Jaw pain, also known as Temporalmandibular Joint Disorder (TMD), is experienced by many people in some form or another. Symptoms can include minor to severe pain in the temporalmandibular joint (TMJ) itself, jaw popping, headaches, aching in the facial muscles, grinding teeth, difficulty chewing, tightness in the jaw and can be responsible for neck pain, shoulder pain, and even tinnitus (or ringing in the ears).
And oddly, many people who experience pain in their jaw also experience pain or tightness in their lower back and pelvis and/or hips.
We are not just a bunch of parts and pieces
Here’s a simple anatomy lesson:
The jaw is not actually separate from the pelvis because the lower jaw, or mandible, is connected to the temporal bone by the temporalmandibular joint (the TMJ). The temporal bone is connected to the occiput, the back of the skull, through which the vertebrae (or bones) of the spine intersect.
If one area of the spine is not free or mobile, then every other part of the spine, and those bones attached to it, are affected because we are a whole skeleton and a whole person, not a bunch of unrelated muscles and bones.
So, if the vertebrae (or bones) of the neck are restricted, the responsibility for movement is left to the less restricted vertebrae of the spine — from the neck all the way down to the lower back.
The lower vertebrae attach to, or rather become, the sacrum (a small upside-down triangular bone that sits between the two sides of the pelvis). If there is any disruption in the spine’s ability to move freely at any part, then every part of the spine and those bones attached, is affected.
We are a whole living, connected, moving person. This is why if there is restriction in the jaw, the pelvis or low back are very likely affected as well.
But back to the jaw….
So how do we find lasting relief?
Most people who have experienced jaw pain have tried several different therapies. Some provide temporary relief for a day or two, some longer.
Sometimes people find that deep tissue or intra-oral massage is helpful to relieve the pain and tension in their jaw. As a massage therapist in my previous life, I know even relief for a day or two is better than nothing.
But attempting to relieve chronic pain at the site of the muscle is the same as if we were to look in the mirror and see dirt on our face, and try to remedy it by using Windex on the mirror.
Brain Plasticity
Muscles grip for a good reason. In fact, muscles are simply following orders given by the brain and nervous system.
The brain — the control center of the entire body — is responsible for perceiving any instability throughout the body, and then sends directions to the muscles to “hold” here or “let go” there, based on that instability. The brain is ALWAYS working for the benefit of the whole person.
When practiced consistently, these unconscious muscular tension patterns become habitual. In other words, some chronic jaw tension patterns can go on for years or decades.
The good news is that it doesn’t matter how long a tension pattern has been in place— chronic pain and tension can still be released by working with the brain because of something called “Brain Plasticity” or “Neuro Plasticity,” the ability for the neurons (brain cells) to form new neural connections.
This means that chronic jaw tension (or any chronic musculoskeletal tension) can be relieved permanently— sometimes this even happens immediately, and then it can be reinforced over time — creating new neural pathways. And the new pathways then become the dominant ones. The old tension pattern is overridden for a new, healthier more efficient musculoskeletal pattern.
The Feldenkrais Method®
The Feldenkrais Method® is an effective way to identify and release these chronic unconscious muscular tension patterns. Read more about The Feldenkrais Method® here.
A person doesn’t have to understand or believe in this method for it to work. But it does help to have an open mind and give the process some time to allow the brain to do it’s magic!
Click here for a FREE lesson that is designed to relieve your jaw and neck muscles in 20 minutes!