Post by @drjoedamiani

🔥 Pain under your jaw, behind your ear, or into your neck? Try this ACTIVE digastric release! The digastric muscle runs underneath your jaw and connects with the hyoid bone, an important structure involved in jaw and swallowing mechanics. When this area becomes tense or sensitive, the digastric can develop a referral pattern that may be felt under the jaw, around the side of the neck, behind the ear, or toward the back of the head. 💡 Instead of just pressing on the muscle, this exercise combines positioning with active jaw movement. ✅ STEP 1: Anchor the collarbone Place your hand over your collarbone and gently pull the tissues downward. ✅ STEP 2: Look up + away While maintaining that downward pressure, slowly look up and toward the opposite side to lengthen the tissues along the front and side of your neck. ✅ STEP 3: Open + close Hold that position and slowly open and close your mouth with control. ⚡ Because the digastric helps with jaw opening and hyoid movement, adding active jaw motion changes the tension through the muscle while you maintain the stretch. Repeat slowly without forcing your jaw or neck into pain. 🔥 The goal isn’t just to stretch underneath your jaw—it’s to combine a gentle release with the movement the digastric is designed to help control. #JawPain #Digastric #TMJ #NeckPain #JawTension