04/06/2026
I just saw a recent clip of a celebrity receiving “TMJ work” on Entertainment Tonight. I want to clarify something.
I want to tell you that TMJ work does not have to be painful. No one should have to hold you down. I have had many patients come to me who are afraid to have intra oral (in the mouth) massage because someone has hurt them. TMJ work does not have to be aggressive to be effective.
The release whether physical or emotional comes when you feel safe. In the clip, she is vocalizing her pain as one person holds her down and the other aggressively presses into her mouth. She begins to cry and then they stop. Perhaps this was cathartic for her but Im scared that people will think that this is a normal approach .
It is not normal!
Massage therapy is patient focused, it is consent based, it is a way to connect to your own body. Do not feel pressured into a painful massage experience.
✌🏻
