Masseter (gum) myalgia.

Masseter is the muscle you use when you chew. Masseter is the strongest jaw muscle. Masseter myalgia has a pain pattern that can refer to pain in the teeth, jaw and lower edge as well as the upper edge of the eye. This can occur if it becomes overactive and dysfunctional.

Trigger point treatment and correction of any dysfunction of the upper neck joint by a musculoskeletal expert are all examples of measures that can help you get rid of this type of ailment. Bruxism (night gnawing) can be a cause of overactivity in masseter. Other - but more rare - muscles in the jaw that can get myalgias are medial and lateral pterygoids.

Here you can see an illustration made by Travell and Simons that shows the pain pattern (referenced pain from muscle knot) to masseter in an excellent way:

Masseter myalgia - Photo Travell and Simons

A, B & C) Masseter superficialis - The upper layer of masseter muscle has this pain pattern.

D) Masseter (deep) - The deep layer of masseter muscle has this shown pain pattern.

- Also read: Sore jaw?

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What can I do even for muscle and joint pain?

1. General exercise, specific exercise, stretching and activity are recommended, but stay within the pain limit. Two walks a day of 20-40 minutes make good for the whole body and sore muscles.

2. Trigger point / massage balls we strongly recommend - they come in different sizes so you can hit well even on all parts of the body. There is no better self help than this! We recommend the following (click the image below) - which is a complete set of 5 trigger point / massage balls in different sizes:

3. Training: Specific training with training tricks of various opponents (such as this complete set of 6 knits of different resistance) can help you train strength and function. Knit training often involves more specific training, which in turn can lead to more effective injury prevention and pain reduction.

4. Pain Relief - Cooling: Biofreeze is a natural product that can relieve pain by cooling the area gently. Cooling is especially recommended when the pain is very severe. When they have calmed down then heat treatment is recommended - it is therefore advisable to have both cooling and heating available.

5. Pain Relief - Heating: Warming up tight muscles can increase blood circulation and reduce pain. We recommend the following reusable hot / cold gasket (click here to read more about it) - which can be used both for cooling (can be frozen) and for heating (can be heated in the microwave).

Recommended products for pain relief for muscle and joint pain

Biofreeze (Cold / cryotherapy)