TMJ Massage Tools – Top 6 Products To Get Relief

TMJ – Joint vs. Muscle Involvement

Before selecting the right TMJ tool, you need to know what you are trying to target for relief. The profession most commonly associated with addressing temporomandibular joint dysfunction is dentists, but they certainly aren’t the only professionals often needed to resolve this often complicated condition.

Dentists may address the input of the teeth (occlusion) and depending on their training, airway issues that may be helped with certain dental appliances, but there is also an aspect that involves musculoskeletal input.

This brings in the need for an orthopedic doctor, a physical therapist that has expertise in dental/postural integration, specialized massage therapist, or other structural oriented expert.

Addressing all of the factors that may be contributing to TMJ dysfunction is well beyond the scope of this post, but I do want to emphasize the importance of taking a multi-disciplinary approach.

When selecting TMJ massage tools, we will only be addressing the musculoskeletal aspect of the overall approach, so the results may be limited to the degree this aspect is influencing your specific condition.

With that in mind, let’s briefly cover the muscles specifically that we want to address with these TMJ tools.

Key muscles to address

There are a lot of muscles in the craniofacial region, but the most influential muscles can be reduced to the following.  These muscles directly influence jaw position the most.

Masseter

The masseter muscle is a very powerful closer of the jaw.  It is found in the cheek region, near the back teeth.  If you place your fingers in this region and clench your teeth, you will feel it bulge.

Common trigger points in this muscle tend to refer over the eyes.  It’s a common target for botox injections.

Temporalis

The temporalis muscle is the other closer of the jaw, being a bit less powerful than the masseter.  Its location is over the temporal bones at the side of the head.

Placing the fingers over this area and clenching reveals the location.  Trigger points in this muscle refer to the face and even into the teeth.

Pterygoids

There are medial and lateral aspects to the pterygoid muscles.  These important muscles protrude the jaw forward and assist in rotary motion during chewing.

They are often involved heavily in the jaw shifting toward one side, and thus can have a dramatic impact on TMJ issues when relaxed.

Jaw Massage Tools

There aren’t many options in the search results for TMJ massage devices, but a few of them can be very helpful when combined with dental therapy that is aimed at getting to the root cause.

The most important aspect of selecting the right jaw massage tool is knowing what muscle group you will be focusing on.

The outer muscles of the jaw, the temporalis and masseter, can be addressed with virtually all of the following tools.

The pterygoids, however, are only going to be addressed intra-orally (inside the mouth), so the options are much more limited.

Consider selecting a tool or the outside and inside of the mouth for the most thorough approach.

Gua Sha – IASTM – Graston For TMJ Muscles

There are a number of different names for this class of tools, but they can generally be referred to as IASTM (instrument assisted soft tissue manipulation).

The primary goal of these tools is to gently pull or tug on the superficial tissues (skin primarily) to stimulate release and relaxation of deeper tissues.

It is noteworthy that very often you find video demonstrations online of therapists using these tools very aggressively, which results in visible discomfort as well as bruising after therapy.  This is neither appropriate, necessary, or desirable.

Therapy with these tools should be very comfortable, with only very mild discomfort at max.

At this point in time, there are literally dozens of IASTM style tools available online at many different price points.  The truth is you don’t need anything super fancy.

This little tool is probably the best face massager for TMJ on Amazon.

Get specifics and buy your Gua-Sha tool here: https://amzn.to/3EZwggi

The Myofree Solution TMJ Massage Tool Kit

This handy kit is for sure the most effective jaw massage tool.  While the treatment of the outer jaw muscles can help quite a bit, the internal muscle release work tends to create the most dramatic improvements.

In particular, massaging the pterygoid muscle is of utmost importance.  The Myofree kit includes a handy tool to perform this release.  If you’re not a fan of constantly sticking your fingers in your mouth, this tool will especially be valuable for you.

It also includes a travel case for the tool and a very helpful DVD with 3D animation to demonstrate where the muscles are located so that you can treat yourself effectively.

https://releasemuscletherapy.com/myofree
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Gentle Jaw Muscle Stretcher

On the quest for the perfect jaw massage tool for bruxism, we can’t forget about the value of stretching.  While not a massage tool, the Gentle Jaw can provide excellent results by lengthening and stretching the tight clenching muscles of the jaw, including the temporalis and masseter specifically.

This handy little tool includes the ability to progress through levels of stretch intensity.  This is a great way to gauge your level of improvement.

Get specifics and buy the Gentle Jaw here: https://releasemuscletherapy.com/gentle-jaw

TMJ Massage Guns

Most percussion massage guns are far too aggressive for use on the face.  Due to the stroke range of motion the average tool uses, it’s possible to injure the jaw joint if improperly applied.

This is why I prefer to use a tool such as the Rapid Release, which is a vibration-based tool rather than percussive.  The range of motion of the nozzle is extremely small, and the high speed of the device can bring about a fairly quick reduction in muscle tension.

The cost of the Rapid Release, however, is fairly high because it targets health practitioners.  Is it worth it for the price?  Absolutely.

Get specifics and purchase the Rapid Release here: https://amzn.to/3FlGucf

Ice + Heat Face Wrap

Ice or heat can be very effective for short term relief, or prior to performing any massage techniques.  Of course you can just hold the pack against your face, but there are better options available that are hands-free.

In looking for a strap that could essentially “hold” the jaw in place and reduce the workload on the muscles, I stumbled on a face wrap that holds the packs against the face.

This wrap is very popular after dental procedures such as wisdom tooth removal, but it works great for TMJ as well.

Get specifics and buy TMJ face wrap: https://amzn.to/3gXsGLD

TENS For Jaw Tension Relief

A TMJ electric massager has been shown to be beneficial in research studies for jaw pain sufferers.  The most important feature of the right device is the intensity setting.

The average TENS unit is too intense at the lowest setting, making it far too uncomfortable to use on the facial muscles.

The main benefit of TENS for TMJ therapy is that it’s passive, meaning just stick the pads, and turn the unit on.

The downside is that very often the results only occur while the unit is on.  It is possible to get temporary relief, but it doesn’t appear to work as well as the manual massage techniques previously outlined.

For these reasons, an electric acupressure pen is much more manageable for the TMJ muscles.

Get specifics and buy acupressure pen: https://amzn.to/3F1c2Tc

Disclaimer: While we do promote the above products and TENS therapy as an effective and non-invasive form of pain relief, the information contained in this blog is for general information purposes only. We recommend seeking the advice of a medical professional before proceeding with self-treatment.