Health - Wellness
How To Ease Annoying Lockjaw Symptoms
At Home
By ERIN MARIE
Like any other muscle in the body, our jaw muscles can benefit from a little stretching, so you should begin with some simple opening-and-closing motions of the mouth to help loosen the area. Next, you'll want to move into repetitions.
Touch the tops of your bottom front teeth with your fingertips and slowly push your jaw downwards until you begin to feel mild discomfort in the affected area. Hold this position for 30 seconds and then release, and repeat three times.
Another stretch to try is called the smile stretch, where you open your mouth to drop your jaw about 2 inches. Take a deep breath in through the mouth, exhaling as you release the smile, and repeat the exercise as many as 10 times.
In addition, a little massaging may do the trick by boosting blood flow and easing muscle tension in the jaw. Throughout your day, use your fingertips to rub small circles into the muscles surrounding your ears.