Post by @drjoedamiani

🔥 Pain along your jaw or the side of your neck? Try stretching this hidden muscle! The omohyoid is a small muscle that runs from the shoulder blade region, through a fascial sling in the neck, and connects to the hyoid bone. 💡 Why this matters: The hyoid is closely connected with muscles of the tongue, jaw, and floor of the mouth, while the other end of the omohyoid extends toward the shoulder blade. ⚡ Tension through this region may contribute to discomfort along the side of the neck, throat, or jaw area. ⚡ To fully stretch the omohyoid, we want to create tension from both ends of the muscle. 🛠️ Try this stretch: ✅ STEP 1: Tongue DOWN Stick your tongue straight out and point it downward. Only open your mouth as much as necessary. ✅ STEP 2: Look UP + AWAY Bring your arm behind your back, then gently look upward and away from the side you’re stretching. ✅ STEP 3: Shoulder blade DOWN Gently depress your shoulder blade to increase the stretch from the opposite end. 🔥 Put it together: Tongue out + down → look up + away → arm behind back → shoulder blade down. This creates a controlled stretch through the tissues running from the hyoid region toward the shoulder blade. The goal here is to gently stretch the omohyoid and surrounding tissues that may be contributing to tension in that region. #JawPain #NeckPain #Omohyoid #TMJ #PhysicalTherapy