The Jaw–Pelvis Connection: Why TMJ Tension and Hip Pain Are Often Linked
(And why treating the whole fascial system creates lasting relief)
Most people never think jaw tension has anything to do with hip pain, pelvic floor issues, or SI discomfort. But your body does - every single day.
Your jaw, tongue, neck, spine, diaphragm, psoas, and pelvic floor are connected through one continuous fascial and neuromuscular pathway. When one end tightens, the other adapts. When one part compensates, the rest of the chain shifts with it.
This is why treating just your jaw… or just your hip… rarely provides lasting change.
To truly heal, you have to work with the whole system.
Fascia: The Missing Link Between the Jaw and Pelvis
Fascia is a three-dimensional connective-tissue web that wraps, suspends, and links every structure in your body.
It also acts as a communication system — distributing mechanical tension and sending signals through the nervous system.
Research supports this interconnectedness:
A recent RCT found that a single session of TMJ soft-tissue therapy significantly altered pelvic floor muscle activity, showing a direct functional link between jaw treatment and pelvic activation patterns (Szczegielniak et al., 2023).
Review articles highlight shared fascial, embryological, and neurological pathways between the stomatognathic system (jaw + tongue + throat) and the pelvic floor (MyACare, 2023).
Anatomical studies note that the dural tube — the protective sheath surrounding the spinal cord — runs continuously from the cranium to the sacrum, tying the jaw’s mechanics to sacral and pelvic tension (Piekarz et al., 2024).
In fascia, nothing acts alone.
How Jaw Tension Travels Down the Chain (Jaw → Pelvis)
Modern life pulls the head forward — phones, screens, stress, driving.
A forward head position often leads to subtle, unconscious jaw clenching.
That bracing trickles down the body:
The TMJ tightens
The tongue drops low in the mouth
The hyoid bone shifts
The diaphragm compresses
The pelvic floor grips to stabilize
The hips rotate or tilt to compensate
This pattern can create:
Hip tightness
SI joint tension
Pelvic floor fatigue
Lower-back pain
Postural imbalance
Your body always chooses stability over comfort — which is why compensation happens automatically.
How Pelvic Tension Shows Up as TMJ Pain (Pelvis → Jaw)
The connection also works in reverse.
When the pelvis is restricted — from sitting, stress, scar tissue, childbirth, or injury — tension moves upward through the deep front fascial line, affecting the diaphragm, throat, and jaw.
Studies show that changes in pelvic floor activation can influence jaw and tongue tension via shared neuromuscular pathways (MyACare, 2023; Piekarz et al., 2024).
Pelvic tension can drive:
TMJ irritation
Clenching or grinding
Limited jaw opening
Neck tightness
Throat or swallowing tension
Which explains why TMJ symptoms often return if the pelvis isn’t treated.
Why Treating Only the TMJ (or Only the Hip) Doesn’t Work
Most TMJ treatments focus only on the jaw:
Bite adjustments
Night guards
Symptom-based massage
Muscle strengthening or stretching
But if the root driver lives elsewhere — the hips, diaphragm, pelvic floor, or posture — results are temporary.
The same is true for hip pain.
Fascial systems don’t separate into “joints” and “muscles.”
They behave as one interconnected system.
Myofascial Release: Treating the Whole Story, Not the Loudest Symptom
Myofascial Release (JFB-MFR®) works with the entire fascial network through gentle, sustained pressure — allowing the tissue to soften, unwind, and reorganize without force.
Myofascial Release (JFB-MFR®) works with the entire fascial network through gentle, sustained pressure — allowing the tissue to soften, unwind, and reorganize without force.
This approach:
✓ Releases deep restrictions along the jaw–diaphragm–pelvis continuum
✓ Works with the nervous system rather than pushing through it
✓ Helps resolve unconscious bracing patterns
✓ Allows new alignment to emerge naturally
✓ Creates long-lasting change instead of chasing symptoms
At VerveBody, we don’t force alignment.
We free the restrictions preventing it.
Signs Your Jaw + Pelvis May Be Connected
You may be dealing with a jaw–pelvis fascial pattern if you experience:
TMJ pain or clicking
Clenching or grinding
Neck or throat tightness
Hip or SI joint pain
Pelvic floor tension
Forward-head posture
Chronic or unexplained pain
Migraines
Post-surgical tightness or scar tissue
Numbness or tingling patterns
When multiple areas feel “stuck,” it’s often one connected story.
The Bottom Line
Your jaw and pelvis are in constant conversation — through fascia, breath, posture, and your nervous system.
If you want relief that lasts, you have to treat the whole system.
Myofascial Release does exactly that:
It follows the entire chain, not just the symptom, allowing your body to reorganize into ease.Make it stand out
Ready to explore what’s possible?
At VerveBody Myofascial Release in South Austin, we help people move freely, breathe deeply, and live without chronic tension by treating the full fascial story — not just the loudest pain.
Release your pain.
Unleash your verve.®
References
MyACare. (2023). The pelvic floor–jaw link: What the research shows.
https://myacare.com/blog/the-pelvic-floor-jaw-link-what-the-research-shows
Piekarz, S., et al. (2024). Article from PMC describing stomatognathic–pelvic floor neuromuscular and fascial connections.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11642382/
Szczegielniak, J., Łuniewski, J., Sielski, Ł., Bogucki, J., Abacjew-Chmyłko, M., Piechura, J. R., & Biernat, M. (2023).
A single session of temporomandibular joint soft-tissue therapy and its effect on pelvic floor muscles activity in women—A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 13(23), 7037.
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/13/23/7037
