Georgia: My jaw exercises.

[Guest guest]

Hi Georgia,

Here ya go... this is the exercise routine I've been using for the

past week.

Prior to beginning exercises, apply some heat to jaw for about 5

minutes.

1) Seated comfortably, relax shoulders with arms to your side. Roll

head gently in clockwise direction. Move chin towards chest during

frontal part of rotation, back of head towards shoulder blades during

rear part of rotation. Do three times, then repeat in counter-

clockwise direction.

2) Tilt head towards left shoulder, bringing ear as close as possible

to your shoulder. When you've reached the limit, place your left hand

across your left cheek with palm running across your mandible. Place

your right hand at the right side of our head with the palm just

above the ear and the fingers reaching over your skull. Gently apply

opposing pressure with both hands. This will bring your left ear just

slightly closer to your shoulder. Hold for a count of 20 seconds.

Release, relax, and repeat. Then reverse everything and do the other

side.

3) Tilt head forward towards chest. If unable to touch chest, use one

hand at back of head, and the other on your chin to gently assist.

Hold for count of twenty. Relax, repeat for total of three times.

4) With mouth closed, tilt head backward as far as possible. Place

one hand under your chin, and the other hand across your forhead to

gently apply additional pressure. Once you feel the stretch, hold for

a count of 20 seconds. Relax, repeat for a total of three times.

5) With mouth open as wide as possible, repeat exercise 4.

Do the following exercises in front of a mirror. Your goal is to

ensure that both sides of your mouth are moving symmetrically:

6) With mouth slightly open, pull mandible in as far as possible,

then push out as far as possible. Use your hands to assist by placing

thumbs on the rear corners of the mandible --where the bone

transitions from horizontal to vertical-- and finger tips at side of

skull in a pattern just around your ears. Do 20 repititions.

7) With mouth slightly open, and palms pressed against your cheeks,

shift your mandible to the right, as far as possible. Once you reach

the limit of the range of motion, use your hands to apply gentle

pressure until you've gone beyond the sticking point. Hold for count

of 5 seconds. Now shift the mandible to the left and hold for 5. Do

this for 20 repititions.

8) Open your mouth as wide as possible without assistance. Apply full

force using only your jaw muscles. Hold this position 30 seconds, or

as long as possible. Relax, then repeat twice more.

9) Open your mouth as wide as possible without assistance. Apply full

force using only your jaw muscles. Now apply additional force using

your hands. I place both thumbs on my chin, and fingertips around my

temples. Palms are facing each other. Go for a stretch, hold for 30

seconds if possible. Relax, and repeat twice more. On the last

repetition, once you've reached maximum stretch, tilt your head back

as far as possible. Use your hands to keep your jaw from closing.

Hold for as long as possible, then relax.

Now kick back and enjoy some heat against your jaw for as long as you

like.

-john