🔥 Jaw pain here? It might be this hidden muscle! It’s NOT always the masseter or the muscle you feel on the outside of your jaw. One hidden muscle—the lateral pterygoid—is commonly overloaded by clenching and grinding, and it can refer pain directly into the TMJ region. Here’s what’s really happening... The lateral pterygoid helps guide the jaw forward and control the TMJ during opening and closing. When it becomes overworked from clenching: ⚡ The muscle tightens and develops trigger points ⚡ Blood flow decreases and oxygen delivery is reduced ⚡ Pain-producing chemicals build up, making the nerves more sensitive ⚡ Pain is referred into the jaw joint, making it feel like the TMJ itself is the problem So what does this mean for treatment? ❌ DON'T just massage the outside of your jaw if the pain keeps returning. ✅ START releasing the lateral pterygoid (AS SHOWN IN VIDEO) using an intraoral technique to reduce muscle tension. Then... ✅ STRETCH the muscle by gently retracting your jaw to restore mobility. ✅ STRENGTHEN it with resisted side-to-side jaw movements so it can control the TMJ without becoming overloaded again. #JawPain #TMJ #TMJDisorder #LateralPterygoid #TeethGrinding #Clenching #PhysicalTherapy

If you have jaw pain, it’s easy to assume it’s from clenching, tight muscles, or a TMJ problem. While those can play a role, many people overlook another important cause: poor jaw motor control. 💡 What’s happening? Your brain has to coordinate the muscles of your jaw every time you chew, talk, yawn, or open your mouth. When that coordination is off, your jaw may start moving in an uneven or inefficient pattern. Over time, these repeated compensations can irritate the jaw joint and surrounding muscles, leading to persistent pain. That’s one reason why stretching tight muscles or wearing a splint alone doesn’t always solve the problem—if the movement pattern never changes, the irritation often returns. 🛠 Exercise: Codman’s for the Jaw This drill helps retrain your jaw to move with better control instead of relying on compensatory movement patterns. • Relax your jaw and let it move gently through a comfortable range. • Focus on smooth, controlled motion without forcing the movement. • Keep the rest of your face and neck relaxed while your jaw does the work. The goal isn’t to stretch harder—it’s to teach your jaw to move more efficiently so everyday activities like chewing and talking become less irritating. Research has shown that improving sensorimotor (motor control) function can help reduce pain and improve function in people with temporomandibular disorders, making movement retraining an important part of recovery. Have you noticed your jaw clicking, shifting to one side, or getting sore when you chew or talk? Let us know below. #jawpain #tmj #temporomandibularjoint #tmjpain #physicaltherapy

This patient came in with neck tension that wouldn’t go away, no matter how much she stretched it. Sound familiar? Here’s the thing... it might not be a muscle problem at all. It could be a nerve issue. Your nerves run like cables through your neck, shoulder, arm, and all the way down to your fingers. Sometimes they get trapped or stuck along the way, between muscles, joints, or tight tissue. When that happens, the nerve can’t slide and move the way it’s supposed to, and that’s when you feel that tension or tightness that stretching just won’t touch. In this video, you’ll see how to mobilize the three major nerves of the arm: 🔹 Radial nerve — runs along the back of your arm and into the top of your hand. It can get stuck around the elbow and wrist, causing tension or aching in the forearm and back of the hand. 🔹 Median nerve — travels through the middle of your arm and into your palm and first three fingers. This is the nerve involved in carpal tunnel, and when it’s restricted, you can feel tightness, tingling, or numbness from your neck all the way to your fingertips. 🔹 Ulnar nerve — runs along the inside of your arm and into your ring and pinky fingers. It’s the one you feel when you hit your “funny bone.” When it’s not gliding properly, you can get tightness, tingling, or weakness in the hand. These nerve glides (also called nerve mobilizations or nerve flossing) help restore normal sliding of the nerve through the surrounding tissue. Instead of stretching harder, we’re helping the nerve move freely again — and that’s often the missing piece. #physicaltherapy #neckpain #pinchednerve #neckpainrelief #nervepain