TMJ Massage

So, what is TMJ massage, and why do you need it? For starters, the human jaw can exert 275 pounds of crushing pressure in each bite! Is that not mind-blowing? If that’s not reason enough for you, then please read on! On average, when we eat, we do not exert that much pressure, more like a quarter of it, but what about when we are sleeping?... 

I became fascinated with TMJ massage because I have TMD or TMJD. Translation, I have issues, one of them? I clench! I clench my teeth so hard at night that I’ve cracked most of my molars, 200+ pounds of crushing pressure, indeed! I’ve spent thousands at the dentist, getting fillings, crowns, retainers, mouth guards, anything to try and fix my TMJ issues; ironically, sometimes I think fixing my bite has made the clenching worse. I’ve woken up countless times with tension headaches, toothaches, and so much FACE PAIN! I’ve had trouble chewing or not being able to open my mouth all the way; I’ve thought to myself, ‘I can’t live like this. Something has to change!’ Sound familiar? We can help. 

There are 42 tiny muscles in the face. 42! They are involved in frowning, smiling, crying, chewing, and perhaps most involved in clenching! We do it all the time, stressed? Clench. Sleeping? Clench. Working out? Clench. Living? Clench! Talk about overuse in those poor tiny facial muscles. Through my healing journey, I discovered TMJ massage and intra-oral release, which has saved me! I sleep better, have fewer headaches, better mobility, and my jaw cracks and pops so much less, sometimes not at all.

How Does TMJ Massage Work? What's Intra-Oral Release?

TMJ massage is a specific massage for the muscles of the face and head; we target the masseter muscle the most, as it is the largest culprit and generally most inflamed. We also work the muscles around the ears, down along the jaw, and up into the temples releasing tension along the brow line, all 42 of those tense muscles! You would be surprised how much pain and tension rests in the face and how sculpted and relaxed your face can become. Botox isn’t the only cure for facial relaxation! 

Intra-oral release is a little different than TMJ massage. For some people, it may take a few external facial massage sessions to be comfortable with intra-oral release, and that’s totally normal. It is usually a painful technique, as those muscles are very stressed and overused. What we do: we ‘glove up’ and work to release the muscles along the soft and hard palate, the interior side of the masseter, and up along the sinus cavity. If you have sinus pressure or easily get sinus infections, booking a TMJ session with us can be really beneficial with long-term gains, TMJ massage is not just for joint issues; it can help with headaches, eye pain, and congestion. 

From personal experience, I cannot speak highly enough about TMJ massage and the amazing benefits I have seen for myself and my clients. If you are experiencing chronic issues, you will have the best results with consistency. If you’re having just an acute flareup, we can help fix that as well. TMJ massage is a game changer for facial, mouth, and sinus health! 

We look forward to helping you continue to care for yourself. See you on the table!