Over the past few months I have noticed an increase in people coming to see me with jaw pain. Wearing face masks frequently is the primary cause of the pain, and increased stress levels may also be a contributing factor. A few tips to help decrease jaw pain:
- Check the fit of your face mask. Are you jutting your chin out to ensure it stays on? This action engages the jaw muscles and will result in soreness after a few hours. I am a big fan of getting a face mask properly fit for you, and using a strap that links around your head versus relying on ear loops. The ear saver strap helps keep the mask snugly in place.
- Breathing patterns can be negatively influenced by wearing a mask. Assess if you are breathing a bit more shallow, and try to focus on rib expansion and taking full breaths.
- Placing the tongue on the roof of your mouth automatically relaxes the jaw muscles. As a subtle posture check, try incorporating throughout your day.
- Massage can definitely help! If you are not seeing a RMT, try self massaging the muscles along your check bone and jaw line.
Let me know if you have any questions or tips of your own, it may be a few more months of wearing face masks everyday.
