When you picture visiting a massage therapist for treatment, you might think of this healthcare practitioner working on your back, your neck, and other similar areas. While it's common for many patients to require care in these parts of the body, you may occasionally find yourself in a situation in which you require care in a less-common area. Many massage therapists offer intra-oral massage, which may not be a term you've heard in the past. This term simply means that the practitioner will gently work on muscles inside of your mouth. They'll wear vinyl gloves for this work and you may find that it's surprisingly relaxing. Here are some issues for which intra-oral massage can help.
Jaw Pain
It's a good idea to visit a massage therapist if you suffer from jaw pain. While there's a chance that your therapist can successfully treat your jaw pain by working outside of your mouth, it's also possible that focusing on these areas doesn't fully address the problem. If your jaw pain is deep, your massage therapist may rely on intra-oral massage to help you. They'll be able to easily reach certain jaw muscles from inside your mouth in addition to outside of it, providing a comprehensive treatment that helps.
Headache
Headaches can occur as a result of tightness in all sorts of muscles in your head and neck. If you visit your massage therapist to get help with a headache, your practitioner will assess your body to determine the likely source of the pain. For many people, a tight jaw can result in headaches — often in conjunction with muscle tightness in other surrounding areas, such as the neck. Your massage therapist may decide to check the tightness of the muscles inside of your mouth and work to loosen them if they're the likely culprit of your headache.
Tight Jaw
A lot of people hold their jaws tight, and even if they aren't experiencing pain in this area, the tightness can limit movement of the jaw and be a hindrance. It's a good idea to get help for your tight jaw before your symptoms worsen. Many massage therapists will treat patients' tight jaws with the help of intra-oral massage, as well as by accessing the muscles from outside of your mouth. If you're dealing with any of these issues, visit a local massage therapist for a treatment that may include intra-oral massage.
To learn more, contact a therapeutic massage clinic in your area such as Medmotion Massage.