If you’ve ever experienced pain in your jaw, frequent headaches, or a tight feeling around your temples and neck, you might be dealing with **TMJ dysfunction**, a condition that affects the temporomanibular joint, which connects your jaw to your skull. It can feel frustrating, painful, and sometimes overwhelming, especially when it interferes with eating, speaking or sleeping.

But, there is hope, and it doesn’t have to involve medication or invasive procedures. Precise bodywork methods like trigger point therapy and myofascial massage are natural, effective ways to reduce tension, relieve pain and support long-term healing.

What is TMJ Dysfunction?

TMJ dysfunction occurs when the joint or surrounding muscles become inflamed, overworked or imbalanced. This can be due to stress, poor posture, jaw clenching, teeth grinding, trauma or even muscular imbalance in the neck and shoulders.

Common symptoms include:

Jaw pain or tightness
Clicking or popping when opening the mouth
Headaches or migraines
Neck, ear or facial pain
Difficulty chewing or yawning

The Role of Muscle Tension and Trigger Points

Much or the discomfort from TMJ comes from trigger points - tight, irritable knots within the muscle fibers that refer pain to other areas. In TMJ dysfunction, these trigger points are often found in:

The masseter (chewing muscle)
The temporalis (side of your head)
The pterygoid muscles (inside the jaw)
Neck and upper shoulder muscles

These tight points can mimic TMJ symptoms or make them worse by pulling the jaw out of alignment or creating constant tension.

How Trigger Point and Myofascial Massage Help

Trigger point therapy involves applying sustained, focused pressure to specific points in the muscle to release the knot, restore normal muscle function and reduce referred pain.

Myofascial release targets the fascia, the connective tissue that surrounds and supports the muscle. When fascia becomes restricted, it can limit movement and cause pain. Gentle, sustained pressure helps unwind these restrictions and allows the jaw and surrounding muscles to move freely.

Together, these techniques:

Release tightness in jaw and neck muscles
Improve jaw alignment and function
Reduce frequency and intensity of TMJ-related headaches
Calm the nervous system and lower stress (a major contributor to TMJ)

In fact, a 2013 study found that 83% of people experienced significantly lower levels of pain after receiving massage. This shows that massage can be a powerful tool for easing jaw tension, improve comfort and support overall relief from TMJ-related pain.

What to Expect in a Session

At The Pinnacle Therapeutics Massage, our integrative approach means every session is customized to your needs. For TMJ work, we may include for example:

External massage to jaw, scalp, neck and shoulders
Myofascial techniques to release surrounding fascia

Our goal is always to get the root cause of your tension, not just treat your symptoms.

Long-Term Relief is Possible

TMJ dysfunction doesn’t have to rule your life. With a skilled, therapeutic approach that honors your body’s unique needs, you can experience relief, improve jaw mobility, and reduce daily pain.

If you're experiencing jaw tension, headaches or think you may have TMJ dysfunction, we’re here to help. Book a customized session with us and experience the difference integrative massage can make.

Interested in scheduling a session? Contact us HERE

Silent Stress: Relieving TMJ Pain Through Precision Bodywork