Hi Reader

Today I thought I would share with you one of the most mind blowing anatomy connections I get to share with people in my office; there is a connection between your jaw and pelvic floor!

Is your jaw on the floor?

.. see what I did there

Your jaw and your pelvic floor have a wonderful relationship, and they like to work together.

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P.S. Make sure you read all the way to the end for my favourite ways to release tension from your jaw.

P.P.S Aladdin is my favourite Disney movie of all time, I saw the live action version twice in theatres.

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Here’s How it Works

Embryology:

Your jaw and pelvic floor have an embryological connection; during the early phase of embryological development, in what is called the gastrulation phase, the cells form a primitive streak, which is a thickened band of tissue that starts at the tail end of the embryo and eventually grows towards the head. At this stage of development, two depressions form in the embryo; the prechordal plate (eventually becoming the mouth) and the cloacal membrane (eventually becoming the anus). As the embryo grows, the depressions lengthen away from each other to make room for the development of the spine, but this early connection forms a strong relationship between your pelvis and jaw!

Stress:

The other, most common connection between the pelvic floor and jaw, is that both respond to stress by becoming more tense. When you become stressed, your body physiologically responds to this stress by increasing your heart rate, breathing rate, making you sweat and contracting your muscles. Along with your glutes and shoulders, your pelvic floor and jaw are quick to respond to a perceived threat.

Fascia:

There is a fascial tissue connection between your jaw and your pelvic floor. Think of fascia like the saran-wrap of the body- it covers organs, muscles and other tissues, and can help transmit forces across different muscle groups. Ultrasound imaging of the pelvic floor muscles has shown that high pitch noises cause muscle contraction and tension in the pelvic floor and low tones like humming or low voices promote the pelvic floor to relaxation. This super cool phenomenon helps demonstrate the fascial relationship between the pelvic floor and jaw. Ultimately this means that what happens at the jaw directly impacts the pelvic floor!

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What Does This Mean?

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TMJD (temporomandibular joint disorders) can be a sign of pelvic health dysfunction- this is something I always screen for in my patients. It can also mean that if you are known to engage your jaw commonly throughout the day, your pelvic floor may be engaged as well, which over time can create pelvic floor tension.

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Since many of us struggle to connect to our pelvic floor and understand how it feels when it is tense compared to when it is relaxed, tuning into what your jaw is doing can actually be a fantastic way to connect to your pelvic floor.

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Want to relax your Jaw? Try My Favorite Exercises:

Unclench your jaw:

This is a pretty basic one, but oftentimes we're so focused on tasks at hand and not present in our bodies that we clench our jaws without realizing… I am really bad at this and clench my jaw all the time. So if this sounds like you, consider this your reminder to unclench your jaw (and your butt/belly).

Tongue to roof of mouth:

Lifting your tongue up to the roof of your mouth can help relax the jaw muscles and joints. If you aren’t sure how to relax your jaw, place your fingers at your jaw joint (pointy corner next to your ear), relax your teeth apart and then place your tongue to the roof of your mouth. You should feel like that little corner drops open and relaxes. Try it now and let me know if it worked for you!

Massage your jaw muscles:

Going back to that pointy corner next to your ear, use your fingertips to do some gentle massage into those muscles. Apply light pressure and move your fingertips in circles. It helps if you are able to relax your jaw when you’re doing this (hint use the tips above). Try it for 1-2 minutes!

Massage your temples:

Your temporalis is a big muscle that is in your temples that attaches to your jaw to help you chew! To find it, place your hands on both your temples and clench your teeth (only for a few seconds!), you should feel a muscle pop up and tighten under your fingers. Then relax your jaw and do gentle circles with your fingertips into the muscle. Apply light pressure and try it for 1-2 minutes!

If you need some visual demonstrations, feel free to check out this video!

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There you have it; there is a strong connection between your jaw and your pelvic floor. Using your jaw as a barometer for tension can help you understand when your pelvic floor may also be tense. And releasing tension from your jaw may just be the next best thing in your pelvic health tool kit.

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What do you think Reader? Are you going to try these exercises out? Hit reply and let me know which one you liked the best!

Thank you so much for being here and being part of this community. If you want to chat or have anything you want to share, feel free to reply to this email and hit up my inbox. I would love to hear from you!

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Yours in good health and pelvic peace,

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Laura

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