Sunday, November 24, 2013

Tight jaw mussels

I am getting the feeling that I do not know how to operate my jaw. I have always had a borderline TMJ problem. My jaw has often locked, popped and with some minor bouts of pain on the left. It feels like when I try to operate my jaw (open my mouth) I do it from the right side perspective. The left side is operated poorly. Almost like it does not really understand how to open.

I am just starting to get a different perspective where I include an active engagement and relaxation of the left as I open it. Watching Sinead sing Sweet Molly Malone I am focusing on the left side of her face. Often when she sings the words 'alive alive o' she emphasizes the tongue movement. Trying to get my left tongue to follow her movements seems be influencing how I am perceiving to open my jaw on the left. There is a relaxation of the 'mussels' on the left side that I appear to carry unnecessarily tight.  They lay outside of my usual movement awareness picture.

Most people do not have TMJ so it seems reasonable if I am correct that most people do not have my problem. They include in their image of how to open their jaws a more 'normal' bilateral action

After playing with my left tongue sometimes there is a moderate amount of discomfort which can last for awhile. Ibuprofen often helps


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