Trigger point · Jaw
Masseter — deep layer
Reviewed by Dr. Ryan Rietz, D.P.T. and Dr. John Breyman, D.C.
The point that presents as an ear problem. The deep layer of the masseter lies against the jaw joint, and its referral goes into the ear — a deep ache inside the ear, and for some people a low roaring or ringing sensation on that side. It is the classic ear pain with a normal ear examination. Clients arrive having been told there is nothing wrong, because there is nothing wrong with the ear: the tissue producing the sensation is the muscle beside it. Treating the deep masseter is unglamorous work in a small space, and it is one of the few things in manual therapy that can change a symptom the client had stopped believing was musculoskeletal at all.
Also known as
- deep masseter trigger point
- ear pain trigger point
- masseter ear referral