Head and Jaw Aches Caused by Masks
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, wearing a mask has become a part of our daily lives. And that probably won’t change any time soon. As a licensed massage therapist who’s passionate about head and jaw issues, I now see more clients coming in with increased facial pain — especially after wearing a mask for an extended amount of time.
They’re not alone. For many people, masking up against the coronavirus has caused an increase in headaches and jaw pain. This pain even has its own hashtag: #MaskJaw. But there’s hope. You can stay safe and wear your mask — you just need to wear it better! Here are 7 common reasons your mask could be causing you jaw pain and headaches, and what you can do about it.
Reason 1: Your Mask Is Too Tight
There are two main mask styles, and each comes with their own issues.
Masks with loops that go around your ears could be pulling both the outside of your ears and the delicate structures of the inner ear forward into the neighboring TMJ (jaw joint), causing irritation. This can be especially problematic if you already have TMJ inflammation or a history of ear surgeries that could have left scar tissue.
Masks with elastic that goes around your whole head (like an N95 respirator) will pull the mandible (lower jaw) back and up into the TMJ, compressing and overworking your jaw joints. And when you move your TMJ (while talking, for instance) that adds more friction.
How to Fix It: First of all, make sure your mask is snug but not overly tight. But it can also be very helpful to do self-massage of the masseter (cheek) muscle to reduce the compression of the inner ear and joint. Take a look at this how-to video I put together for a free tutorial.
Reason 2: Your Mask Is Too Loose
If your mask keeps sliding down you may notice that you are "scooching" it back up by using your lip and cheek muscles and thrusting your jaw. This scooch is not a normal face motion and it can quickly cause pain in those muscles.
How to Fix It: Get a better fitting mask or adjust the fit of the one you have. You may even want to do a little safety pinning or stitching on a purchased fabric mask to make it the perfect fit for you.
Reason 3: Your Mask Is Too Close to Your Mouth
If a mask’s fabric is too lightweight or loose, it might be getting sucked up against your mouth when you inhale. To combat this you may be thrusting your jaw forward to make a little air pocket or to “unstick” the mask, whether you know it or not. Jaw thrusting can really irritate the joint and discs.
If you have nocturnal bruxism (nighttime grinding) this mask issue is especially important for you to address. You’re already thrusting your jaw forward at night, so you certainly don’t want to get in the habit of doing that during the day, too.
How to Fix It: Put a 3D mask insert inside your favorite cloth mask for a way to naturally create a pocket of air without the thrusting. You can also try a standalone 3D mask, like this one that comes in cool colors and donates PPE with every purchase. Most N95 style masks will not move with your breath.
Reason 4: You’re Not Drinking Enough Water
You may not have realized it, but you could be consuming less water due to wearing a mask more often. Dehydration alone can easily trigger a headache and increase muscle and nerve irritability.
How to Fix It: Leave your house well hydrated and have a bottle of water in the car to limit your excuses. Follow the guidelines for drinking put forth by your work environment, but try to experiment with different containers to discover which one is the least irritating for you. A lidded cup with a straw and a sports bottle can be good options for quick sips around your mask.
Reason 5: Your Mask Is Creating Trigger Points
The straps, either behind your ears or behind your head, might be pressing on and irritating your muscles or superficial nerves. When muscles are irritated, they can form trigger points, knots that refer pain to other parts of the body. So even if your strap is too tight on the back of your head, it can cause aches in areas that seem unrelated, such as your jaw, head, ears and even teeth. The risk of that goes up when you add in the pressure of hearing aids, glasses, earbuds or a hat.
How to Fix It: Massaging and stretching these tight muscles to increase blood flow is the most helpful. These parts of your body might be very tender and sensitive, so be kind and start gently. Place the pads of your fingers on your scalp and gently scrub or do a shampooing motion. Stay on the skull in areas that grow hair (or at least have the potential to).
Consider a mask extender if necessary and rotate the style of masks you wear if possible.
Reason 6: You’re Overenunciating
Now when we have a conversation we’re talking through layers of fabric and standing farther apart. And sometimes there’s a plastic partition between us too! To be heard and understood, we talk louder and enunciate more than we have in the past. This involves using more tongue, cheek and lip muscles than we are used to, as well as more jaw thrusting. These muscles can all get tired and develop their own trigger point patterns.
How to Fix It: Decrease any unnecessary noises you have control over, like background music or TVs. If you often find yourself speaking to a room full of people, you might want to think about using a lapel mic with an external speaker you can wear on your hip. (Picture a walking tour guide.)
Reason 7: Your Mask Is Blocking Your View
Some masks jut out far from the face so they block part of your visual field. To compensate you might modify your head posture to complete a task. This pivoting of your head on your neck can annoy the muscles of the neck and base of the skull or misalign the cervical spine (the bones of the neck). Plus, the visual annoyance could trigger a headache for some people.
How to Fix It: Consider if a different mask could be better for you while doing specific tasks. Maybe look for one that’s less bulky and has a wire that can be shaped to your nose.
In Summary
Learning what triggers your headaches and jaw pain is important so that you can adjust how you wear your mask. Find what works for you. Use self-massage, rotate through different styles of masks depending on your work task, adjust your mask fit or environment and be aware of unconscious habits.
You can also take care of your overall head, neck and jaw health by learning more about it and doing some self-treatment at home. We might be wearing masks a little longer than expected.
About the author
Katie Pudhorodsky is a licensed massage therapist in Austin, TX LMT #104926. She’s passionate about educating her patients to help them get out of pain, so she created the online course Self Help to Relieve Head, Neck and Jaw Pain. Sign up on HelpHeadPain.com for a free sample lesson to learn self-massage for the jaw and one habit change to start now.
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