Exploring the Benefits of Massage Therapy for TMJ Relief

Gabriela Wieczorek, RMT - Registered Massage Therapist

If you’re dealing with TMJ pain, you know how frustrating it can be. Jaw tension, headaches, facial soreness, clicking, or even difficulty chewing can start to affect your everyday life. A lot of this discomfort comes from overworked muscles — especially the masseter (your main chewing muscle), the temporalis (along the side of your head), and the pterygoid muscles deep inside the jaw. Massage therapy focuses on releasing tension in these areas. Techniques like myofascial release and trigger point therapy can help calm muscle overactivity and reduce pain sensitivity in people with temporomandibular disorders (Fernández-de-Las-Peñas et al., 2015). When we reduce muscle tension and improve circulation, the jaw can often move more comfortably, and the neck and shoulders don’t have to compensate as much.

Beyond just pain relief, massage can also help improve how your jaw functions. Research shows that manual therapy directed at the chewing muscles can increase mouth opening and reduce the feeling of disability related to TMD (Kalamir et al., 2013). In some cases, intraoral massage — performed by a properly trained therapist — allows us to access deeper muscles like the medial and lateral pterygoids. These muscles often contribute to jaw deviation, clicking, and clenching. When we decrease tension in these areas, it may also help reduce bruxism (clenching and grinding), which over time can wear down enamel, increase tooth sensitivity, and affect dental restorations.

TMJ issues are also closely connected to stress. Many people clench their jaw without even realizing it. Massage therapy helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system — the part of your nervous system responsible for rest and relaxation — which can calm the stress response that fuels jaw tension (Field, 2016). When massage is combined with dental care, orthodontic treatment, or post-surgical rehabilitation, it can support better overall outcomes by addressing the soft tissue component of TMJ dysfunction. While massage isn’t a cure for structural joint problems, it can be a very effective complementary approach to reduce pain, improve movement, and help you feel more comfortable in your daily life.

References

Fernández-de-Las-Peñas, C., Galán-del-Río, F., Fernández-Carnero, J., Pesquera, J., & Arendt-Nielsen, L. (2015). Bilateral myofascial trigger points in the masseter muscle in patients with temporomandibular disorders: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Orofacial Pain, 29(3), 215–223.

Field, T. (2016). Massage therapy research review. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 24, 19–31.

Kalamir, A., Graham, P. L., & Vitiello, A. L. (2013). Intra-oral myofascial therapy for chronic myogenous temporomandibular disorder: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 17(3), 365–372.