Is Hidden Jaw Tension the Real Cause of IBS?
- By: Dr. Ali Alkhiro, DDS
Digestive issues like bloating, cramping, nausea, and IBS flare-ups are often blamed on food alone. But your gut can only do its job properly when your nervous system feels safe enough to enter “rest and digest” mode. Chronic jaw and airway stress can keep you stuck in the opposite state.
Digestive issues like IBS are just scratching the surface of symptoms that can be linked to jaw strain and airway restriction. Read more about why your jaw, airway, and posture may be the hidden source of your symptoms.
The Mechanism (The Root Cause of IBS)
If your body thinks it’s in danger, it won’t prioritize your digestion:
- Pain, tension, or instability in the jaw sends a constant low-level distress signal to your nervous system.
- If your breathing is compromised, even subtly, your body shifts resources toward survival (air) and away from digestion.
- This keeps you locked in a mild fight-or-flight state, where blood flow and energy are pulled away from the gut.
- Your digestive muscles and nerves can’t coordinate smoothly, leading to symptoms like cramping, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and unpredictable IBS patterns.
Your gut may be reacting to a body that never gets permission to relax and digest.
The Solution (The Plan)
We help your nervous system feel safe enough to support healthy digestion:
- We evaluate your jaw function and airway to identify sources of chronic physical stress feeding into your nervous system.
- By stabilizing your jaw with customized orthotics and improving airway support, we reduce the constant “threat” signals.
- As your system shifts out of fight-or-flight, more blood flow and energy become available to your digestive organs.
- Your gut can return to a steadier rhythm, improving motility, comfort, and your ability to tolerate foods.
When your body consistently gets the message that it’s safe, your gut finally has the conditions it needs to heal and function.
Start with a no-pressure consult and temporary appliance trial.
- Map Your Blueprint
We perform advanced 3D imaging and functional testing to identify structural problems in your jaw, bite, and airway (what we call Impaired Mouth Syndrome) and how they’re affecting your whole body. - Activate Natural Growth
You wear a custom epigenetic appliance that gently guides your body to grow new bone, widen your airway, and support a healthier jaw position—without surgery. - Thrive Naturally
As your structure improves, sleep normalizes, pain decreases, and your nervous system calms. You stop adapting to pain and start living with real energy and clarity.
You don’t have to guess whether this will help. You get to feel the difference first.
Schedule your consultation and treatment bite trial to see whether jaw and airway correction could finally change your pain, sleep, and energy.
Meet Your Expert, Dr. Ali Alkhiro (Dr. Al)
This content is written and medically reviewed by Dr. Ali Alkhiro (Dr. Al), a Houston-based dentist known for his disciplined approach rooted in his service with the U.S. Marine Corps. Dr. Al specializes in the profound connection between oral structure and overall well-being, helping patients resolve complex conditions like Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and POTS by addressing the root cause: jaw alignment and airway health. He has been serving the Houston community since 2012.
A graduate of the University of Texas School of Dentistry, Dr. Al utilizes minimally invasive, orthopedic techniques to quiet overwhelmed nervous systems and restore the body’s ability to heal itself. When not solving health puzzles, he is a dedicated family man and outdoor enthusiast living in Houston with his wife and twins.