I’ll never forget that terrifying night Arizona when I was on vacation for a family wedding, sitting on my cousin’s couch and suddenly unable to open my mouth. My jaw occasionally popped, but I thought I was getting along fine and chose to ignore the symptoms. That night, however, the tension reached it’s peak. It was beyond time to see a doctor.
When I got back to Pittsburgh, I was diagnosed with temporomandibular joint disorder, commonly referred to as TMJ. As I’m sure you can imagine, TMJ disorder can be especially problematic for singers. Over the years, I’ve learned how to manage it and, thankfully, never experienced lock-jaw again.
While I am not a doctor (and recommend that you see one if you suffer from severe jaw tension!), here are 10 ways I’ve found relief that might be helpful to you:
Wear a night guard - Grinding your teeth at night is one of the biggest culprits of TMJ disorder. A custom night guard from a dentist or orthodontist creates a barrier between your top and bottom teeth to minimize grinding.
Mind your chewing - Cut out anything that requires your jaw to work in overdrive - gum, sticky candy, high sandwiches, hard bread, etc. I haven’t had gum since that frightful Arizona trip and I don’t miss it one bit!
Stretch your jaw - We can open the jaw hinge and increase mobility in the joint with a few simple stretches. I love these quick stretches from Andrew Byrne for immediate relief.
Stretch your hips - Believe it or not, your hips and jaw are linked. If you are tense in your jaw, you are also likely tense in your hips. Do some hip opening stretches to aid relation in your jaw. Try this Yoga with Adrienne video designed for the hips and lower back.
Apply essential oils - Lavender oil is known for its calming properties and applying some before bed can do wonders. My favorite blends for for TMJ relief, which include both lavender and other calming ingredients, are the Jaw Clenching Remedy roller ball by H. Gillerman Organics and the Very Sleepy skin stick by Perfectly Posh.
Use a roller - Jade or rose quartz rolling is not only useful as part of your skincare routine, but also you can use it to massage and reduce inflammation in the masseter muscle, which is the primary muscle for chewing.
Try myofacial release massage - Find a massseuse who specializes in intraoral myofacial release message or learn to do it yourself. It’s quite simple! Just like foam rolling, your jaw has fascia that can tighten and cause discomfort. This special massage technique helps to release the fascia, increase mobility and reduce jaw pain.
Check your posture - Align your head, neck, shoulders and spine by lying down on a twin block for suboccipital release. As you work during the day, be wary of slouching and sticking your chin forward while working on tech. The Upright Go is a great posture trainer if you want tactile accountability. Practicing Alexander Technique can also be helpful in finding optimal, flexible alignment.
See an acupuncturist, chiropractor and/or physical therapist - While people have found relief through each of these individual specialties, I happened to see all three in tandem while I was dealing with a whiplash injury. Tension in the neck and shoulders can really aggravate TMJ disorder, and the combo of treatments significantly helped to ease the tightness in my jaw.
Find calm - When we’re stressed, our body goes into fight or flight mode and the jaw is one of the first places we hold our tension. Reduce unnecessary stress and relax your grip through mindfulness techniques such as deep breathing, meditation and sensory awareness to relax your grip.
Try these tips for dealing with jaw tension, and let me know what works for you! Do you have any ideas to add to the list? Write them in the comments below!
