How can I relax the jaw?
The majority of therapies aim to relax the temporomandibular joint, teeth and muscles. Since the complex of the jaw works closely with the surrounding soft tissues, it is not possible to immediately categorize where the problem lies. As a rule, a plastic splint is made for the night, which prevents the contact of the teeth and the pressing of the jaw.
This allows the jaw, the chewing muscles and the joint to relax. Additional tension and knots in the muscles and soft tissue can be released by external massage movements, which also relaxes the jaw. Furthermore, specific exercises can also provide relaxation.
One exercise is to open the lower jaw against slight pressure from the hands, hold this tension for 15 seconds and then release it. This targeted mouth opening should be repeated 10 times and trains the soft tissues if exercised regularly. This can lead to a lasting relaxation of the jaw.
In order to relax the temporomandibular joint somewhat, various exercises can be performed. Especially often the muscles are very rigid and firm and can be loosened a little bit by simple stretching and relaxation exercises. This also requires a watchful eye of the patient, who controls himself and notices that the temporomandibular joint is very tense at the moment and that an exercise can help, as perhaps after a stressful day at the office or a test.
For most exercises it is important to sit upright and straight and to close your eyes in order to relax and concentrate on the exercises. You concentrate on the tension and on the movements, breathe deeply and forcefully. Massaging the muscles in the jaw area from the outside can be a starting point.
You start by opening your mouth slowly and evenly, breathing in calmly and deeply and, in the open position, moving your lower jaw slightly to the right or left until the tension begins to ease. You observe how smooth the movements are, whether a lot of force is required and whether the movement begins to become more fluid again. If you find it a little more difficult at the beginning, keep the mouth movements small, let them work and open the mouth a little more bit by bit.
Next, you can easily stick out your tongue when opening it. It is also possible to put the index and middle finger to the jaw joint, tilt the head slightly, keep the shoulders lowered, keep the fingers in position and optionally massage them briefly. However, the important thing is not so much to massage as to feel the relaxation.
The lower jaw remains completely relaxed. Afterwards you clatter your teeth gently and lightly and let the relaxation flow through your entire head. If the relaxation has spread to the head, it helps to massage the temples slightly while breathing calmly and to circle the head slightly in the next step.
In addition to relaxation exercises, there are also exercises that strengthen the muscles and stimulate the oxygen supply and blood circulation. These include an exercise in which you place your thumb on the outside of the chin from underneath, open your mouth but press lightly with your thumb against it and hold it in the open position for 3-6 seconds.This can be repeated 2-5 times. For relaxation and stretching, an exercise can be used in which one hand presses the thumb against the upper incisors and the other hand places the index and middle finger on the lower front teeth.
Now one opens the mouth and presses lightly with the fingers. But it should be pleasant and painless. This way you stretch the muscles and enjoy the relaxing effect.
