Relieving Jaw Pain

Self-Help Bodywork:  Relieving Jaw Pain and TMJ

TMJ is tension and pain of the temporomandibular joint.  This sliding hinge joint connects your jaw to your skull allowing you to chew and swallow.  Many people suffer from muscle tension, triggered by stress, and are not able to relax these muscles. Clenching and grinding your teeth contracts the jaw muscles and can cause muscle spasms, tissue damage, headaches and ear aches and chronic pain.  Some people do this in their sleep and are not aware it. If not addressed or corrected it can lead to more serious issues like the jaw becoming misaligned and immobile, causing facial pain, jaw pain, and severe headaches.

Here are some things you can do to alleviate the symptoms of TMJ tension, clenching, jaw soreness or pain.

Roll your shoulders back and down while paying attention to your posture in general.

Keep your teeth slightly apart and be aware of your in and out breath. While you are working on a computer or reading, practice placing and holding the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth. This helps prevent building up tension in your jaw. Massage the jaw area with anti-inflammatory herbs like Arnica and CBD as an oil or salve.

Hold these 5 Acupressure points to get relief.

Hold the same point on each side of the head at the same time. Locate the point with firm pressure and then release some of the pressure once you are holding both sides of the head with equal pressure. Breath and hold for 2-4 minutes. Then go to the next set of points and do the same process until all 5 points have been held. This should take about 15-20 minutes.

Use these Acupuncture Points along the jaw.

ST7, Stomach 7. GB2, Gall Bladder 2. SJ17, San Jiao 17. ST6, Stomach 6. ST5, Stomach 5.

If your TMJ continues to produce chronic pain you may want to consider physical therapy by contacting your health care provider.