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Reduce tension around the masseter muscles and temples.
Buccal massage for TMJ tension · City of London
Buccal massage for TMJ-related tension.
A focused treatment for the muscles of the jaw, face, neck and scalp — designed to reduce muscular sensitivity, support easier movement and create a deeply relaxing whole-face experience.
What is buccal massage?
Focused jaw careA treatment for muscular tension around the temporomandibular joints, face, neck and scalp, with optional intra-oral work performed only with your consent.
Treatment principles
Consent-ledComfortable pressureAnatomy-informedWhole-face approach
Massage may help when symptoms are mainly muscular and linked to clenching or grinding, but TMD can also involve the joint, disc, teeth or other medical factors.
Buccal Massage for TMJ-Related Tension
A calm, precise treatment for the tissues that help the jaw open, close and move comfortably.
Buccal massage is a focused treatment for the muscles of the jaw, face, neck and scalp. The temporomandibular joints — usually called the TMJs — connect the lower jaw to the skull. Problems affecting these joints and surrounding tissues are known as temporomandibular disorders, or TMDs.
When symptoms are mainly muscular and associated with habits such as jaw clenching or teeth grinding, massage may help reduce tension and make jaw movement feel more comfortable. However, TMD can also involve the joint, disc, teeth or other medical factors, so massage is not appropriate for every cause of jaw pain.
What does buccal massage include?
Working with the masseter from both outside and inside the mouth — always with clear consent and carefully controlled pressure.
The treatment works with the masseter muscles, the powerful chewing muscles at the sides of the jaw, from both outside and inside the mouth. During the intra-oral part, the therapist wears gloves and carefully supports the cheek while applying controlled pressure to accessible jaw muscles from inside the mouth.
Other muscles may also be addressed, including the temporalis around the temples and muscles beneath and around the jaw. As with massage for a shoulder or another joint, the aim is to reduce muscular sensitivity and protective tension so that movement feels easier — not to force the joint into position.
The pressure is always adjusted to your comfort and discussed throughout the treatment. Intra-oral massage is optional and performed only with your clear consent.
External jaw workMassage around the masseter, temples, cheeks and tissues beneath the jaw.
Optional intra-oral workGloved, controlled treatment inside the cheek, included only with clear consent.
Neck & shoulder treatmentHelpful when cervical tension is associated with jaw discomfort or restricted movement.
Scalp & base of skullOften included to reduce general tension and make the session more relaxing.
A whole-face treatment
The session can extend beyond the painful area to help the face, scalp, neck and shoulders feel more at ease.
Buccal massage does not need to focus only on the painful area. Treatment may include the cheeks, forehead, temples, scalp and the base of the skull. Neck and shoulder massage may also be included because tension in the cervical region can be associated with jaw pain and restricted movement.
This wider approach can make the session deeply relaxing, especially for clients who hold stress in the jaw, forehead or shoulders. Research suggests that combining treatment of the jaw and neck may provide greater short-term improvements in pain and pain-free mouth opening than treating the neck alone, although the certainty of some findings remains limited (La Touche et al., 2020).
Potential benefits
What buccal massage may help with when jaw discomfort is mainly muscular.
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Ease muscular jaw pain and tenderness.
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Improve comfortable mouth opening and jaw movement.
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Reduce tension associated with clenching or grinding.
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Relax the face, scalp, neck and shoulders.
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Promote general relaxation and greater body awareness.
What does the research say?
Promising short-term findings — with sensible clinical context.
Research suggests that intra-oral and combined jaw-and-neck approaches may help some people with muscular TMD, although treatment should still be guided by assessment and the cause of symptoms.
Intra-oral myofascial therapy
An Australian randomised trial involving 46 people with chronic muscular TMD found that intra-oral myofascial therapy reduced pain at rest, during mouth opening and while clenching over six weeks. Mouth-opening range did not differ significantly from education and self-care, and the authors noted that further research was needed (Kalamir et al., 2013).
Combining jaw and neck treatment
Research suggests that combining treatment of the jaw and neck may provide greater short-term improvements in pain and pain-free mouth opening than treating the neck alone, although the certainty of some findings remains limited (La Touche et al., 2020).
After treatment and safety
Pressure is reduced or stopped whenever it feels excessive, and all intra-oral work remains completely optional.
Some temporary facial tenderness may occur after treatment, particularly following work on sensitive chewing muscles. This should remain mild and normally settle within 24–48 hours.
Persistent locking, significant swelling, dental pain or worsening symptoms should be assessed by a dentist or suitable healthcare professional.
References
Sources used on this page.
- Kalamir, A., Graham, P.L., Vitiello, A.L., Bonello, R. and Pollard, H. (2013) ‘Intra-oral myofascial therapy versus education and self-care in the treatment of chronic, myogenous temporomandibular disorder: a randomised clinical trial’, Chiropractic & Manual Therapies, 21, article 17. doi: 10.1186/2045-709X-21-17.
- La Touche, R. et al. (2020) ‘Effect of manual therapy and therapeutic exercise applied to the cervical region on pain and pressure pain sensitivity in patients with temporomandibular disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis’, Pain Medicine, 21(10), pp. 2373–2384. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnaa021.