TMJ Pain and Jaw Clicking: Releasing the Lateral Pterygoid
What TMJ pain is
Pain in front of the ear, a click or pop when the mouth opens, a jaw that deviates to one side or locks, clenching and grinding at night, ear fullness, headaches at the temple. The temporomandibular joint has a small disc inside it that should glide with the jaw. When it is pulled out of position the joint clicks, catches and hurts.
The muscle that pulls the disc
The lateral pterygoid sits deep behind the cheekbone, running from the skull to the jaw's condyle and, with its upper head, directly to the disc itself. It is the muscle that pulls the jaw forward and opens the mouth. In spasm it holds the disc pulled forward and the jaw braced, which is the clicking, the deviation and the clenching. It is unreachable from outside the face; releasing it is done from inside the mouth, behind the last upper molar, and it is the release most TMJ clients have never had.
What Releasology does
Modality 01 releases the lateral pterygoid directly, along with the medial pterygoid, masseter and temporalis that brace with it. Clients feel the click change or stop as the disc is no longer held forward, and the jaw opens straighter. Because the neck drives much of jaw tension, the trapezius and sternocleidomastoid (Modality 06) and the suboccipitals (Modality 04) are often released in the same course, especially when headaches, ear symptoms or dizziness come with the jaw pain.
Clenching, grinding and night guards
A night guard protects the teeth from a jaw that clenches; it does not release the muscle that is clenching. Releasing the lateral pterygoid and its partners takes the brace out of the jaw, and many clients find the grinding stops without the guard once the muscles are no longer in spasm.
When to see a dentist or physician
A jaw that locks closed and will not open, or pain following a blow to the face, should be seen promptly. Dental causes of jaw pain are ruled out by a dentist.
The Releasology modality for this
Modality 01 · TMJ relief: lateral pterygoid release. Read what the release relieves, the FAQ, and the free preview lesson on that page.
Related releases
Frequently asked questions
Why is the release done inside the mouth?
Because the lateral pterygoid sits behind the cheekbone where no outside pressure reaches it. The practitioner works with a gloved finger behind the last upper molar, directly on the muscle.
Will the clicking stop?
When the click is the disc being held forward by the lateral pterygoid, releasing the muscle lets the disc glide again and the click reduces or stops.
Does this help TMJ headaches?
Temple headaches from a clenched temporalis and lateral pterygoid ease as those muscles release; headaches from the neck are released in Modality 06.
Releasology is hands-on muscle release taught and practised in Los Gatos, California by Royal Jacobs and certified practitioners. It is not medical diagnosis or treatment. Book a session or see all 78 conditions.
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