Anatomy Review: Masseter

by David Lauterstein

The masseter is the muscle runs from the cheekbone to the lower jaw. It is one of the primary muscles you chew with. It is helped by the “Dirty Harry” muscle – the temporalis – which runs from the side of the skull to the lower jaw just in front of your ear.

Interestingly enough, in gorillas the temporalis runs all the way to the top of head and, since bones thicken where muscles attach, it gives the gorilla the ridge down the center of its skull.

Both of these muscles often reflect in their tension the stress we’re under: grinding one’s teeth while asleep or tightening the jaw during tense times during the day or just drinking too much coffee. Tension can refer pain to the skull resulting in headaches or to the neck resulting in neck pain and tension. Eventually chronic tension in the masseter can give rise to problems requiring orthodontic intervention. Holding the jaw can even affect your lungs because tension in the jaw restricts breathing.

Effective Massage Technique

Work with your right hand on the right side of the jaw and vice versa. Do the stroke in three passes — each superior to inferior. The first is just in front of the ear and the second and third passes each slightly more anterior. Each stroke will begin melting into the zygomatic origin of the masseter, then working into a point in the belly of the muscle halfway along its length, and finally a point near the masseter’s insertion at the ramus (lower edge) of the mandible.

First, stabilize the left mandible and cheekbone with the palmar surfaces of the fingers of the left hand.
Then place your right finger pads just beneath the right zygomatic (cheek) bone on the masseter muscle.
Press in medially to take out the looseness in the muscle, press gently further into the tension if you find any, and then “melt” into the masseter for 3 or 4 seconds, holding a pressure that should feel mildly or greatly relieving, not hurt!
After each point you work into, clearly disengage.

Then do similar points as called for halfway along the muscle’s length and finally just above the ramus of the mandible. Do two more similar passes first slightly more anteriorly, then more anteriorly along the front edge of the masseter.

Try This for Yourself

Slowly open your mouth as far as feels comfortable. Breathe and hold it open while you relax. You may even find yourself yawning. Hold that for 3-6 seconds.

Then let your jaw relax and let your lips come gently together. Breathe and relax for 3-10 seconds.
Then repeat – Slowly open your mouth as far as feels comfortable. Breathe and hold it open while you relax.
Then let your jaw relax and let your lips come gently together. Breathe and relax for 3-10 seconds.

Do one more repetition.

Follow this by relaxing with awareness but no big movements. Bring your awareness to your neck, breathe and relax. Bring your awareness to your face – breathe and relax. Bring your awareness to the top of your head and feel relaxation flowing from here down through your whole body.

Notice how good it feels to let go of tension!

We are not used to feeling relaxed in area of the masseter or temporalis. With the help of good therapy and good self-care this area can make your face, your neck, and your breathing all become a source of pleasure, rather than a source of tension!