When it comes to stress and tension and where we hold it, most people think of their shoulders first. Sometimes, glutes, stomach, and neck come into the conversation but, rarely do people think of the jaw! The jaw happens to be one of the most common places for people to hold tension, with over 10 million people reporting some number of symptoms associated with TMJD (tempo mandibular joint disorder), including jaw popping, local jaw pain, sharp, shooting pain with chewing, and jaw locking. A pair of symptoms that often do not get connected are from the trigger points generated by the masseter muscle; the primary muscle for chewing and clenching.
As you can see, both orbital headaches (headaches around eye) and inner ear pain can both be overlooked symptoms caused by jaw tension! If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, a session of bodywork can be a huge key to relieving stress in these muscles (yes, we work inside the jaw!). After having a session of jaw work you just may be amazed how much tension and stress you carry in your jaw.
