TMJ Pain May Not Start in Your Jaw: Understanding Trigger Points and Referred Pain
If you have jaw pain, jaw tension, clicking, grinding, headaches, or discomfort around your temporomandibular joint, you may naturally assume the problem begins and ends at the jaw.
But what if some of the tension you're feeling around your jaw is being influenced by muscles somewhere else?
The muscles of the jaw, head, neck, shoulders, and the rest of the body are interconnected. When one area becomes tight or overloaded, it can sometimes contribute to tension or referred pain somewhere else.
That's why understanding trigger points, referred pain, and muscular tension can give you a different way of looking at jaw-related discomfort.
What Are Trigger Points and Referred Pain?
A trigger point is a sensitive area within a muscle that can produce pain locally or contribute to pain in another area.
That's where referred pain becomes important.
The place where you feel pain isn't always the place where the muscular problem originates.
A muscle can become tight, tense, or develop trigger points in one area and refer pain or tension somewhere else. This can make it easy to focus on the location of the pain rather than the muscles that may be involved in the overall pattern.
When it comes to jaw tension, that means we shouldn't automatically focus only on the jaw.
The masseter may be where you feel the discomfort, but other muscles—including the temporalis, sternocleidomastoid, levator scapulae, and trapezius—can also be part of the pattern.
The jaw doesn't work in isolation.
That's why I want to show you five muscles that I commonly look at when working with muscular jaw, head, neck, and shoulder tension.
The Masseter: The Muscle Most People Think About
The masseter is one of the major muscles responsible for chewing.
It sits along the side of the jaw and is one of the first muscles people think about when they experience muscular jaw tension.
When the masseter becomes tight or overloaded, it can contribute to tenderness, pressure, tightness, and discomfort around the jaw.
Because that's where the discomfort is often felt, it's natural to focus directly on the masseter.
And the masseter absolutely deserves attention.
But it doesn't work alone.
The muscles of the head, neck, and shoulders can also contribute to the overall pattern of tension.
See the Masseter Technique
In the video below, I'll show you how I locate the masseter and work directly on the muscle using slow, controlled percussion massage.
The goal isn't to create pain. The goal is to use controlled pressure that feels therapeutic and comfortable.
We'll come back to the other muscles because understanding how they work together is an important part of the approach.
The Temporalis: A Major Chewing Muscle
The temporalis is another major muscle involved in chewing.
It's a broad, relatively thin muscle that covers much of the side of the skull and connects with the jaw.
When the temporalis becomes tense, discomfort may be felt around the temple, side of the head, or jaw.
This is one reason jaw tension can sometimes be accompanied by temple pressure, headaches, facial tension, or discomfort around the side of the head.
The temporalis is also an important reminder that the muscles involved in jaw function extend beyond the jaw itself.
See the Temporalis Technique
Because the temporalis is a broad and relatively thin muscle located around the head, I use a very light touch when working with this area.
In the video below, I'll show you how I work with the temporalis using gentle, controlled percussion.
When working around the head, start very gently. The pressure should feel comfortable and therapeutic—not painful.
The Sternocleidomastoid: A Neck Muscle That Can Affect the Head and Jaw
The sternocleidomastoid, commonly called the SCM, is a prominent muscle that runs along the side of the neck. It attaches near the sternum and clavicle and extends upward toward the mastoid process behind the ear.
The SCM helps move and stabilize the head and neck.
But it can also become tight and contribute to tension that is felt through the neck, behind the ear, around the head, and sometimes toward the jaw and face.
This is another example of why the location of discomfort doesn't always tell you the entire story.
The muscle is in the neck, but the tension or referred discomfort may be experienced higher up.
An Important Note About the Front of the Neck
When I demonstrate work on the SCM, I do not massage the front portion of the neck.
This is a sensitive area, and my demonstrations focus on working with the SCM along the appropriate side/back portion of the muscle using light, controlled pressure.
See the SCM Technique
In the video below, I'll show you how I locate the SCM and work with it using controlled percussion massage.
The SCM is another piece of the larger muscular pattern involving the jaw, head, and neck.
The Levator Scapulae: Connecting the Neck and Shoulder
The levator scapulae connects the upper portion of the shoulder blade to the cervical spine.
It helps elevate the shoulder blade and plays an important role in movement and stabilization of the neck and shoulder.
When this muscle becomes tight or overloaded, you may feel tension along the back/side of the neck and upper shoulder.
Because of its relationship with the neck and shoulder, the levator scapulae can also be part of a larger pattern of tension involving the head and jaw.
See the Levator Scapulae Technique
In the video below, I'll show you how I work along the back edge of the neck, approaching the levator scapulae from an angle.
Working from an angle allows me to use a controlled, comfortable touch rather than driving straight down into the back of the neck.
The levator scapulae is another example of why it can be helpful to look beyond the exact location where you feel discomfort.
The Trapezius: A Large Upper-Back Muscle
The trapezius is a large muscle covering much of the upper back, shoulders, and neck. Its upper portion extends toward the base of the skull.
When the upper trapezius becomes tight or overloaded, it can contribute to tension through the shoulders, neck, and head.
Because it covers such a large area, the trapezius is an important muscle to consider when looking at the relationship between shoulder, neck, head, and jaw tension.
See the Trapezius Technique
In the video below, I'll show you how I work across the upper portion of the trapezius, including the upper shoulder, back edge of the neck, and upper-back region.
As with the other muscles, the goal is controlled, comfortable pressure—not trying to force your way through pain.
A Note About Pressure
One thing I want to emphasize when practicing self-massage is that more pressure isn't necessarily better.
When I demonstrate these techniques, I use slow, controlled, easy pressure.
A simple way to think about pressure is on a scale of 1 to 10:
1–2: Very light pressure, especially around the head and sensitive areas
3–4: A comfortable working pressure for many areas
5: May be appropriate if it remains comfortable for you
10: Not the goal
We're looking for a pleasant, therapeutic sensation—not pain.
The pressure should stay in an area that feels beneficial rather than becoming something you have to fight through.
The more sensitive the area, the lighter I recommend starting.
Your Jaw Is Part of a Much Bigger System
At this point, you've seen five muscles that can be involved in patterns of jaw, head, neck, and shoulder tension:
Masseter → Temporalis → SCM → Levator Scapulae → Trapezius
Two of those muscles—the masseter and temporalis—are directly involved in chewing.
The other three are located in the neck and shoulder region.
That's important because the jaw doesn't work by itself.
The muscles surrounding the jaw, head, neck, and shoulders work together. When you're dealing with recurring tension, looking at the entire muscular pattern can give you a more complete picture than simply focusing on the place that hurts.
Don't just ask, "Where does it hurt?"
Ask:
"What muscles are involved in the entire pattern?"
See How the Five Techniques Work Together
You've now seen each muscle individually.
But I don't want you to think of these as five completely separate techniques.
In the next video, I'll put everything together.
I'll work through all five muscles, one after another, and demonstrate the complete sequence on both sides of the body.
This gives you an opportunity to see how the individual techniques fit together as one complete self-massage routine.
This is where the bigger picture comes together.
You're not simply learning how to massage one sore spot.
You're learning how to recognize and work with a pattern of muscular tension.
Want to learn more than just these five muscles?
The Complete Self-Massage System teaches you a head-to-toe approach to understanding and working with your muscles using guided video instruction, self-massage tools, and a printed workbook.
A Head-to-Toe Approach to Self-Massage
The five muscles we've covered are an important starting point when you're dealing with jaw, head, neck, and shoulder tension.
But sometimes tension doesn't stay confined to one region.
That's why I teach a broader, head-to-toe approach to self-massage.
Start with the muscles most closely associated with the problem.
Then, if the tension continues to return or you want to understand your body more completely, expand your approach.
Head → neck → shoulders → back → hips → glutes → legs → feet
This doesn't mean you need to massage your entire body every time your jaw feels tight.
It means learning to understand your body as a connected system.
The goal is to stop constantly chasing the painful spot and start learning how your muscles work together.
Where Massage Fits In
Massage and self-massage can be valuable ways to work with muscles that are tight, overloaded, or containing painful trigger points.
When muscular tension is part of the picture, working with the muscles can be an important component of your overall approach.
That doesn't mean massage is the answer to every cause of TMJ/TMD.
Jaw problems can have different contributing factors, and some people may have primarily muscular issues while others may have joint-related, dental, or other factors involved.
But when muscular tension is part of the problem, learning how to work with those muscles can give you another tool to use consistently.
And that's exactly what I want to teach.
The TPS Wellness Approach
At TPS Wellness, I teach self-massage as a skill you can continue practicing on your own.
You learn where your muscles are.
You learn how they function.
You learn to recognize tension and trigger points.
And you learn how to work with your body systematically rather than simply chasing wherever the pain happens to be that day.
You're not simply learning how to massage one sore muscle.
You're learning how to understand your body.
The Complete Self-Massage System
That's why I created the Complete Self-Massage System.
It's more than a collection of massage tools. It's a complete self-massage education program that combines guided video instruction, self-massage tools, and a printed workbook.
The training takes you through the major regions of the body so you can develop a complete understanding of self-massage rather than learning isolated techniques.
When you're dealing with jaw tension, you can start with the muscles we've discussed in this article.
Then, as appropriate, you can continue learning about the rest of your body.
Start with the main muscles. Understand the bigger picture. Then learn how to work with your whole body.
Learn the Complete Self-Massage System
If you'd like to learn a systematic, head-to-toe approach to self-massage, learn more about the TPS Wellness Complete Self-Massage System, including guided video training, self-massage tools, and a printed workbook.
Start learning your body. Stop guessing.
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