What is TMJ? Learn about TMJ and How Massage Can Help You! So You Can Massage For Jaw Pain
TMJ dysfunction: pain in and around your jaw with movement of the joint.
Your Muscles of Mastication, ie. chewing
Muscles that close your jaw:masseter, temporalis and medial pterigoid. Muscles that open your jaw:lateral pterigoid.
Masseter
Temporalis
Medial Pterigoid
Lateral Pterigoid
Can these TMJ muscles be massaged? Yes. I show you a gentle TMJ massagein the video below. The Pterigoid muscles are harder to get to, as they mostly require going inside the mouth through intra-oral massage. All of these muscles should be massaged when treating TMJ issues.
Trigger Points Refer Pain: Masseter TMJ Muscle
The masseter jaw muscle is the strongest muscle in the body!
If you’re dealing with TMJ issues and considering seeing her—do it! You’ll be in the best hands. I started seeing Emily for TMJ issues, and I couldn’t be more grateful for her care. From the very first appointment, it was clear that she takes an in-depth, critical-thinking approach to truly understand each person’s unique situation. Her sessions are long, affordable, and incredibly effective—you never feel rushed, and she genuinely invests in your well-being.
I’ve seen many different providers who do manual work on the jaw, and Emily is the best of all of them! Her technique, attention to detail, and ability to pinpoint the root of the issue set her apart.
She also goes above and beyond in ways that make a real difference—helping identify habits that might be contributing to your issues, working with you to correct them, and even loaning out helpful books to support your healing. Her goal isn’t just to treat symptoms—it’s to help you truly get better.
On top of all that, she’s just a cool person with interesting ideas and great conversation. Every session feels comfortable, engaging, and productive. You can tell she’s deeply passionate about what she does and genuinely cares about her clients.
If you’re dealing with TMJ issues and considering seeing her—do it! You’ll be in the best hands.
