Post by @drjoedamiani

🔥 Neck + jaw or throat tension? This hidden muscle may be part of the problem! The OMOHYOID is a small muscle most people have never heard of, but it connects the shoulder blade region to the hyoid bone in your neck through an intermediate tendon and fascial sling. 💡 Here’s why that matters: ⚡ The hyoid is connected to muscles involved with the tongue, jaw, and floor of the mouth. ⚡ The omohyoid spans from the hyoid down toward the shoulder blade, so stretching both ends helps lengthen the muscle. ⚡ That means we want the hyoid UP while the shoulder blade moves DOWN. 🛠️ Try this stretch: ✅ STEP 1: Shoulder blade DOWN Bring your arm behind your back and gently depress your shoulder blade. ✅ STEP 2: Tongue OUT + DOWN Stand tall, stick your tongue straight out, then point it downward. Only open your mouth as much as necessary to comfortably get your tongue out. ✅ STEP 3: Look UP + AWAY Keeping that position, gently look upward and rotate your head away from the side you’re stretching. 🔥 Put it all together: Arm behind back → shoulder blade down → tongue out and down → look up → turn away. This creates a stretch through the tissues running from the hyoid and side of the neck toward the shoulder blade. The goal with this is to create a controlled stretch through the entire region that may help reduce tension. #NeckPain #JawPain #TMJ #PhysicalTherapy #Mobility