A trip to the chiropractor or an over-the-counter painkiller is a popular treatment for the common headache. 90% of men and 95% of women report having headaches at some point in their lives, according to Harvard Medical School. However, not all headaches are created equal. Even though many headaches are caused by rising stress, an aching neck, or cramping back, it’s uncommon for some headaches to be connected to your jaw muscles. To find out how to read on.

How To Relax The Temporalis Muscle

You can start just above the temple area and work your way down toward the jaw by applying pressure along the muscle with your thumb and fingers. The muscle should feel like it is contracting when you lightly clench your teeth.  The discomfort should start to fade after applying pressure to the muscle for 15 to 20 seconds.  The muscle can also be released by gliding your fingers along it.

The muscle you feel over your temples when you clench your teeth and chew is the temporalis. The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and upper teeth are just a few places on the head where the muscle may be tender to the touch.

How Can The Temporalis Muscle Be Released?

It is in charge of closing the jaw (when both contract), moving the jaw from side to side (when one contracts), and a small amount of retraction (pulling the jaw backward). It is frequently impacted by excessive chewing of gum, clenching of the jaw, muscle trauma, and head position.

Along with treating the underlying causes of this muscle’s overuse, I frequently use acupuncture or the active release technique (ART) in my practice to treat this particular muscle. Take your thumb or a ball (the smaller the ball, the more focused the pressure can be) to perform your own self-treatment of this muscle (self-myofascial release).  Put pressure on the tender spot.  This can be accomplished without breaking the muscle.  Moderate to light discomfort is acceptable. After you have pinned the muscle out, move the ball or thumb in a different direction because this muscle fans out from its insertion.

Simply open your mouth to give it a stretch.   The muscle will be slightly more stretched if you turn your jaw to the opposite side.

3 Things You Can Do To Reduce Tension In The Temporalis Muscle

1. Sleep Tape:

If you typically breathe through your mouth while you sleep, there are tape strips that can be bought in shops or online that can help reduce tension in the temporalis.

2. Temporalis massage:

With gentle pressure, massage up and diagonally from the jaw joint in front of your ear. In order to find any knots, tight bands of tissue, or locations where the pain is intensifying, massage the entire muscle. If you come across one of these, stop and massage it gently to moderately for 10 seconds. Then, resume your search for other tender areas. Multiple quick treatments spaced throughout the day are the most effective for treating trigger points.

3. Use nose breathing exercises:  

Breathing in and out through your nose will help keep your jaw in a relaxed position

2 Exercises To Relieve Tension

Trigger Point (masseter)

• Time: ~5 minutes
• When: Early in the day

The first one is trigger point work on your Masseter, which I want you to do earlier in the day. Finding your Zygoma, which is this bone here, is the first thing I want you to do. I’ve recently felt the masseters of many of my patients, and occasionally the masseter muscle feels like bone. However, you find that there’s a ridge just underneath this hard bit, and that’s where I want you to press. You can use your points if you’d like, but I usually use my thumbs. Make a strong connection between your awareness and the tension you experience in these areas. This area, which is typically the tensest in the masseter muscle, can be relieved simply by pressing and making small movements like this.

As early in the day as possible, you should spend about five minutes doing this.

Myofascial Release With Traction

• Time: 5-10 minutes
• When: Anytime

I want you to do the second thing, which is a little different from the first. This process is known as myofascial release with traction. It will pop out right below the angle of your jaw, right on top of this flat surface, you’re making with your fingertips. Now you can manipulate this with your fingers. We are also lengthening the fascia. You will feel feelings that are very different from your normal ones when you stretch a mixture of skin and muscle that extends all the way to the bone, which is a really unique sensation for your skin and muscles to experience.

So you should apply pressure going inwards of perhaps one or two kilograms. Starting as low down as you can, press in and upwards while letting your hands slowly move up the sides of your face.

You might experience odd sensations as you do this, but try to keep your attention on the slowest movement you can make up your face’s sides. Let your hands extend all the way up the sides of your face for the next five to ten minutes as you perform this exercise.

You keep the same angle as you ascend past that bone into your temple region, which is so named because your fan-shaped temporalis muscle is situated nearby. Start spreading your fingers as you move into this area, keeping our pressure, inward, and moderate upward movement as you move to cover the entire body of that muscle.

Tags: Relax Muscle, Temporalis Muscle