A specialized protocol for jaw pain, headaches, clicking, and tension — performed by Jenna Bigley, LMT, Certified TMJD Therapist.If you have lived with jaw pain, clicking, headaches that start at the temples, or that tight, tired feeling in your face after a long day of clenching, you already know how much it can take over daily life. Eating, talking, sleeping, even sitting at a desk can keep the same muscles working overtime.MassageFIX is now offering a dedicated TMJD (temporomandibular joint dysfunction) massage service. This is not a standard face or neck massage. It is a progressive, highly individualized protocol that targets the muscles of the neck, face, and — when you are ready — the inside of the mouth, where several key jaw muscles can only be reached.Your therapist for this work is Jenna Bigley, LMT, Certified TMJD Therapist. Jenna has completed specialized training in intraoral massage and has been evaluated by MassageFIX management for the communication, character, and clinical intuition this work requires.
What TMJD massage is designed to help
Clients commonly seek this work for:
- Locked jaw or limited mouth opening
- Pain when chewing
- Teeth grinding or jaw clenching
- Popping, clicking, or grinding of the jaw
- Migraines and headaches
- Chronic ear pain or ringing (tinnitus)
- Sinus pain and congestion
- Facial pain
- TMJ-related dizziness or vertigo
Common contributing factors include trauma to the face, neck, mouth, ears, or scalp — such as dental work, concussion, whiplash, sports injuries, falls, and other impacts. Stress and long-term clenching can keep the same pattern going even after the original event has passed.
How the treatment works
Sessions are sequenced so your body can adapt. Your comfort and clear communication always guide treatment.
It always starts on the outside
The first session is external only. Jenna assesses pain, tolerance for touch, range of motion, and muscle tension through the upper trapezius, neck, occipitals, scalp, ears, masseter, and related muscles. This first visit is also about building trust. Nothing intraoral happens until you have given additional verbal consent and feel ready.
Intraoral work is optional — and always asked for twice
Several muscles that drive TMJD symptoms lie within the mouth, including the masseter along the inner surface, the temporalis tendon, and the medial and lateral pterygoids. Intraoral work uses surgical-grade non-latex gloves. Jenna will ask for consent before the session begins and again right before intraoral work starts. If you change your mind, that is completely okay. External work can still be done; know that skipping intraoral work may limit how much TMJD symptoms improve.
You stay in control of pressure
Hand signals are reviewed before every treatment:
- Okay hand signal — pressure is fine
- Thumb up — increase pressure
- Thumb down — decrease pressure
- Stop-sign hand — pause or stop immediately
Pressure increases only as your tolerance allows. Every client is different, and the protocol is adjusted in real time.Session length and investmentThe series is designed as six progressive treatments, then monthly maintenance once the series is complete. Session length increases as the work deepens.
- Levels 1–2: 45 minutes — $110
- Levels 3–6: 60 minutes — $140
- Maintenance: 60 minutes — $135
Level 1 is external only. Intraoral work is introduced at Level 2, with your consent, and continues through the rest of the series and maintenance visits. Please book a Level 1 (45 minutes) for your first visit with Jenna.
What results look like
Results vary depending on how long symptoms have been present and what you have already tried. Many clients notice about 10% improvement after the first treatment and about 15–20% after treatments 2 and 3 as work progresses.For the best chance at lasting change, the recommended series is one treatment per week for six weeks, then monthly maintenance. Consistency gives the tissues time to integrate the work. If a full series is not possible, you can still receive treatment — understand that results may be more limited.This work does not replace a medical or dental diagnosis. A massage therapist cannot diagnose TMJ or any other medical or dental condition. Only a physician or dentist can do that. A proper diagnosis of head and neck pain matters, because serious medical problems can produce TMJ-like symptoms.
What you may feel afterward
Soreness is normal, especially after sessions that include intraoral work. You may notice tenderness, a mouthache, slight swelling of the cheeks, or sinus pressure around the eyes, cheeks, and temples. “Sinus” headaches are common after the second treatment and later sessions, when pressure increases, and may last two to four days. These effects often relate to sinus fluid movement and to muscles that are rarely touched from inside the mouth.Overall, TMJ pain typically decreases as the series continues, even when short-term soreness appears after a session.
Comfort, privacy, and emotional responses
The face, jaw, and neck can hold a lot — physically and emotionally. Some clients experience an emotional release during this work, such as tearing up or wanting a moment of quiet. That can be a normal response when sensitive areas are touched. Jenna will offer reassurance and ask whether you want to continue. You are never required to discuss personal trauma. Only surgical and procedural history relevant to your mouth and jaw needs to be shared. Everything you do share stays confidential.
When this treatment is not appropriate
Please do not book intraoral massage if you have had:
- Any surgical procedures in the past 8 weeks
- Dental work, injections, or active infection or lesions in the mouth in the past 2 weeks
Written consent is required before treatment begins. Minors need parental or guardian consent.
Ready to start?
If jaw pain, headaches, clicking, or clenching have been running the show, this protocol was built to meet that problem directly — slowly, precisely, and with you in control at every step.Book with Jenna Bigley, LMT, Certified TMJD Therapist
MassageFIX · 1945 Scottsville Rd, Suite G3, Bowling Green, KY 42104
Office: 270-904-3474 · Mobile: 270-599-4144
MassageFIX.net · info@massagefix.net