Beauty

[violann]

So grateful for all of your input. I have kept all of the tension producing behaviors I developed in the 5 years I took care of my mom, and then some. I second massage, especially with a massage therapist, if you are lucky enough to have access to one. I'm going to start the other techniques mentioned today.

[AnotherView2]

Please make sure you have your heart checked. Not to scare you but make you aware ...Neck and jaw pain and tension can be a precursor to heart problems in women.

My 41 year old sister ignored jaw tension and pain on one side of her head to her detriment and suffered a heart attack. It went on about 2-3 months and then she had the attack.

Initially she was otherwise very healthy at the time so the docs prescribed muscle relaxers and pain relievers and checked her for a salivary gland issue, ignoring her heart. Please be careful.

Edited to add: she also had what she though were tension headaches for those months as well as pain in the front of her shoulder on side that had the jaw pain.

[tarsmom]

On 9/7/2014 AnotherView2 said:

Please make sure you have your heart checked. Not to scare you but make you aware ...Neck and jaw pain and tension can be a precursor to heart problems in women.

My 41 year old sister ignored jaw tension and pain on one side of her head to her detriment and suffered a heart attack. It went on about 2-3 months and then she had the attack.

Initially she was otherwise very healthy at the time so the docs prescribed muscle relaxers and pain relievers and checked her for a salivary gland issue, ignoring her heart. Please be careful.

Good point, Anotherview2 - might be a good idea to make an appointment just to be sure. Women doing "men's jobs" (I'm in banking and years ago there were no women managers) have developed a lot of the same issues that men typically have. Thanks!

[pinkie20]

You might have a mineral deficiency. Have you had a dexa scan for osteoporosis. From my experience, after finding out I have OP, after a month of supplements I stopped clnching my teeth and jaws.

[Dogaholic]

I love massage but find that acupuncture works better than anything I have tried.In the SF Bay Area we have Community Acupuncture which is usually on a sliding scale of payment and is not a private session but works for me for stress.I do not recommend western medicine pharmaceuticals! There are herbs for relaxation such as lemon balm,passion flower,chamomile and valerian.So much better!

[HonnyBrown]

tars, you said all thoughts are welcome, so here goes.

I did a belly dancing class a few months back. The instructor kept pushing my shoulders down. After class, she said people hunch their shoulders without realizing it and that is a source of tension in the shoulders, upper back and neck.

Now that I am aware that I do this, I make a conscious effort to keep my shoulders down.

[Moonchilde]

I too have a very stressful job and should be close to retirement age but must keep working, and since I have a specialized job and there are no others (plus the age-ism which exists), I must keep the one I have until I win the Lotto. I survive on occasional tranquilizers, occasional muscle relaxants, and pampering myself as much as I can afford. Massages (chair, full body, whatever you can afford), spa mani-pedi. A fun meal out on weekends. I have also had some success in the past with subliminal relaxation recordings, which have improved and changed since I used them. I had one that would start at the head and end at the toes, and it did work. Good luck - you have my sympathy.

[dooBdoo]

On 9/7/2014 beautybee said:

Hi Tarsmom. I am so sorry for your recent losses and all of the stress you are going through. We are at an age group where we are seeing these losses come at a greater pace. Both of my parents and a sibling have passed away within the last couple of years. I also have a disability that I deal with on a daily basis.

Several things have worked for me. One is meditation. Recent research has found that it does make the brain stronger and allows one to cope with life in a better way. Next is yoga. There are various forms available. Yoga helps with the body mind connection and it helps to calm the body down. I am currently doing the Ultimate Yogi series, but you can search youtube for shorter yoga programs and meditation programs.

For facial tension, I like the Yamuna Face Saver program. It's suppose to be an anti aging technique but what it really does is release the tension from the face. I like to do this a few times a week. Some times I can really feel some soreness and tension being released. You can also do a jade roller, but I like the Yamuna program because she guides you in what to do.

Also for breath work I like Max Strom's dvd. You would be surprised how much tension we hold when we start to do deep breath work.

I hope these suggestions are helpful to you.

This is an excellent post!

I would add that learning biofeedback, guided imagery, and self-hypnosis from a good therapist can work wonders for the mind, body and spirit.

tarsmom, I wish you and everyone the best.

[betteb]

On 9/7/2014 AnotherView2 said:

Please make sure you have your heart checked. Not to scare you but make you aware ...Neck and jaw pain and tension can be a precursor to heart problems in women.

My 41 year old sister ignored jaw tension and pain on one side of her head to her detriment and suffered a heart attack. It went on about 2-3 months and then she had the attack.

Initially she was otherwise very healthy at the time so the docs prescribed muscle relaxers and pain relievers and checked her for a salivary gland issue, ignoring her heart. Please be careful.

Edited to add: she also had what she though were tension headaches for those months as well as pain in the front of her shoulder on side that had the jaw pain.

I agree with this and wanted to add that 10mgs of Celexa is a very low dose, probably ineffective for most people. Also, Celexa is not a bedtime med. It should be taken in the morning.

[Moonchilde]

On 9/7/2014 betteb said:

On 9/7/2014 AnotherView2 said:

Please make sure you have your heart checked. Not to scare you but make you aware ...Neck and jaw pain and tension can be a precursor to heart problems in women.

My 41 year old sister ignored jaw tension and pain on one side of her head to her detriment and suffered a heart attack. It went on about 2-3 months and then she had the attack.

Initially she was otherwise very healthy at the time so the docs prescribed muscle relaxers and pain relievers and checked her for a salivary gland issue, ignoring her heart. Please be careful.

Edited to add: she also had what she though were tension headaches for those months as well as pain in the front of her shoulder on side that had the jaw pain.

I agree with this and wanted to add that 10mgs of Celexa is a very low dose, probably ineffective for most people. Also, Celexa is not a bedtime med. It should be taken in the morning.

Plus one of the possible side effects is insomnia.