How does TMJ therapy help jaw pain, jaw tension, bruxism and more?

Jaw pain sucks. 

Face pain, too. 

Restricted jaw movement is not nice either, while we’re at it. 

All of these and more can be related to TMJ disorder and these therapeutic sessions are specially designed to address the underlying imbalances.

A TMJ Jaw Therapy session aims to get you out of pain and restore full range of motion in the jaw joint in as few sessions as possible. Most clients benefit from at least three sessions close together, usually at weekly intervals.

What happens when you book in for a TMJ Jaw Therapy session?

When someone feels like they have any of the symptoms of TMJ disorder that we talked about in the last article, and they book in for a TMJ Jaw Therapy session, the first step is completing a thorough consultation form. 

When you share as much detail as possible in your form I’m able to understand your needs and prepare the  sessions so that you get the maximum benefit possible.

At the session

At the start of the session, I’ll be looking at your jaw to see how it’s moving, as well as your head, neck and shoulders to understand what areas of tension are contributing to your problem.

This is a therapeutic session, however helping you feel as comfortable and cozy as possible is one of my top priorities. I love to make the room feel warm and inviting.  We’ll have soft lighting, relaxing music and our super comfortable massage table set up for you.

We’ll start working on your body by having you lying face down. Here I’ll begin by releasing tension in your neck and shoulders. Often, releasing any muscle tension or trigger points we find in these areas can give an immediate sense of relief which helps as we continue into the session.

Working together to get you the best results

Once we’ve released the shoulders and neck, you’ll lay on your back for the rest of the session. We’ll move our focus onto the muscles of the face and mouth, which is where many clients carry a lot of tension that can contribute to the misalignment of the jaw. 

As some of these areas can be sensitive, we’ll be communicating constantly and working together so that you can feel comfortable as we work on clearing as much stress and tension as possible to allow the jaw to function properly again.

Working with the body to achieve a longer lasting change

There are often levels or layers of tension being held in the jaw - I refer to these as ‘doors’. When releasing the soft tissues inside the mouth, we often find that some of these ‘doors’ are not yet ready to open. I work in tandem with your body and respect which doors are ready to open and which need more time.

I frequently find that we’re able to go a little deeper in future sessions - building on this progress at each session, as your body opens more doors and releases deeper layers of tension, is one of the most important aspects that creates lasting changes.

Emotional release from jaw work

Many clients notice that emotions can be stirred too. Releasing the jaw can shift some emotional patterns you’ve maybe been unconsciously holding. The breath helps to ease the body along this healing journey and release these stuck emotions.

Up next…

In part 3 of this series, we’ll share more on the physical and emotional changes people notice after a course of sessions of The TMJ Jaw Therapy.