Troubles with Tension: So You Have Jaw Tension

Jaw Tension. Oof. 

To varying degrees, it's pretty common. It's something I encounter often in my voice studio. And I'm a jaw tension sufferer, as well. Let's talk about where jaw tension might come from, what we can do to prevent it, and what we can do to treat it.

Of course, I'm not a doctor. If you have a lot of jaw pain or jaw malfunction, such as your jaw locking in either the open or shut position, please consult your dental and medical professionals.

A few possible causes of jaw tension can include:

• Physical Injury
• Misalignment of teeth from dental or orthodontic procedure
• Naturally occurring misalignment of teeth that needs orthodontic procedure
• Over-use, i.e. excessive gum chewing, or excessive chewing in general
• Stress, anxiety, or other mental health-contributing factors
• Inflammation in the jaw area
• Genetics

Maybe you read through that list and thought of several possibilities for your personal tension; maybe not. This is not an exhaustive list. Just a few of the most common.

So what can you do? Well, like I said before, you should always feel like you can discuss your jaw tension and pain with medical professionals. But maybe you feel like your jaw pain isn't intense enough or even consistent enough to warrant that right now.

Practical lifestyle changes to ease jaw tension:

• Give your jaw a break from chewing difficult foods. Eat softer foods for a few days. For me, this looks like simple grilled cheese and tomato soup. Or mashed potatoes. It means I stay away from steak or other foods that really over-work my jaw. And you know, who really needs an excuse to have a milkshake? But if you need one, I've got you covered.
• Be aware of your jaw position when you're just going about your day. The neutral position your mouth should be in is the final position when you say the word "mine." Go ahead and try it out. It leaves your mouth open slightly. More likely than not, you might be a jaw/teeth clencher. Checking in with this trick will help your jaw to relax.
• Along the lines of clenching, are you teeth grinding at night? If you are, and you feel like it's serious, talk to your dentist about a night guard. If you feel like it's not hugely detrimental right now, you could try an over-the-counter mouth guard. There are a variety you can find.

For my singers, I've worked with my brother, who is a doctor and also suffers from jaw tension (genetics, anyone) and sings, and we've come up with some jaw exercises for you. Below are 10 exercises. If you want to do them all in one go, great! I recommend doing these regularly if you really want to see an improvement. You could split them into 2 groups of 5 and do each group every other day.

• Heat it Up – use a heating pad or heat pack of some kind to apply heat to the jaw for 5-15 minutes.

 
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• ​Intraoral Massage – place thumb outside the mouth and the index or middle finger inside the mouth. Use circular movements to massage and knead the inner muscles of the cheeks, moving from the base upwards. 15-30 seconds/per side

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• External Massage – use fingers in a circular motion to massage and knead the jaw muscle area on both sides of the face. 15-30 seconds

• Open Mouth Stretches – With your mouth open as wide and gently as possible, without causing pain, grasp the cheek from the inside with the index, middle, or both fingers, and gently pull outward. Hold for 10 seconds, rest for 5 seconds, and repeat. 3 repetitions per side

• Lateral Stretches – Place your hand on one side of your chin and move your jaw in the direction of the hand. 5 repetitions per side

• Resisted Opening Exercise - Place thumb under your chin. Open your mouth slowly, pushing gently against your chin for resistance. Hold for 3-6 seconds and then close your mouth slowly. 10 repetitions

• Resisted Closing Exercise - Squeeze your chin with your index finger and thumb with one hand. Close your mouth as you place gentle pressure on your chin. 10 repetitions

• Chin Tucks – With your shoulders back and chest up, pull your chin straight back, creating a “double chin.” Hold for 3 seconds. 10 repetitions

Jaw tension is something that plagues many singers, as well as other musicians and non-musicians alike. Hopefully these tips and tricks help you navigate your own jaw tension journey and assist you in freeing your voice.

We'd love to hear how they help you and if you have any of your own tips and tricks to share!