Avalon Wellness & Performance

I’m curious about your experience because no two people with TMJ are exactly alike.

👇 What’s one daily habit that affects your TMJ the most?

Maybe it’s:

* Sleeping position
* Stress at work
* Chewing gum
* Long hours at the computer
* Clenching your teeth
* Exercise
* Breathing habits
* Talking all day
* Something else entirely

I’d love to hear what you’ve noticed.

Your answers will help me build a TMJ Relief Blueprint that’s based on real-life experiences, practical strategies, and the challenges people face every day—not just textbook information.

Thank you for sharing your experience. It helps me create better resources for our TMJ community. ❤️

🏊‍♀️ Want to swim farther, faster, and with less effort?

One simple adjustment can make a huge difference.

Instead of reaching forward with just your arm, reach with your entire shoulder girdle—including your shoulder blade (scapula) and collarbone (clavicle). Then initiate your pull from your shoulder girdle, not just your elbow.

This helps you:
✅ Create a longer, more efficient stroke
✅ Reduce wasted energy
✅ Generate more power in the water
✅ Potentially decrease stress on the shoulder, helping reduce the risk of swimmer’s shoulder

As someone training for my first triathlon, this cue has made swimming feel easier—and as a manual therapist, I love that it also encourages healthier shoulder mechanics.

Give it a try on your next swim and let me know if you notice the difference!

🏊 Have another swimming tip that’s helped you? Share it in the comments!

How much stress are you carrying that your body no longer needs?

We often focus on treating the symptoms—jaw pain, headaches, neck tension, poor sleep—but sometimes the real work begins by helping the nervous system feel safe enough to let go.

Movement. Breathwork. Time in nature. Meaningful conversations. Manual therapy. Prayer or meditation. Good sleep.

None of these erase life’s challenges, but they can help keep yesterday’s stress from becoming tomorrow’s pain.

💬 What helps you let go of stress?

Your neck shouldn’t be doing your diaphragm’s job.

If you’re living with chronic neck tension, headaches, migraines, or TMJ dysfunction, it may be worth paying attention to how you’re breathing—not just how much you’re breathing.

When your diaphragm isn’t doing most of the work, your neck and shoulder muscles often try to compensate. Over time, that extra effort can contribute to persistent tension and discomfort.

The good news? Breathing is a skill, and like any skill, it can be practiced.

Have you ever been taught diaphragmatic breathing? Let me know in the comments. 👇

I need your help! 💙

I’m creating a TMJ Relief Blueprint, and I don’t want it to be just another list of exercises.

I want it to answer the questions that actually matter and help people who feel like they’ve already tried everything.

So I’d love to hear from you.

👇 What’s one treatment, exercise, device, or piece of advice you were really hopeful about… but it didn’t give you lasting relief?

It could be:
• A mouth guard
• Massage
• Botox
• Chiropractic
• Physical therapy
• Exercises
• Medication
• Dry needling
• Something else

There are no wrong answers. Your experience will help me create a resource that addresses the real challenges people face with TMJ dysfunction.

Thank you for helping me make this as useful as possible. ❤️

If you struggle with TMJ or jaw pain, I have a question for you…

What bothers you the most?

Is it:
😣 Pain in the jaw joint?
🗣️ Fatigue after talking?
🍎 Not being able to enjoy your favorite foods?
👂 Pain that radiates into your ear?
🤕 Chronic headaches?
🌙 Waking up because of jaw pain?

Tell me in the comments. Your answers will help me create content that actually addresses the problems you’re living with every day. ❤️

P.S. Yes, I just finished a 20-minute sauna session! I enjoy sauna as part of my wellness routine, but it’s important to talk with your healthcare provider before adding sauna or other wellness practices to your routine to make sure they’re appropriate for you.

I don’t want to simply look younger.

I want to move, feel, and live like someone decades younger.

At 40, my husband and I made a decision to become intentional about our health—not through perfection, but through consistent habits.

Better sleep.
Strength training.
Cardio.
Real food.
Recovery.
A few well-chosen supplements.

A month ago I could barely finish four laps in the pool without gasping for air.

A few weeks later, I completed an Olympic-distance swim in training and felt energized afterward.

Progress isn’t about where you start.

It’s about continuing to show up.

What’s one goal you’re working toward right now?

⬇️ Tell me in the comments.

’sHealth

When people ask why I spend time exercising, walking, swimming, and investing in regular manual therapy…

This is why.

I don’t want my body to become the reason I miss out on life’s adventures.

Health isn’t just about living longer. It’s about being able to say YES when your children ask you to explore the world, hike a mountain, chase grandchildren, dance at a wedding, or book that dream trip.

The habits we build today create the freedom we’ll have tomorrow.

So I’ll ask you the same question:

What are you staying healthy for? 🌎❤️

How do you find a good TMJ practitioner? 🤔

This is one of the questions I receive most often.

The truth is, the profession matters less than the practitioner’s training, experience, and clinical approach. TMJ dysfunction is rarely just a jaw problem. It often involves the neck, breathing, posture, fascia, nervous system, and even areas much farther away in the body.

When you’re searching for help:
✔️ Look for someone who specifically treats TMJ dysfunction.
✔️ Read their bio and website.
✔️ See if they regularly educate about TMJ through blogs, videos, or social media.
✔️ Ask about their continuing education in manual therapy, CranioSacral Therapy, fascial work, cervical treatment, or other TMJ-specific training.

A practitioner who understands the whole-body connections is often better equipped to help you find lasting relief rather than simply treating the symptoms.

Have you struggled to find the right practitioner? Let me know where you’re located in the comments—I may be able to point you in the right direction.