Jaws!
- annetteawells
- Aug 17
- 2 min read
Take a moment to become aware of your jaw. What does it feel like from inside your mouth? Bring your hand up and feel along your jawline and under and around your ears. Any tender or tight areas? Very few of my clients have no degree of jaw tension, tightness, or tenderness. Why is that significant?
For most people, holding tension in the jaw area is completely unconscious. So is clenching or grinding teeth at night. The dentist will prescribe a night guard, but it doesn't do a thing for the underlying condition. The cause may be TMD, a jaw or mouth alignment issue, or most commonly, stress.
Tension in the jaw doesn't stay in the jaw, though. Your neck pain and stiffness, shoulder tightness and tension, and back issues may all be caused by jaw tension.
Jaw tightness creates a physical chain reaction through the nervous and muscular systems. Because the jaw shares fascial and nerve pathways with the head, neck, and spine, clenching strains upper body posture, triggers tension headaches, and signals systemic stress that can lead to widespread fatigue and discomfort.
Head and Neck Effects
Headaches: Constant muscle contraction around the temples and jaw frequently causes tension headaches or referred pain behind the eyes.
Neck Strain: Overworked jaw muscles force the cervical muscles in the neck to overcompensate, leading to chronic stiffness.
Ear Issues: Tightness near the joint can inflame surrounding tissue, causing earaches, fullness, or tinnitus (ringing).
Posture and Upper Body Effects
Shoulder Tightness: Upper back and shoulder muscles tighten as the body alters its alignment to balance head weight.
Forward Head Posture: Sustained tension pulls the head forward, compressing the thoracic spine and rib cage.
Spinal Compensation: Misalignments cascade downward, subtly altering overall physical posture and balance.
Systemic and Sleep Effects
Sleep Disruption: Nighttime clenching breaks deep sleep cycles, causing daytime exhaustion and physical fatigue.
Nervous System Stress: A locked jaw keeps the body in a prolonged "fight or flight" stress loop.
The Fix?
Whole body massage with special attention to the jaw area.
Focused massage head, neck , shoulders with external and intra-oral work.
Daily jaw tension melting techniques like this one from Til Luchau: WATCH THIS SHORT VIDEO
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