Have you been clenching your jaw, or is it feeling tight? The jaw or temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is an area that can frequently get tight in times of high stress, after dental work with your mouth open for a long time, or a result of neck pain and stiffness (such as after sitting at a desk for too long).
While the jaw can be a complex joint, some simple steps can help give a tight jaw some immediate relief.
The first of two big jaw muscles is your masseter, which sits on the side of your face just in front of your earlobe. This tight muscle often contributes to jaw tightness, and a simple self-massage can help give you some immediate relief. With your fingertips or knuckles, apply firm pressure on this muscle, then move your hand in a circular motion while maintaining your pressure. Concentrate on areas that feel tight or sore.
The second of these muscles is your temporalis, which is positioned above your cheek bone and fans out along the entire side of your scalp. This muscle is much thinner than the masseter but can still benefit from self massage. Using the same technique as the masseter explore the side of your scalp with your fingers and knuckles, looking for tight and tender spots.
Hopefully the above can give you relief from tightness. If this technique isn’t giving you the relief you are looking for, or the relief is only short term, then jaw joint stiffness, neck joint stiffness, or affected movement patterns may be affecting your jaw. A number of our physiotherapists are specifically trained in jaw assessment and treatment, and can help you with a more complex jaw issue.
