Check in with your jaw right now. Are your teeth touching? Is there a tightness in the masseter, the thick muscle just in front of the ear? Is the back of the throat slightly held? For many people with chronic back pain or tension, the answer is yes to at least one of these, and they have no idea it is happening because it has been that way for so long it no longer registers.

The jaw and the back are not anatomically close. But they are neurologically close in ways that matter enormously for anyone trying to reduce chronic pain and tension. The same nervous system state that drives protective bracing in the lower back also drives clenching and holding in the jaw. Releasing one tends to soften the other. This is not a coincidence.

A useful check

At any point in the day, notice whether your teeth are touching. They should not be. The resting position of the jaw is lips together, teeth slightly apart, tongue resting lightly on the roof of the mouth. If your teeth are in contact when you are not eating or speaking, your jaw is carrying tension. And your nervous system is likely carrying more of it than you realise.

The nervous system connection

When the body perceives threat, real or habitual, the nervous system activates a protective response. Muscles brace. Breathing becomes shallower and faster. The body prepares to defend itself. This response is not selective. It does not tighten just the back or just the jaw. It tightens the whole system, from the pelvic floor upward through the abdomen, diaphragm, chest, throat, and jaw.

In people with chronic back pain, this protective state has often become the default. The original threat, whether injury, stress, or a period of acute pain, has long passed, but the nervous system has not received a clear signal that it is safe to stand down. The bracing continues. And because it is global, it shows up everywhere: in the lower back, in the upper back and shoulders, in the neck, and consistently in the jaw.

1

The nervous system goes into protection

An injury, a period of stress, or accumulated pain signals the nervous system to guard the body. This is appropriate and intelligent in the short term.

2

Whole-body bracing becomes the default

The protective state spreads and becomes habitual. Muscles throughout the system, including those of the jaw and back, carry elevated resting tone even when no threat is present.

3

The jaw and back brace together

Both are regulated by the same nervous system. Both tighten in protection. Both relax when the nervous system receives a genuine safety signal. Neither can fully release while the other remains held.

4

Releasing one softens the other

This is the insight that makes jaw work relevant to back pain. A soft jaw signals safety to the nervous system. That signal travels downward through the whole system, including the back.

The vagus nerve and why the jaw is a gateway

The vagus nerve is the primary channel of the parasympathetic nervous system, the rest and repair branch that counters the protective stress response. It runs from the brainstem down through the throat, heart, lungs, and abdomen. The muscles of the jaw, throat, and soft palate are closely connected to it.

When you soften the jaw, allow the throat to open, and let the tongue rest gently on the roof of the mouth, you are creating physical conditions that activate vagal tone. The nervous system reads these signals as safety and begins to come down from its protective state. Breathing slows and deepens. Muscle tone throughout the body reduces. The back begins to release tension that no amount of stretching would have touched, because the tension was not structural, it was neurological.

Worth understanding

Stretching a muscle that is held by the nervous system for protective reasons provides limited and temporary relief. The muscle will return to tension because the instruction to hold has not changed. Working through the nervous system, via the breath, the jaw, and the throat, addresses the instruction itself. That is the difference between releasing tension and moving it around.

A simple jaw release practice

This takes about two minutes and can be done anywhere. It is not a stretch or a massage technique. It is a sequence of gentle cues that invite the nervous system to soften.

The jaw and back release
  • 1
    Sit or stand comfortably. Let the arms hang. Take one ordinary breath and let it go without changing anything.
  • 2
    Notice the jaw. Are the teeth touching? Is there gripping in the masseter or temple? Simply notice without judging.
  • 3
    Let the jaw drop very slightly. Not open wide, just enough that the teeth are no longer touching. Let the lips stay gently closed. Feel the masseter soften.
  • 4
    Soften the back of the throat. Imagine a small yawn beginning and then stopping. The throat widens slightly. The soft palate lifts a little. This is the vagal cue.
  • 5
    Rest the tongue lightly on the roof of the mouth. Behind the upper front teeth, not pressing. Just resting. This is the natural position and it supports jaw softness.
  • 6
    Take three slow nasal breaths. With the jaw soft and the throat open, the breath will naturally move lower and slower. On each exhale, notice whether there is any softening in the back, shoulders, or neck. There often is.
  • 7
    Stay here for a moment. No forcing. No agenda. Just noticing what has changed in the system since you started.

Where this fits in the Sunday practice

The instruction to soften the jaw appears throughout the Self Care Sunday practices: in the morning breath check, at the start of the Pranayama Reset, and at the beginning of the wall rib release. It is not incidental. It is the opening signal in every practice because without it, the nervous system does not fully register that what follows is safe rather than effortful.

Bringing the same awareness into ordinary moments during the week, checking the jaw when you sit at your desk, when you drive, when you lie down at night, gradually trains a softer resting baseline. This is one of the most accessible forms of nervous system regulation available, because the jaw is always there, always available to check, and always responsive to a gentle invitation to release.

A practical reminder

Set a single reminder on your phone for mid-afternoon this week, not to do anything in particular, just to check the jaw. Teeth touching? Let them part. Throat held? Let it soften. Three breaths. That is all. Done consistently over a few weeks, this one small habit shifts the nervous system baseline more than most people expect.

Frequently asked questions

I grind my teeth at night. Is this related?
Yes. Nocturnal grinding is almost always a nervous system expression, the same protective bracing that shows up in the back during the day continuing into sleep. The jaw release practice is directly relevant, particularly done in bed before sleep. It will not resolve grinding entirely on its own, but consistently softening the jaw before sleep reduces the intensity over time. If grinding is severe, a dental guard and a conversation with your dentist are also worth pursuing alongside this work.
I have been told I have TMJ disorder. Should I avoid this?
The practice described here involves no force, no stretching, and no manipulation. It is a gentle invitation to soften. Most people with TMJ issues find it comfortable and helpful. If you have significant jaw pain or a specific structural issue, check with your dentist or physiotherapist before adding any jaw-focused practice.
How often should I do this?
The formal two-minute practice is worth doing once a day, ideally as part of the Sunday reset or your morning routine. But the real benefit comes from the informal version, simply checking the jaw two or three times during the day and softening it when it is held. This costs almost nothing in time and has a cumulative effect on nervous system tone over weeks.
Will releasing my jaw really help my back pain?
Not immediately and not on its own. But as part of a consistent practice of nervous system regulation, yes. The jaw release is most powerful when combined with the breathing and touch work that forms the rest of the Sunday reset. Each element reinforces the others. The jaw is a gateway, not a cure.
The Self Care Sunday principle

Small actions done consistently are more powerful than big resets done rarely.

Checking the jaw three times a day and letting it soften takes less than thirty seconds each time. Over weeks and months, this small repetition teaches the nervous system a different resting state, one that holds less tension in the back, less bracing through the body, and more genuine ease throughout the day. That is worth thirty seconds.