by Malavi Sivakanesan • 21 March 2025 • 6 min read
Jaw tension can lead to a range of issues, including pain, headaches, difficulty chewing, and even ear discomfort. It can make simple activities like talking, yawning, or eating feel challenging and uncomfortable. But with the current lifestyle that most people have including poor posture and long hours of screen time, jaw pain has become a common complaint. The good news is that you don't have to live with this discomfort. There are simple yet effective methods to easeextreme pain in jaw and prevent further strain. Read on to learn how to relax your jaw and find relief.
Common Causes of Jaw Tension & Pain
Before knowing how to stop pain in jaw and moving to relaxation tips, you should know what might be causing your jaw pain. Here are some common causes:
- Tooth Infections: A bad tooth can increase pain in your jaw and even cause swelling, leading to an infection in jaw from tooth.
- Bad Posture: If you are sitting hunched over your phone or computer, you may feel a change in your jaw alignment.
- Injuries or Accidents: A direct hit to the face or a bad fall can leave your jaw stiff and sore.
- Not Drinking Enough Water: Dehydration can make your jaw muscles tight and painful.
- Eating Hard or Chewy Foods: If you are biting into tough foods (like steak or gum), it can strain your jaw.
- Sinus Problems: Blocked sinuses can put pressure on your jaw, resulting in jaw pain with swelling and a sore jaw and teeth.
- Dental Work: A recent filling, braces, or professional teeth cleaning treatment can also cause jaw pain. This happens because of prolonged opening of the mouth that can strain the jaw.
How to Relax Your Jaw & Alleviate Tension
Here's how to alleviate jaw tension immediately with simple home remedies :
Jaw Massage & Stretching
Rub your jaw in small circles using your fingers, particularly on your cheeks and just below your ears. It loosens tight muscles and eases stiffness. You may also attempt to slowly open your mouth and stretch your mouth side to side. However, do not push anything if it hurts.
Applying Heat & Cold
You can apply heat to loosen stiff muscles and cold to decrease swelling and dull pain. A heating pad or warm washcloth can ease stiffness, while an ice pack covered in a cloth will address jaw pain with swelling. To get even better relief, you can try two methods alternatively.
Correcting Posture
You may believe it or not, the position you sit and stand in impacts your jaw. If you're always hunched over your phone or slouching, you're overworking your jaw muscles. So, try to sit up straight, have your shoulders relax, and keep your head centred with your spine. Even little posture adjustments like these can make a big impact.
Mindful Relaxation
Much of the tension in the jaw is also due to stress, and you may not even know that you are clenching until the pain starts. For relaxing try to breathe deeply, let your shoulders relax, and see if your tongue is against the roof of your mouth (if so, relax it!). Moreover, meditation, deep breathing, or even just pausing for a moment to notice can help you relax your jaw almost immediately.
How to Stop Pain in the Jaw Naturally?
Although the aforementioned tips are good for getting immediate relief, if you want your jaw to be pain-free forever, you need to make some serious changes in life. This will include the following preventative methods
Gentle Jaw Exercises
Easy and regular exercises can ease jaw movement and reduce discomfort. You can incorporate simple exercises into your daily life to improve jaw mobility. If you do not know what to do, try these:
- Lateral jaw movements: Move your jaw slowly from side to side to improve jaw movements and reduce stiffness.
- Neck curls: Lower your chin toward your chest and return to neutral to stretch your jaw and neck muscles.
- Forward jaw movements: Push your jaw slightly forward, hold for a few seconds, and relax to strengthen jaw control.
- Vowel exercises: Pronounce “A”, “E”, “I”, “O”, and “U” sounds out loud to loosen jaw muscles.
Dietary Adjustments
What you eat also has a major impact on your jaw health. Hard foods like nuts and chewy meats can worsen tooth pain in jaw, especially if there's an underlying toothache into jaw. Even coffee and tea can cause jaw tension since they dehydrate your muscles.
To minimise discomfort, you must eat softer foods that are easier to chew. Also, remember to pay attention to how you eat. You should chew slowly and evenly on both sides of your mouth to avoid unnecessary strain.
Hydration & Anti-Inflammatory Foods
Dehydration can cause your jaw muscles to become stiff and sore. Hydration keeps them relaxed, whereas anti-inflammatory foods help to prevent swelling and stiffness. So, you should try to incorporate turmeric, ginger, leafy greens, berries, and omega-3s (such as salmon and walnuts) into your diet.
When to Seek Professional Help?
Jaw pain is normal and, in most cases, goes away with simple remedies like relaxation techniques, posture correction, and lifestyle changes. However, if it persistseven after you've tried relaxing methods, it could indicate an underlying issue such as a tooth infection in the jaw, bite misalignment, or joint dysfunction.
Malavi Sivakanesan
Malavi Sivakanesan is the principal dentist and co-founder at Complete Smiles in Harrow, Greater London. She is responsible for establishing the Complete Smiles brand throughout the United Kingdom and Europe and has 5 successful practices under her strong leadership.