How to Massage Your Masseter Muscle, Step by Step

To massage your masseter, find the spot in front of your ear that bulges when you clench. Relax your jaw, then press and roll small circles from that spot down to the corner of your jaw for about 30 seconds per side. Use gentle, steady pressure, about a 3 to 4 out of 10.

That's the short version. Below is the full step-by-step jaw massage, how often to do it, and the mistakes to avoid.

What Is the Masseter?

The masseter is your main chewing muscle. You have one on each side of your face. It runs from your cheekbone down to the corner of your lower jaw. For its size, it is one of the strongest muscles in your body.

It is also the muscle that does the work when you clench or grind your teeth. When it stays tight, it can cause jaw pain, pain when you chew, ear or tooth aches, and even headaches. That's why it is the first place to start with jaw massage.

For jaw muscle pain, massage on the chewing muscles works as well as Botox injections. Jaw Botox costs $400 to $1,200 per round. Massage costs nothing, and you can do it at home in about a minute.

Before You Start

• Wash your hands.
• Sit or stand with your head straight and your shoulders relaxed.
• If you have time, hold a warm, damp cloth on your jaw for a few minutes first. Warm muscles relax more easily.
• Let your teeth come apart. Your jaw should hang a little loose during the massage.

How to Massage Your Masseter in 6 Steps

1. Find the muscle. Place two or three fingertips on your cheek, just in front of your ear and below your cheekbone. Clench your teeth. You will feel the muscle bulge under your fingers. That's your masseter.
2. Relax your jaw. Unclench. Lips together, teeth apart, tongue resting on the roof of your mouth.
3. Set your pressure. Press in gently, about a 3 to 4 out of 10. It can feel tender, but it should never feel sharp.
4. Roll small circles downward. Make small, slow circles. Work from the top of the muscle down toward the corner of your jaw.
5. Pause on tight spots. If you find a sore, knotted spot, hold steady pressure on it for 5 to 10 seconds while you breathe slowly. Then keep moving.
6. Switch sides. Spend about 30 seconds on each side. You can also do both sides at the same time.

Finish by slowly opening and closing your mouth a few times with your tongue on the roof of your mouth.

How Often to Massage Your Jaw

• Morning: to loosen up tightness from the night.
• Bedtime: to relax the muscle before you sleep.
• Any time you catch yourself clenching: at your desk, in the car or after a workout.

Short, regular sessions do more than one long session once a week. Treat it as a daily routine. The muscle loosens up more over time when you keep at it.

Add Your Temples and Neck

The masseter has a partner muscle at your temples called the temporalis. It also helps close your jaw, and it often gets tight when you clench. Use your fingertips to make slow circles on your temples for 20 to 30 seconds.

Tight neck muscles can also pull on your jaw. Gently squeeze the muscles at the back of your neck, then do a few chin tucks: sit tall, pull your chin straight back, hold for 3 seconds, and repeat 5 times.

Mistakes to Avoid

• Pressing too hard. More pressure is not better. Stay around a 3 to 4 out of 10.
• Clenching during the massage. Keep your teeth apart so the muscle can relax.
• Digging into the joint. The jaw joint sits right in front of your ear canal. Work on the muscle below and in front of it, not deep into the joint.
• Massaging broken or irritated skin. Skip any spot with a cut, a rash or swelling.
• Only doing it on bad days. The muscle responds to a steady routine.

Why Massage Alone Is Sometimes Not Enough

If you clench all day, the muscle keeps getting tight again. Pair your massage with habits that cut down clenching, like the resting position and short stress breaks. Our guide on how to stop clenching your jaw during the day walks through 8 of them. And if you already wear a mouthguard and your jaw still hurts, read why your jaw still hurts.

When to See a Dentist or Doctor

Stop the massage and get checked if:

• Your jaw locks, or you can't open your mouth fully.
• The pain gets worse with massage, or keeps getting worse over time.
• You have a fever, swelling or numbness in your face or jaw.
• You feel a hard lump that doesn't go away.
• The pain started after an injury.

A dentist or physical therapist can check your jaw and show you more ways to work on it. A physical therapy visit usually costs $75 to $150.

The Bottom Line

Masseter massage is simple. Find the bulge, relax your jaw, and roll small circles down to the corner of your jaw for about 30 seconds per side. Do it in the morning, at bedtime, and whenever you catch yourself clenching.

If you'd like a tool for it, the Orela Jaw Relief Roll-On has a cool steel roller ball made for this routine. The light serum glides on with natural mint, tea tree oil, vitamin E and allantoin. The mint switches on your skin's cold sensors to quiet the ache while the roller does the massage.

This article is general information, not medical advice.