Many people know how pain along the jaw can be excruciating, and it’s even worse when you don’t know what’s causing it. Your jaw muscles tighten when you grind or clench your teeth, talk or sing, eat or even when you dream. The contraction of your jaw created by these actions can travel to other places, causing headaches, migraines, toothaches, earaches or even shoulder pain.
Medically speaking, we refer to the tight structure as Temporomandibular joint (TMJ), the hinge that connects your jaw to your skull.
Minor TMJ discomfort will usually go away without treatment. However, anyone with the following TMJ symptoms should consider a consult with a Physiotherapist or Remedial Massage therapist to prevent or avoid future issues:
- 1. Constant or repeated episodes of pain or tenderness at the TMJ or in and around the ear
- 2. Discomfort or pain while chewing
- 3. “Locking” of TMJ when mouth is open or closed
- 4. Chronic pain in other parts of the face, when no other conditions is present (headaches)
- 5. Clicking or grinding noise of the jaw
These TMJ exercises can help relieve pain while you are in the process of coming up with a treatment plan that is effective:
- 1. Give yourself a FACE MASSAGE! Start by getting a warm towel or heat pack and apply it to the outside of your face on your TMJ (the most outer point of the jaw) and massage in circles around that area, down the chin and towards your cheekbones, all the way to the temporal bone. If someone can help you then ask them to rub your neck too, you won’t regret it
- 2. Position your jaw with your TEETH SLIGHTLY APART as often as possible. Place your tongue between your teeth if you have problems with grinding or clenching your teeth.
- 3. Place your thumb under your chin and work on some PRESSURE POINTS. Gently apply light pressure upwards from the soft part of the chin towards the bone underneath. Then open your mouth, still applying that pressure against the chin, and hold for 5 seconds. Close your mouth and repeat this process.
- 4. Open your MOUTH WIDE, as much as comfortably possible and put your hand on one side of the jaw and apply light pressure against the jaw. This should cause your jaw to move sideways, moving with the pressure being applied by your hand.
If you have any further questions regarding this topic please book an appointment with one of our Remedial Massage Therapists at Mount Lawley Physiotherapy and Podiatry.
