Stress Center Peer Support

My most debilitating manifestation of anxiety has been tightness in my facial muscles, which makes it difficult to speak in a social setting. I can literally feel the muscles in my face, i.e. around my mouth and in my cheeks just below my eyes.

Has anyone else experienced these symptoms?

Hi there,

I have had similar sensations in my face where I feel numbness in my face and I am feeling like I am not talking right. I always swear that when I look in the mirror my face will be drooping or some other craziness but it is just muslce tension. When this happens, I typically massage around my jaws and temples and sometimes this helps.

Fascinating... you're the only other person I have heard of that has experienced this.

I don't know about you, but it has nearly ruined my life.

I have had it where my face and arms go numb. I thought I was having a stroke. Then I found out this is caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain and causes everything to tingle and go numb. If you start to moving your arms and neck or exercise and breath deep thouugh you nose it will go away faster .. get the blood flowing

Interesting that you mention the lack of oxygen. I have thought of that as well in the past. However, when I excercise, my symptoms are even worse. I literally cannot talk after jogging; as in my facial muscles do not work properly. I have wondered about a stroke as well but have had a full neurological examination and all was well.

I would have to agree that these symptoms were starting to (and on bad days still do) feel like they were ruining my life! I was convinced that I was having a stroke until I realized that I can actually feel the tension in my neck, shoulders, jaw, and face and realized that it all has to be related to muscle tension. That tense of muscles can cause surrounding swelling causing the nerve to be entrapped then causing those weird feelings. Nope..you're not alone. You may also be interepreting different than others. Good luck!

Jogging may be a little too much as it pumps blood through your whole body. Try just moving you arms and streching your neck to focus the flood of blood to your upper body and head. I work in dentistry and will talk with a few friends that are Maxillofacial Surgeons... When it happens to me it seems to be mainly on my left side. Does it happen to both sides or just one?

It doesn't discriminate. It's both sides... and it does feel very much like what I would imagine a stroke to be. But that has been ruled out. I would appreciate you mentioning it to your Maxillofacial Surgeons. It is indeed ruining my life... to the point of suicidal thoughts.