Where's that pain coming from?
- drbraydpt
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
We may have perceived pain in one part of our body but the site that the pain is originating from maybe a different spot. This is called referral pain and is the result of a network of interconnecting sensory nerves, that supplies many different tissues throughout the body. Facial and jaw pain is no different.
Here we will show some of the muscles involved and how the referral can be to a slightly different location. The X will mark the muscle involved and the red area/dots will be the referral pattern for that muscle. These are a few areas that could be causing TMD symptoms.
Deep Masseter Muscle
The deep masseter muscle. This muscle is used for chewing, grinding, and powerful biting. It is the muscle that helps us close our mouth. It's originates from the entire surface of the zygomatic arch. Patients say they feel this pain when chewing or biting down. It will refer pain to the ear, cheek, sometimes the eye, and can produce headaches.
Medial Pterygoid Muscle
The medial pterygoid is used for closing the jaw. It helps stabilize and keep the jaw in place. If there are trigger points or tightness in your jaw it is one of the muscle that will limit your ability to open. This pain will be a deep gnawing feeling that will refer to the ear, lower jaw, and sometimes teeth.
Lateral Pterygoid Muscle
This muscle helps you move your jaw side to side or front to back. It is a clenching muscle but is the primary stabilizing muscle for the disk in your Temporomandibular joint. Therefore if you have TMJ disk problems this muscle can become spasmodic. This can give you sharp icepick like pains in your ear, cheek, and sometime upper lip.
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