Natural health: One simple trick that will prevent you from grinding your teeth

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My husband has started to grind his teeth at night. He changed jobs recently which has put him under pressure but his overall health is good. What would you suggest?

The involuntary clenching and grinding of teeth is known as bruxism.

It is thought that around half of us suffer from nightly bruxism at some point in our lives, however, only around 5% of people habitually grind their teeth.

While this tends to be an issue that generally occurs while we sleep, some people may grind their teeth (usually subconsciously) during waking hours.

There is one simple trick that your husband can do as preparation before he goes to sleep, and also at any point during the day where he notices himself clenching his jaw or gritting his teeth.

This preparation involves gently pressing the tongue upwards against the hard palate and letting it rest there. It is important not to push the tongue using pressure or hold it there using tension, just settling it against the roof of the mouth is all that is required.

The tip of the tongue should not be touching the teeth, it typically sits nicely just behind the alveolar ridge.

Not only does this prevent jaw clenching, but the act of resting the tongue in this position can also help to open the sinus passages, alleviate tension headaches, prevent mouth breathing and snoring, and reduce the incidence of tooth grinding at night.

Many meditation and breathing exercises utilise this tongue position to open the airways and help relieve stress and tension.

To rule out physiological cause, your husband could seek the advice of a specialist to check the alignment of his jaw, specifically the temporomandibular joint (TMJ).

For information and support, see the excellent website www.jawpain.ie. It deals with TMJ disorders, bruxism (tooth grinding), and jaw clenching.

My feet often ache at the end of the day. What essential oils should I add to my foot bath?

Treating your feet to a soak at the end of a long day will certainly make all the difference to your aches and pains.

Useful essential oils to help soothe your feet and help with pain include peppermint, spearmint, ginger, bay leaf, sweet fennel, cypress, juniper, lavender, and tea tree. You certainly don’t need to include all of these oils, just one that appeals to you..

Peppermint, spearmint, and sweet fennel will help if you feel that your feet need cooling and soothing.

Bay leaf, ginger, cypress, and juniper will help where circulation and joint pain are an issue (these oils also have deodorising properties).

Lavender and tea tree will help to relax muscle tension and invigorate tired feet (with additional fungal fighting benefits).

You also might like to incorporate Viparita Karani (also known as ‘legs up the wall’ posture). It is one of the simplest inverted poses, and is one of the best things you can do at the end of a long day. Inverted poses like this are also soothing for the nervous system. They are even reputed to balance blood pressure and improve digestive function.

Simply arrange yourself so that your buttocks are as close to the wall as possible, then swing your hips so that the backs of the legs and heels rest fully against the wall. Hold this pose for between five and 15 minutes.

This pose assists in reducing swelling in the legs and feet, draining fluid build-up and reversing the effects of gravity after standing all day. This will also help with tired muscles and you can even use it to ease sore hips or lower back if you prop a support underneath your buttocks — a firm cushion or rolled towel will do.