Head, neck, and jaw pain, oh my!
What's the connection between Pelvic floor and jaw pain?
Often pelvic floor and jaw pain occurs together. Why? Because our parasympathetic nervous system originates from the cranium (head) and sacrum (pelvic region).
The parasympathetic state: When the nervous system is calm and these regions are in a rest and digest state, there is typically lower sphincteric tone allowing one to void their bowel or bladder and feel relaxed in the neck, shoulders, and jaw region.
The sympathetic state: Let's say we are stressed: our nervous system will be in a sympathetic state and resting tone to these regions can be elevated. There is even research correlating stress to tone in the upper traps (a muscle that goes from the top of shoulders into the head) and the pelvic floor.
how does therapy influence the nervous system?
Downtraining: is a process allowing breathing and relaxation techniques through body scans and mindfulness to help jump-start the parasympathetic nervous system. Other techniques may include manual therapy such as massage, joint mobilization, and muscle energy techniques to this area.
Awareness training
The resting position of the pelvic floor should be in the middle of it's range of motion. When the muscles have high tone and are contracted, the pelvic floor is "in the attic." Being able to tell where the pelvic floor is in space will help reset the muscle tone as well.
The resting position of the jaw involves the tongue resting on the roof of your mouth. Bruxism (teeth grinding) is defined not just by pressure down on the teeth but by even teeth touching. Being mindful to soften the mouth and avoid teeth clenching can help relax the jaw.
An orthopedic approach to neck and jaw pain
When assessing the neck: Your therapist will assess segmental mobility through the pelvis, low back, thoracic spine, and rib cage. Stiffness in these regions can influence how the neck has to accommodate and live in space. If the neck is looked at in isolation, the stiffness and pain will likely persist.
When assessing the jaw: If there are jaw limitations, a common compensation is to extend through the upper neck which may create forward head posture and a rounded mid and upper back. This becomes a vicious cycle. Now, if someone has been living with jaw pain for awhile, the head and back get stuck in this posture If your therapist only treats the jaw, they will miss this piece!
Still don't believe the influence the neck has on the jaw? try bringing the head forward and opening the mouth? You will get more motion/mouth opening with the upper neck extended. This is one of the reasons why people that go in for dental procedures have head or neck pain after a procedure.