A lot of people don’t realise they carry tension in their jaw. They wake up with it in the morning, feel pressure behind their eyes, or notice their jaw feels tired in the evening. Sometimes it takes a dentist to point it out.
Jaw tension has a physical side that goes beyond the jaw itself.
How it connects
The jaw muscles connect to the neck and upper back through the jaw joint and surrounding musculature. People who clench or grind their teeth tend to hold that tension not only in the jaw. It sits in the neck, the temple muscles and often the shoulders too.
It’s not a conscious choice. It’s what the body does when it’s been under pressure for a long time.
What massage does
A relaxation massage works on the whole area: neck, shoulders, upper back and the large muscle groups around the head. The jaw itself isn’t worked internally during a regular session, but loosening the surrounding muscles does reduce pressure on the jaw joint.
People who regularly deal with jaw tension often notice it easing after a session. Not because it was directly treated, but because the whole upper zone becomes less loaded.
When it helps
If you wake up with a stiff jaw or a headache behind your eyes, if you notice you’ve been clenching your teeth during the day, or if your neck and shoulders are consistently tight: there’s a good chance it’s all connected.
Massage doesn’t fix the cause, but it gives the body space to release. That has an effect on the jaw, even when the treatment starts at the shoulders.
At Masseur Joost in Hoofddorp you can simply indicate where your tension sits. Jaw complaints can be included in the intake.
Masseur Joost — Hoofddorp
Jaw and neck tension?
Relaxation massage in Hoofddorp — 55 minutes, personally tailored, €60.