TMJ stands for TemporoMandibular Joint. This is the hinge joint that connects your lower jaw to the temporal bone of your skull, allowing it to open and close and move side to side. Muscles and ligaments actively stabilize the disc within the joint. It can also be the source of jaw pain which can be relieved by massage. This is also known as TemporoMandibular Joint disorder or TMJ disorder. There are several symptoms and causes for this.
Symptoms Of TMJ Disorder
Jaw pain or pain in your facial muscles are the most common symptoms, but not everyone will get this. Other symptoms include:
- Clicking or grinding when moving your jaw
- Pain or muscle spasms in your head, neck or shoulders
- Headaches and dizziness
- Discomfort when chewing, talking or yawning
- Ringing in your ears (tinnitus)
- Difficulty opening or closing your mouth comfortably
Causes Of TMJ Disorder
There are several main causes of TMJ and more than one might be responsible for your symptoms.
- Stress or anxiety, both of which can tightness in your neck and shoulders and therefore your jaw.
- Stressful situations can trigger teeth grinding, also known as bruxism, where your teeth involuntarily clench. It can also happen when you are asleep.
- Poor posture, which can lead to shortness of muscles in your shoulders and neck.
- Whiplash, which can result in poor posture or tightness in muscles
- Constant chewing, such as chewing gum, as this can lead to tired, weakened, or over-developed jaw muscles.
- Frequent phone use, especially with a dominant side or cradling the phone between your head and shoulder, can lead to shortened muscles and jaw pain.
Massage offers relief for all of these conditions associated with jaw pain.
How Massage Can Treat Jaw Pain
By directly targeting the affected muscles, massage effectively relieves or helps treat many common causes of TMJ disorder(1). Most people react to stress by clenching their jaw, neck or shoulders, which leads to shortness and tension in muscles. Even if this isn’t the origin of TMJ disorder it can make it worse. Similarly, teeth grinding (bruxism) can be the cause of TMJ disorder, a symptom or both. Massage can help with mental relaxation as well as relaxing muscles which can break the cycle of tension and stress.
Poor posture might be the result of something as obvious as frequent phone use or working on a computer all day. Or it could be something less obvious such as a lower back issue. This can cause an incorrect posture further up in your spine, such as pushing your chin forward. In turn this shortens muscles in your neck which causes incorrect jaw alignment or tension in the TMJ area.
Addressing the root cause, such as lower back tension through lower back massage, can provide lasting relief for jaw pain linked to poor posture. Therefore much longer-term relief is available rather than offering only temporary solutions in the jaw area. Therapy should then be carried out along the spinal muscles to rectify postural issues.
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If you would like to book a mobile massage in York please contact me on 07713 250352 or email david@massageinyork.co.uk. Includes sports massage, deep tissue massage and Swedish massage. For more information on booking click here
This is a great article, massages can be so helpful in battling TMJ, thank you for sharing!
Thank you