Jaw pain and the Pelvic Floor: The Connection Explained

Did you know that jaw pain and pelvic pain often occur together? In the clinic, I often see patients with pelvic pain also complain of jaw pain, and vice versa. The joint where the teeth meets the skull is called the tempomandibular joint (known as the TMJ), Common symptoms that could indicate TMJ dysfunction include jaw pain, teeth grinding, headaches, neck or shoulder pain, difficulty chewing and tooth pain. 

So what’s the connection? 

Stress and Tension Clenching Patterns

Have you every noticed when you are stressed you tend to clench parts of your body? People who tend to clench their teeth, brow, hands, upper traps/shoulders also tend to clench their pelvic floor. In fact, while treating patients intravaginally with pelvic pain, I can feel muscle tension increased when we talk about stressors in their life such as work, school, a partner, etc. On a positive note, I have also treated muscle tension in someone's jaw and they felt almost immediate relief in their pelvic pain!

Fascial Connection

Fascia is connective tissue that separates major internal organs, blood vessels, nerves, muscles. It offers both support and structure. It is highly innervated, which means it picks up sensory information to touch and tension. An important fascial connection exists between the jaw and the pelvic floor. 

Embryological Development

The connection between the jaw and the pelvic floor begins during fetal development around the 3rd week. The embryo forms two indents next to eachother, one of which will become the opening for the mouth, and the other the openings for the urethral, anal, and reproductive organs. These two areas of the body remain connected even as the spine grows and widens the space between the two.  

Dural Tube Connection

The dural tube, or dura mater, is a casing around our central nervous system, starting at the brain and descending through the skull to its anchor at the bottom of the tailbone (sacrum). Tension in your jaw can create tension in the dural tube and therefore affect the pelvic floor and vice versa. 

The Takeaway?

So if you have jaw pain and are experiencing pelvic floor dysfunction-- symptoms like pain, urinary urgency, urinary incontinence then consider that this may be related to clenching patterns. Try massaging your jaw muscles gently to relieve symptoms in your pelvic floor.