What causes jaw pain?
There are many factors that can contribute to pain in the jaw and around the TMJ joint. This can include:

• Teeth clenching and/or grinding
• Dental disorders
• Misalignment of the TMJ
• Degeneration of the joint, e.g. osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Bone deformities
• Muscular imbalances in the surrounding area such as the neck

 
Your jaw pain could be caused by one or more factors, depending on your situation.


Symptoms of jaw pain
If you have dysfunction in the TMJ, pain is an obvious symptom. But there are other symptoms caused by jaw issues to keep an eye out for, including:

• A tight sensation around the jaw
• Popping or clicking of the jaw
• Difficulty with opening and closing the jaw normally
• Headaches, particularly around the temple and eye area

 
You could also experience symptoms that come with generalised pain, such as nausea, lack of appetite, irritability and fatigue.
 
Assessing jaw pain
If you’re experiencing jaw pain, your best bet is to see your friendly local myotherapist (that’s me!). There are a number of things I will do to assess the pain. We’ll look at:

• If there is side to side movement during open and closing of the mouth
• How the jaw moves during open and closing
• If there is an audible clicking or popping
• How controlled the movement of the jaw is
• When the pain is experienced

 
There will also be some palpation, or feeling, of the jaw. This will tell me whether one side is tighter compared to the other, which may be maintaining your jaws dysfunctional patterns.
 
What can be done to ease jaw pain
To get to the bottom of the TMJ issues, you’ll need to see a practitioner for assessment and treatment. But if you need some immediate release for your jaw pain, you can try this self-release technique.
 
Start with your fingertips pointing upwards on the base of the jaw. Press your fingertips down firmly (but not painfully!). You might feel a hard sensation - that is the tightened muscle. In one long, slow movement, roll your fingertips up the jawline, over the cheek and cheekbones, along the temples and up to the hairline. Do this slowly and deeply, taking 1-2 minutes from jaw to hairline. Open and close your jaw wide like you’re yawning. Then repeat the process 1-2 times.

In myotherapy, treatment of jaw pain may include mobilisation, myofascial release, trigger point work and intra-oral release. Intra-oral release is an internal treatment – I’ll get gloved up, and then use my finger or thumb to release the tight muscles of the jaw from inside the mouth. This can be painful – I’ve had it done to me as well! - but it is effective for the majority of clients with TMJ pain.
 
In my own TMJ treatment experience, I was having extreme tightness and pressure build up in the joints of my jaw. When I opened my mouth my jaw swung noticeably towards the left. When it got bad, it was a struggle to eat things like nut bars or anything that requires a lot of chewing. It took time, but between seeing my own Myotherapist and doing the self care exercises he gave me, I've mostly corrected the dysfunction and its very rarely painful anymore.

If you’re ready to release your TMJ tension, book yourself in for a session today.

Muscle Pain
It’s pretty common to experience muscle pain. It might be as subtle as an ache after a workout, or it could be agony if you’ve torn a muscle. The way to recognise muscle pain is that it is generally:

• Over a large area – for example, your back or your lower leg
• Less defined – you can’t point to one spot that really hurts, because it’s generalised to a large area
• A sensation of aching and throbbing

 
Nerve Pain
Nerve pain is usually of greater concern, as your nerves hurting is a sign that something is compressing or impinging a nerve somewhere in the body. If you’re experiencing nerve pain, it is generally:

• Located over a smaller area
• A sharp, shooting sensation
• Able to cause burning or weakness in the affected area
• Pain that can cause loss of movement or function

 
The two types of pain can exist separately, or you might experience a mix of both. But both are a sign that the body is not happy with something.
 
I’m In Pain Right Now. What Can I Do To Relieve It?
Pain is a signal that lets you know something might not be right and needs protection. If it’s a mild pain, there’s no need to panic. But if it’s unexpected pain, nerve pain or related to a chronic condition, your first step is to book in with your practitioner. Getting treatment right away helps to reduce your pain quicker. Your practitioner can advise you on some safe at home care practices, but if you can't get a booking at short notice there are still steps you can take.

Whether its muscle or nerve pain, the basic DIY first aid for your pain is the same. So until you are able to get it looked after, you should:

• Rest the affected area – avoid strenuous movement and exercise
• Compress the area comfortably with a bandage if its a new injury
• Elevate the affected area if it feels swollen or inflamed. That means foot up for leg, hand up for arm

 
These will help to ease the pain and prevent further damage until you’re able to get in and get it checked out properly.
 
You’ll see that I didn’t include ice in there. There is emerging research that shows that ice may not always be the best option for treating injuries and pain. So if you want to add on some temperature relief, it’s up to you – you might feel like ice gives you some relief, or you might prefer a heat pack, or you may find best relief using an alternating combination of the two. Once I’ve assessed your pain, I will let you know which might be better for you.

The guide below is a quick way of doing the investigative work on whether your pain is muscle or nerve related, but its always best to consult with a health professional rather than trusting good old Doctor Google.

The myth
Somewhere along the line, people started to equate pain and gain. It's in the workplace, in the gym, and now even on the treatment table.
 
There are many who think a 'good' massage or myotherapy treatment should make them wince. They think that:

• In order to 'cure' pain, you need to inflict it
• Deep tissue work requires pressure to the point of pain
• Gentle bodywork doesn't achieve the best outcome for your muscles

 
But is this really the case?
 
The reality
Does pain really equal gain? I don't think so – particularly not for people already in pain.
 
If you're already experiencing pain, your nervous system is already on overload. And that means you're already vulnerable to more pain. Pain is not a healthy thing in large amounts!
 
In fact, when your body experiences pain, you'll have:

• Higher level of stress hormones
• Greater fluctuations in blood sugar levels
• Higher levels of fatigue
• A greater inflammatory load throughout the body
• More essential nutrients used up

 
I don't know about you. But I think that if you walk out of a chronic pain treatment with more inflammation, fewer nutrients and more stress – it might not be a good choice for your healing.
 
On the other hand, a gentle treatment that lowers stress hormones and inflammation might be just what you need.
 
Can you have a pain-free treatment?
I believe that you can have a low-pain, if not completely pain-free myotherapy treatment. There's a few ways you can make sure that this happens:

1. Find a practitioner who understands hypersensitivity and chronic pain. These practitioners are the ones who have worked hard to learn how to treat your pain. I'm proud to be a practitioner for chronic pain clients, and continue to study to learn how to best help them.
2. Communicate, communicate, communicate! While it's true that your myotherapist can sometimes spot the physical reaction to pain, it's not a guarantee. So if something hurts – speak up! Let your myotherapist know what hurts where, and what it feels like.
3. Keep breathing. By keeping your breaths long and deep, you can switch the dominant nervous system from sympathetic (fight-or-flight) to parasympathetic (rest-and-digest). It keeps your body calm, and reduces the likelihood of pain.

 
You might still experience some sensations like tenderness on trigger points, or mild discomfort during a stretch. But that's not quite the same as pain – I'll explain in a later post.
 
Are you still worried about pain during a treatment? I want to hear your concerns and let you know how I can help. Send me a message, and we can talk about how to keep you pain-free.
 
Ready to get yourself a gentle AND effective treatment for your pain? Pop on over to the booking page to get started.