There are many muscles in the jaw, face, and head.  There are two important muscles we focus on for self-therapy and the first is the masseter. The masseters are the muscles of the jaw that create force while chewing.  Poor posture, gum chewing, tooth decay, grinding your teeth, or long hours of dental work can strain the jaw muscles.  Pain here can cause sensitive teeth and restrict the opening of the jaw or even cause pain around the face. 

When pain symptoms become worse trigger points in these muscles can create temporomandibular joint pain or TMJ which is felt in the jaw, temples, and face.  This condition is more common than you think, and millions of people suffer needlessly from pain.  When the muscles are tight, grinding of the teeth and jaw occur, and jaw pain will ensue with chronic pain in the head and neck.  Until you have this corrected, I recommend that you wear a mouth guard if you are grinding your teeth during the night or day.  I wear a Plackers night guard.

When treating this muscle wear a hoodie to protect your skin.  Lying face down with your head turned to one side, allow the weight of your head to sink into the spiky massage ball on top of the masseter.  Position the ball along the jaw from the cheekbone to the bottom edge of the jaw.  You can feel around the whole area near the ear and back of the jaw.  Cover everywhere you can and feel for tight painful areas.  Massage one side and then the other for balance.  This can be a sensitive area so it’s best to work within your limits.  Feel around for any tight spots and hold for 30 seconds, then move on.    If you have pain symptoms in the muscles, practice this massage 2 or 3 times a day until the problem is gone.

Learn more self-therapy techniques at tpswellness.net