• Sit in an upright relaxed position.
• Close your mouth on your back teeth, resting the tip of your tongue behind the upper front teeth.
• Run the tip of your tongue backwards on to the soft palate as far back as it will go, keeping the teeth in contact.
• Slide the tongue back to maintain contact with your soft palate and slowly open your mouth until you feel your tongue just being pulled away from the soft palate.

Do not try to open your mouth further. Keep it in this position for five seconds and then close your mouth.

Relax for five seconds.

Repeat slowly for a few minutes- There should be no clicks or noise from the TMJ. If there is please check your technique.

The purpose of this exercise is to mobilise the TMJ

• Gently bite a pencil eraser (aprox 1cm thick)
• Whilst holding the eraser between the teeth slide the lower jaw underneath the upper jaw.
• Hold for a few seconds relax and repeat.

It is pain in the jaw joint which can be caused by a variety of issues.

Problems in this area can cause head and neck pain, facial pain, ear pain, headaches, a jaw that is locked in position or difficult to open, problems biting, and jaw clicking or popping sounds when you bite.

Where is your TMJ?

The TMJ connects the lower jaw bone to the skull in front of the ear.

If you place your fingers just in front of your ears and open your mouth, you can feel the joint and its movement.

The jawbone itself, is controlled by the TMJ and has two movements: opening and closing of the mouth, and gliding action which allows the mouth to open wider. Enabling you to talk, chew, & yawn.

TMJ Syndrome Causes

TMJ syndrome can be caused by:

Accident & trauma

Regular grinding teeth and clenching the jaw (both often habitual and particularly during times of stress.

Misalignment of teeth

Constant chewing e.g. chewing gum, a pen/ pencil, or fingernails.

Forms of arthritis can also affect this joint.

What are the symptoms?

You may feel pain every time you talk, chew, or yawn.

Pain and tension in the facial muscles and jaw joints may radiate to the neck or shoulders. Joints may be overstretched.

 Pain usually appears in the joint itself, in front of the ear, but often moves elsewhere in the skull, face, or jaw.

You can also suffer with ear pain, ringing in the ears and hearing loss. It is worth noting at this point that sometimes people mistake TMJ pain for an ear problems, e.g. ear infection, when the ear is not the problem at all.

Often headaches (severe enough to cause vomiting) are reported.

Sometimes you may hear ‘clicking, grating, and/or popping sounds’

Your face and mouth may swell on the affected side.

What can you take?

Anti-inflammatory medication or ointment e.g. ibuprofen or Glucosamine Hydrochloride may ease the pain of TMJ syndrome, I personally use tiger balm.

What you can try:

Avoid chewing gum and eating hard sweets or chewy foods, also, avoid biting on your front teeth. Eat a diet of soft foods.

If you are a habitual grinder stress management techniques are often very useful.

You can try a splint or bite plate. This is a plastic guard that fits over your upper and lower teeth, (similar to a sports mouth guard) this can help reduce clenching and teeth grinding, (especially if worn at night).

What I can do for you:

 I release specific muscles in the neck as well as release the jaw. I do not ‘crack or crunch’ but in fact I use the pressure of 5 grams (equivalent to the weight of a 20p piece) to release the jaw. This process is extremely effective and you feel instant results. Prevention is better than cure, therefore I look at the possible causes with you and offer comprehensive and achievable lifestyle advice to help prevent future re-occurrence.

It is important to note that if the jaw is tense it increases neck and shoulder muscle tension dramatically therefore a Maga treatment is particularly effective.

This stretch is a must if you regularly hold your phone between ear and shoulder, or if you tend carry a heavy bag on one shoulder, or feel tension in the upper back.

Take one arm and hang it by your side, then twist so the palm is facing out, away from your body.

With the other, grasp your head and gently draw your ear towards your shoulder.

Do this slowly and gently and stop when you start to feel discomfort. Repeat with the other side

To stretch the upper back as well, slowly raise your head to curl towards your knees. Rock gently forward & back, easing out the spine.

Drop your head down, and as you exhale arch your back upwards (hips will tilt forward).

Hold for 10 seconds (breathe!) and then return to the start position (neutral spine).

Repeat 10 x.

You will feel the stretch in your lower back.

Save £20.00

£150.00 for a combination of two individual attendance workshops.

Save £40.00

£215.00 for a combination of three individual attendance workshops.

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Couple Workshops

Save £40.00

£180 per couple per workshop if both workshops booked at the same time.

9 Holles Street
London
W1G OBD

(This is easily found opposite John Lewis, just a stones throw away from Oxford Circus)

From the M3,

Exit at Junction 4 onto the A331 towards Aldershot. Leave the A331 where it is signposted A323 and follow the signs to Ash. *At the next small roundabout (‘Greyhound’ public-house on corner), take the first exit onto the B3206 – signposted to Ash Vale. Proceed for 1.2 miles, passing under an arched bridge and, at the next small roundabout, take the third exit (right) into Ash Hill Road. Pass the ‘Standard of England’ public-house and car-park and turn into the next car-park, which is in front of a new brick building – ‘The Ash Centre’. If the car park is full, continue up Ash Hill Road and, at the top of the small hill, there is another large car-park on the left.

From the A31,

 Exit at the A331 towards Aldershot. Leave the A331 where it is signposted A323 to Ash (follow slip road and around large roundabout). Then follow directions from * above.

The work-shops will be held in the Meeting Rooms, there is a manned-reception who will give access to the venue at al times.

There is an overflow car-park a little further up Ash Hill Road.

Rail-stations:

Ash: from Aldershot, Guildford, Reading and Tonbridge – 0.8 miles from venue.

Ash Vale: from Alton/London Waterloo line, via Ascot – 1.2 miles from venue.

North Camp: from Reading/Guildford/Gatwick Airport – 1.4 miles from venue.

That is the purpose of this very practical, hands-on, also fun work-shop; it is very much for a lay-person and not professional training, after all, that’s my bit

You will learn to promote not only the usual effects of massage on the whole body, but imagine the potential of a closer relationship…… with less stress and tension n, more quality time with your partner, restoration of energy, enhanced sleep, and increased libido. All are affected significantly by the relaxation of the adrenal systems process…..Honest!

There are two work-shop levels, basic (and the optional) advanced.

You will need to bring with you a pen & pad (should you wish to make notes) comfy clothing (we will be working on the back and shoulders only) and 2 towels.

You will have the option to purchase massage plinths that for an extra cost so you can take them home with you. (or do check EBay) Believe me, the bed is no place to attempt a therapeutic massage – otherwise it wont be your partner, but you, that requires a treatment, from me – health warning!!

Time to share a funny story with you, please indulge me……. About 5 yrs ago I started to run very similar workshops  in Cornwall. I had a lovely couple join; they were in their 80’s and on state pension. She had terrible arthritis and was quite crippled and contorted, her husband of some 60+ years had the most bent back you could imagine- I recall wondering quite how I could get him on the couch to lie flat at all. They had been referred to me via their Doctor.. They didn’t want a stranger to see her undressed or to touché her but the gent told me he was desperate to help his wife. He couldn’t bear to see her struggle pain and lack of movement any longer, but he felt powerless. Need I add they were very close, it was so very enchanting.

We had a great time and lots of fun, and the lasting memory I have after the work-shops was the discussion of where to do the massage. The first week they had tried all the techniques and had shared more laughter than they’d had in years. By the end they felt even closer and had been trying ‘it’ everywhere apart from the kitchen table (the best location of all!). One of his questions was “how do I get rid of the back pain I got yesterday?” They left hand in hand laughing “off to the kitchen table me ’Ansome” and “what about the potting shed – is the table strong enough??”

The mind boggles as what the neighbours must have thought, but their relationship bloomed and they both felt they were helping their partner to feel better. What greater gift could you actually give or receive?

Of course we did portable massage couches then, but they were terribly expensive to purchase as a non-professional, they were at least £300 + (I paid over £500 for mine- and that was classed as fairly basic with the better ones hitting in excess of £800) but you can get them for around £70 inc delivery now J