentration and improper sitting can be responsible for day-time clenching.
❓ How does poor posture affect jaw clenching?
Slouching posture may have an effect on the way muscles work in the neck region. Together with teeth grinding, it may help cause muscle tension and pain.
❓ How can I relieve jaw tension while working?
Take a break at intervals, have a comfortable seating position, ensure that you do not keep a tight jaw during the day, and also make sure to notice the times when you clench your teeth.
Looking for something else? Check our full FAQ section.