by Michele Forsberg PT, MS ~
Countless times while working with my pelvic dysfunction patients, I have witnessed that while releasing their fascial restrictions vaginally, the patient’s jaw will be moving ever so slightly from side to side, presumably shifting to find its new home and mirror its counterpart. Of course, I point out what I see so that my client has a better awareness of how the pelvis and jaw are intimately related. To me, this isn’t strange to see as I am keenly aware of the mechanical connection between the two. Most people though are a bit surprised by the fact that these opposite-ended body parts have any relation at all.
Despite their being on opposite ends of the body, a few studies done by dentists and physiotherapists show evidence that improvement in the mobility of the jaw can somehow unleash tension in the pelvis and vice versa.
How could these two very different ends of the body be connected? What might be the reason one body part is mirroring another so closely? It might seem illogical or bizarre, but there are actually a few reasons that might explain the connection:
Embryological Development
The connection begins during embryologic development at around day fifteen. In this stage, called gastrulation, two depressions form on the dorsal side of the embryo which become the oropharyngeal membrane (goes on to form the mouth) and the cloacal membrane (goes on to form the openings of the urinary, reproductive and digestive tracts). The spine grows between them and the two remain connected from their early beginnings as one being in the embryo.
Emotions, Our Avenue of Expression
Both the jaw and pelvis are known to be our avenues of expression – on physical and verbal levels. Think about what happens to your jaw when you are holding back from expressing yourself. Suppressed anger, fear, and negative emotions can cause you to clench and grind your teeth, or build stress in the jaw. Similarly, think about what happens to your body when you are in a stressful situation, can you feel your abdomen and pelvic floor muscles tense up, or your buttocks clench? Years of sexual repression and unspoken feelings can be held in the body as tightness and pain.
Fascial Connections
Fascia is the connective tissue that supports and connects every cell, muscle fiber, nerve, blood vessel, and organ. It provides support and mobility for our entire body. A fascial line can be traced from the jaw down into the pelvis.
The Cranial Sacral Connection
Another notable connection between the jaw and pelvis is concerned with the biomechanics of the cranial bones and the dural tube, which is a dense sheath of connective tissue that houses the brain, spinal cord, and cerebrospinal fluid. Tensions and imbalances in the jaw can have an effect on the membranes connecting the dura to the skull and affect where it is tethered below in the sacrum. Uneven pressures and pulling in the sacral area can, in turn, affect the cranial attachments and lead to pain, dysfunction, and other symptoms on either end of the craniosacral system. This uneven distribution can cause a multitude of symptoms across all body systems – from your cardiovascular to your neurologic, musculoskeletal, gut, and on.
Do you feel it?
Are you someone who suffers from: TMD (Temporomandibular joint disorder), jaw tension, clenching, grinding, pain, jaw locking or clicking? Do you also happen to have pelvic, lower back, SI joint, or sacral pain and dysfunction? Perhaps you may not have notable pain or tension in the pelvis, but you may experience bladder/bowel problems or sexual dysfunction. If you have one or the other but not both, you may want to pay closer attention to your mechanics. Is your left hip restricted with mobility? And if so, is your left jaw a little tighter? If you answer yes to any of these situations you may want to focus on relaxing your jaw and your pelvis. If your symptoms are on the mild side you may be able to do a few simple stretches and self care as seen below.
- Relax the pelvic floor musculature Come into a low squat as if you are going to poop in a hole in the ground. This pose is a known yoga pose called Malasana. If your ankles are too tight, you may need to roll a yoga mat to rest your heels on and place your feet on a downward incline. Keep hands in prayer position and try to stay in the pose for 2-3 minutes focusing on relaxing the perineum and breathing.
- Cat Cow (with tongue out) Doing the familiar Cat-Cow exercise on hands and knees, breathe in to arch the back, raising the tail bone up and spreading the sit bones wide.The action of the sit bones widening will lengthen the pelvic floor muscles. Do this while sliding the shoulder blades together, looking up and sticking the tongue way out. Then gently contract the abdominal area to round the spine so the tail is tucked under while exhaling. Try 5-10 slow repetitions to start, repeat 2-3 times per day.
- Deep breathing with tongue resting position Lying on your back, with your arms at your sides, gently place your tongue behind your front teeth to relax the jaw and take four big full breaths, think of something that makes you happy or grateful.
- Release the fascia of your feet Standing upright, using a tennis ball or a pinky ball, which is a bit more firm, place almost all your body weight on the ball resting under the bottom of your forefoot. Keep firm pressure there while the other foot remains flat on the floor to support you. Hold the wall for balance. Maintain pressure until the tension on the foot decreases and the foot melts more over the ball, then move the foot forward so the ball goes toward the arch of the foot. Repeat the sequence for 1-2 more spots until the ball ends up on the heel.
Walk around and feel the difference between sides. Pay attention not only to your feet but also to the hips and pelvis. Then repeat on the other foot.
If these exercises have helped, but not enough, it might be time to seek treatment. At Align PT, we are skilled in a holistic integrated approach and offer a variety of manual techniques and practices to help you address whole-body health which includes both your jaw and pelvis. Thorough evaluation helps us determine which body region is the culprit/s and which are reactors. Treating the reactors and not the culprit will only exacerbate your pains.
With a deeper understanding of what is contributing to your pain patterns, we can release the restrictions in the proper areas and teach you new movement strategies to help make lasting changes.
If you’re in the Denver-Boulder area, call us for a Free Consultation at: 720-204-6546, or email us here.
If you’re located elsewhere, we suggest you look for practitioners who have a good working knowledge of the pelvic floor, as well as craniosacral, visceral, and myofascial training. If you’re willing to travel, we do have an opportunity for intensive treatment plans.
Here is a list of good resources if you’re not in our area and looking for help:
IAHP Look for people skilled in Visceral manipulation (VM and NM track) and CS craniosacral practitioners
Diane Lee Integrated Systems Model or Pelvic Health Specialists
Tell us below if you notice you’ve had both jaw and pelvic issues.
References:
- Influence of the Temporomandibular Joint on Range of Motion of the Hip Joint in Patients With Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
Fischer, Michael J. et al.
Journal of Manipulative & Physiological Therapeutics, Volume 32, Issue 5, 364 – 371
- The Relationship between the Pelvis and Stomatognathic System: A Position Statement
Blum, Charles
http://www.drcharlesblum.com/About%20Us/TMJ%2520and%2520SI%2520Joint.pdf,
Scientists and bodyworkers agree that the jaw and pelvis are deeply connected, and through our experience with clients we can begin to formulate some theories about why and how. But if my experience as a massage therapist has taught me anything it is that despite the often striking patterns and similarities amongst my clients, every body really is different and there can be no single or simple explanation for the ways we each respond to life and the stresses it presents. What we as practitioners
Agreed, we all present with individual manifestations of what has happened in our lives. Interesting food for thought.
Any recommendations for a practitioner in Richmond, Virginia?
I’m sorry, I can’t recommend anyone there. Best of luck in your search.
Hi there! I’ve always had an issue whereby my lower jaw swings to the right when I open my mouth wide. For the last few years I’ve been experiencing problems with mobility, particularly my right hip. This has lead to many other movement issues. I’ve seen countless professionals but we’re not really solving the problem. Do you think the two things could be related? I was 56 when I became aware of the movement issues. Thank you…
Hi Gill, thanks for reading our blog post. So many areas of the body are connected, so it’s certainly possible that your jaw issue and the hip issue can affect one another. Whether or not one is causing the other would require an evaluation with a professional, like a skilled physiotherapist/physical therapist.
Yes this is me! Do you have any recommendations for a practitioner in London, UK?
Hi Alice, Unfortunately I don’t have recommendations for London. Good luck with your search!
Hi Alice, did you ever find anyone near London?
Since having a new denture I have developed a hip problem. At first the denture was very tight at the back, by jaw joint. It felt like my jaw was not wide enough to accommodate the denture. I persevered, wearing denture for longer each day. Eventually I was thrilled to notice that my jaw had changed, and the denture no longer felt ultra tight at the back. However, subsequently I started to feel pain in my hips when walking. As if the bones were scraping together, and a lot of muscle tension in the buttock muscles. I stopped wearing new denture for 24 hours, and noticed my hips relaxing and feeling normal again. When I asked my dentist to adjust the denture to stop the strain, she refused to accept there was a connection between new denture and hip pain. She has so far been unwilling to make any adjustment to the denture. I will return with a report from my osteopath. I live in the UK, and will keep searching until I find a solution to this probem. Thanks, Rosanne
Roseanne, thanks for sharing your experience. I hope you can find a dentist who realizes the connection and is able to make adjustments. Lots of luck!
I have found with clients who have their jaw tethered with permanent retainers, etc… that any optimal repositioning of the pelvis, sacrum and tailbone which occurs with Craniosacral therapy ultimately ends up back where it was. I’ll still do CST, but I also let the patient know that until the head is untethered, the symptoms will continue…
Do note, This info is coming from someone who suffered from mouth pain/headaches while I had braces as a teen. And of course, as I aged, my teeth settled back to their comfort zone. Such a waste of money and my time. ? ? Having a jaw on lockdown also affected my ? trumpet skills in a negative manner. Oh well, live and learn, right?! ✅
Thank you Michelle for a great article!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for your comment.
Wondering if you found a solution with tje denture/ hip issue?
Lots of info and resources to assist me during my pelvic floor rehab. Related jaw issues are a huge problem area. Unaware of the connectedness. Data and exercises provided will be extremely helpful. Thank you.
You’re welcome! Hope it helps.
Could you be more specific about the fascial line from the jaw to the pelvis. Are you referring to something from Tom Meyers? The DFL?
I had a very bad PF injury that led to anisum and that was not properly addressed and now years later I developed dsyphagia. The original injury was in 2008 but four years ago suddenly i was no longer able to eat. I know that this happened from the pelvic floor injury. the dysfunction in my pelvic floor is mirrored to a tee in my mouth. I am the one who figured it out.. I am working with an osteopath who is a pain and rehabilitation specialist. thanks for this article.
Yes Glenn, the DFL does connect the 2. Glad you are getting some help. Good luck with your treatment. Thanks for sharing!
I have a tingling sensation from my right jaw to my right sacral area….causes balance issues and weakness on that side. It also has a component that it tied into my vestibular system. I had my coccyx removed several years ago and now for the last 3-4 years I have been dealing with these symptoms. Help! Thank you.
Thanks for your comments Christine. Sorry you are suffering, have you had any treatments with pelvic physical therapists or osteopaths? Might be worth looking into.
I have answered several ‘yeses’ to those questions
I have hip joint pain on my right side as a walk as if the femoral head is being scratched
I also have a distinct tilted jaw
My right jaw is shorter and my left jaw is longer so it is tilted toward the right
My teeth are misalined as I normally close my lips
Since my teeth seeks physical balance as much as they can
my bottom front teeth are alinged toward left side
I noticed these two are related
Much thanks to your article
It is very helpful
Glad you found it helpful!
Very interesting information. Is there a connection with pregnant women advised to visit a dentist in the first trimester and get things sorted. Also how does the wisdom tooth removal affect the pelvis. I noticed twice when I had UTI my empty wisdom tooth spot was swollen like an infection. Any info on this?
Hello Adeela, Thanks for your comments! Glad you found the article interesting. I don’t know of any connection to this topic with dental recommendations, I would assume they are more general health-related reasons. Wisdom tooth removal I would assume could come into play if the person tenses up the jaw or the procedure alters the mechanics of the bones of the cranium and jaw through a cascade of holding from the tension or from the pain. I don’t have any info on UTI and gum infection being connected, something to consider researching I suppose! Thanks again.
Oh this is so lovely… All that I do to help people with these issues are listed here… Thanks for being a validation.
I love this article
I am very glad you liked it! Thanks for letting me know.
Thanks for the article. I had severe pubic pain starting at 16 weeks of pregnancy then a few weeks later if I opened my mouth too big, I had this shooting pain in my jaw going to my ear. At the time I thought (and prob was) the hormone “relaxin” preparing me for labour with nasty jaw side effect. But now 2,5 years post partum I still have both issues albeit much less severe. My PT at the time just told me to avoid stairs….
Oh no! Hopefully now that you have this information, you can explore that connection with your PT or someone else.
I am on a mission to learn more about connection between pelvis/pelvic floor and jaw in order to share with my prenatal yoga students. There are some great tips and reminders here thanks. Esp fascia release with ball under feet. Have you heard of Ina May Gaskin’s Sphincter law? ‘As above, so below’. Thanks again
Yes, I have heard of Ina May’s sphincter law. Glad you’re exploring this area, it’s important!
I visited my dentist a while back and informed him my bite had changed at the same time I had lower back pain.He said it was the ageing process and ground my teeth.Subsequently, I suffered a stroke[nothing to do with the dentist] and I’m now seeing an Amatsu therapist.Today I made the connection between the jaw/cranium and the pelvis through discussion with my Amatsu therapist.The theory of bio tensegrity is useful reading if you are unfamiliar .It makes sense to me now and reading these posts help to confirm my thinking, so thanks to you all
Glad you could make that connection, and yes very familiar with tensegrity. Thanks for sharing your story!
I found you after having dry needling done on my jaw in hopes to relieve tension & pain. I also see a pelvic floor therapist & am suspected to have endometriosis.
Long story short. During session of dry needling my jaw one particular needle shot a very intense ⚡ electricity of pain straight to my pelvic floor. Immediately felt like knives stabbing up in my insides. Body went into slight shock from the pain. Some pelvic breathing techniques both helped & hurt like hell. Stabbing pains persisted to come and go the rest of the evening. I have been saying you could draw a line from left jaw down to left hip straight into bottom of pelvis floor & the tension doesn’t want to dissipate it just moves somewhere else to cause chaos. After that straight shot of pain from my jaw to my p.f. I started researching if there was a nerve or something that could have been poked or what & I found this Lovely place where others are realizing similar connections. ..it’s been 20+hrs now my digestive system & pelvic floor hate me right now However, my jaw feels a little better. It’s like a teeter totter of tension from my jaw to pelvic floor. Hoping to find new ways to break the cycle. So appreciative of different information and avenues to explore. Maybe something will relieve my body of this vicious cycle.
Thanks for sharing your journey, Tara. Your body doesn’t hate you, it’s processing the work and the good news is that the jaw is starting to feel better! Often after the initial pain and experience of releasing something big like that, things may seem worse, but later you find it was helpful. Go easy with yourself and keep doing the work. Deep breathing is helpful.Good luck!
I’ve been a dental hygienist for 18 years and I just recently got my first crown on the lower left. I got it as a tooth was hurting and it seemed to have a crack in it somewhere. The day after I got that crown I went on a hike, and afterwards had severe pain in my left hip and had to limp for a day. I’ve since seen the chiro and it’s not helping as I just went on another hike and it was even worse. So my search continues as I started to make a connection between my tooth/jaw and hip. My tooth also has been throbbing off and on lately. If you know of any references in San Diego I would be super grateful!!!
Hi Laura, sorry we don’t have any specific references. You’ll want to work with someone who has myofascial release and cranial training. Good luck in your search.