Jaw Pain

This past week I began seeing new client seeking relief from her jaw pain. When her husband past away a year and a half ago, her new life became overwhelmed with stress and anxiety. It led her to begin grinding her teeth in the night. It has gotten to the point where on a bad day, she can barely open her mouth a half an inch. It limited her diet to consist of only soup and smoothies. She is now dangerously underweight.

This is an extreme case, but an excellent example of how emotional stress manifests into physical dysfunction. Her doctor diagnosed her with Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Syndrome. Because the crux of the pain occurs as a result of chronically contracted chewing muscles, he recommended massage therapy in addition to her spinal and cranial chiropractic adjustments.

The massage I do with her is, as always, a mix between a relaxation treatment and functionally restorative. I begin with a completely unrelated area to the pain: usually her feet or legs. This is sedating to the mind and allows me to feel more deeply using less effort once I get to a more sensitive area, like the head and face. Massage to a painful area can be deep or light, but most importantly, the therapist should move slowly and carefully. This is truly therapeutic.