TMJ Tip: Stretching the Platysma

An often overlooked muscle is discussed here in some pretty good detail!

[@mikerosa650]

Bro. This cured me of pains ive had half my life. Im 36. After studying i saw this muscle and looked up release. Found you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart i feel so much better

[@auction-savvy]

Unbelievable! I have been in PT for over to address constant 24-7 neck pain. No improvement. I have an appointment at the pain clinic tomorrow and wanted to identify which muscle may be causing the pain. I hadn't heard of the platysma muscle but it seemed to be a possibility. Then I found your video. This stretching exercise provided IMMEDIATE release! I really cannot believe it- Thank you!🌠

[@Julie_77777]

Exactly what I was looking for, including all the explanations

[@JohnDoe-bj7ie]

Hi doc, I recently noticed a big muscle appearing under my jaw, a part of it goes from just behind my chin almost to my Adam's apple, it feels firm and it is swallowing up my jawline and making me miserable, is this the platysma that for some reason atrophied and got huge?I have to really try to relax to make it as least noticeable as possible, but I can tense it and make it look worse so I assume it's a muscle, but I don't understand how it would look totally normal for my whole life and then just get huge like this. I was doing the high speed jaw opening exercise for my hyoid, could that have done it? That exercise is supposed to raise the hyoid's resting position

[@sharonapps4255]

Won't exercising this muscle give you a droopy sad face I don't understand does it drag your face down if you keep exercising it. Can you please tell me exactly what it does to the face if I were to keep doing them . Thank you.

[@Anonymous-xr8hx]

Omg the platysma muscles on the left side of my neck have been massive for months. I've been so self conscious about it and it also feels horribly unnatural. I've been looking for people with a similar problem for ages and had no idea what the muscle was. Thank you so much - this pretty much fixed my issue! I've also come to the realisation that I have been straining my platysma muscles when I lift weights, so hopefully they'll be reduced over time, as I focus on not straining them. I really can't thank you enough!

[@step-sister1905]

You're literally me

[@step-sister1905]

Is it under your jawline... Not letting your jaw show up

[@vv7299]

@@step-sister1905 not literally

[@mrsmarthday]

Mine is gigantic on my right side is just so unsightly looking. This is a new thing for me I had to do so much research to find out what it was called and What’s causing it.

[@supernus8684]

This. Is the exact muscle that gives me a lot of problems sometimes. Anything from slight discomfort in the neck and jaw area to blistering pain shooting up through the right side of my neck, jaw and into my head causing excruciating headaches that leaves me completely unable to do anything. Often this happens after i have slept and wake up (i also grind my teeth when sleeping to a moderate degree. I am really happy that i finally identified the muscle causing me problems and now i have a stretch to try and help it too. Thank you.

[@doronb2567]

Can this help with the situation of platysmal bands?

[@cassiekay8633]

That was so interesting...my jaw only clicks on the left side (early in the opening of the jaw) and when I did this simple exercise, the tightness/tension in the Platysma stretch on my left side was markedly present when compared to my right which felt significantly softer and relaxed during the stretch...I was so surprised.

[@BuffaloTMJ]

Fantastic observation!

[@AD-hh6dd]

Wow. I think this will help cosmetically as well so I won’t have to get botox to relax them. Thank you so much!

[@leoliagold]

Thank you for this video Dr. Dolgos! I am very grateful to stumble upon your channel. I've been aware of my crooked smile and inability to flex or use any platysma muscles on my left side. Wondering if this stretch will help engage these muscles that have been dormant or if there are other exercises for me to strengthen them. - Best!

[@goldenparachute392]

Wow! I have neck bands and history of TMJ. Did the exercise and felt it! Will be doing this regularly. Thank you for this information. Usually you hear doctors say Botox is the way to relax the platysma.

[@melissaservais650]

This was so helpful, thank you!!

[@homersimpson5501]

If put pressure in the of my chest with my head down, I notice I can’t even look up. I can only move my head to where it looks forward

[@cainegardner8832]

Great video! Do you have any suggestions for someone who has tense muscles on one side of the face? Seems like it’s along the cheekbone, next to eye and the jaw. I did your SCM stretch and I can really feel it pulling on my lower jaw all the way to the front. Great content and love the channel!

[@sarahamilton3234]

My daughter is 16 and her platysma muscles are HUGE on both sides. She hates it.

[@lalaruetangelino2016]

I had a tumor extracted twice (acoustic) and it grew into the brain stem and destroyed the facial nerve, I have a lot of pulling on the platysma (synkinesis). I feel this exercise is much more helpful than the others I paid $$ to no avail!

[@adavillafania8368]

I love this stretch… very effective, thanks

[@zack_120]

Super! The trick of pressing on the sub-collar bone while smiling and raising head is very effective to feel and train the platysma muscle.

[@dandelions2414]

Wil this help with the platysma muscle from banding? How often should we do this if we have neck banding in platysma?

[@WilliamShevchuk]

I have the same question

[@jenniferbritzke9887]

Thank you for this video!!!!

[@chelseacolon4477]

Thank you!! I not only have TMJ on my left side but also an old sports injury with my left shoulder. This stretch helped with the tension from both!

[@lolopompooo]

Thank you! Great video!

[@marlainadonatoa.k.a.willow4241]

HUGE THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@vickyanderson3753]

Dr. Dolgos, thanks for a great video demonstration and advice. I hope you don't mind me asking, but, do you think there is a connection between the platysma and synkenisis after facial palsy? I have synkinesis on the left side of my face following Ramsey Hunt. As I try to smile (for example), synkinesis happens and I feel a pulling or straining on the left side of my neck. When I do the grimace expression as you demonstrate in the video, I feel and can also see that the platysma on the left side of my neck is much more pronounced than that on the right. Do you think a shortening of the platysma has been caused by my facial palsy and that this is in some way resulting in synkinesis? If so I'm hoping that the exercise you showed in this video will help reduce the problem.

[@BuffaloTMJ]

Hi Vicky, sorry it took me so long to see this. I hope you've found some solutions to your problem at this point. Seems difficult to differentiate between Ramsey Hunt and Bell's palsy, and from what I can tell there is a lack of definitive clinical lab testing to verify VZV as the actual cause of Ramsey Hunt. I believe identifying the proximate cause of a symptom through testing and scientific method is crucial, especially at this point in Human history. Take a look here for some information on a different way of looking at Health vs. Disease: designed2win.com/product/frt-and-the-cell-theory/ I don't think of "viruses" as living organism, but rather as biological delivery mechanisms for genetic information and/or toxic substances. Thinking of them this way makes me think in terms of what types of toxic substances might damage the nervous system in the very particular way it is damaged by things like VZV, EBV, COVID-19, and others. Viruses are never isolated and cultured as part of a diagnosis, and viable solutions are rarely discussed. People who are diagnosed with these conditions seem to frequently be left out in the cold, wandering on their own for answers. I can't give you any specific advice through this format, but I can tell you that I think if I were in your position, I would look for a good myofascial release LMT or PT to manage my muscle tension, possibly something like Yoga or Tai Chi to keep the body moving, and I'd look for a physician who practices functional medicine, and who will order the appropriate blood chemistry tests needed to identify deficiencies or excesses in my body, and then recommend appropriate supplemental or nutritional measures to correct the imbalances. It appears to me at this point, and this is not my area of expertise, that the solution to synkinesis is consistent and deliberate exercises to help the nervous system rewire in the correct way, and allow the "cross wiring" to atrophy and fade.

[@meow5692]

My father is suffering from platysmal stretching ... This platysma gets stretch & loose after every five minutes...!

[@nonametoyou7449]

Fantastic video! Great explanations! Thank you

[@ErikaEmody]

very helpful - thank you! I"m a professional singer with cervical issues. EVen though I'm doing PT for my issues, I've been noticing some tension in this muscle. I like this stretch - easy to do and feels good.

[@Diana-mu9vd]

Thank you so much! Do you have a video on how to release or stop automatic raised shoulders?

[@lbabytutorials4852]

I just got Botox today for my platysma bands and 131 but they make me look 10 years older

[@machietheapachie7214]

Interesting. I was under the impression though that it is an antagonist muscle to the masseter, which if I'm not mistaken is already shortened due to overuse. As such, should the plasysma muscle not be strengthened to deactivate the masseter muscles?

[@QueenJaneway]

I have some kind of knot just below the left side of my cheek, I think it's a knot on this muscle

[@kozy3815]

wonderful! Thank you so much

[@davidbaez8925]

Is this muscle involved in speech?

[@Cryptosifu]

I have a huge platysma muscle.

[@coexist8677]

Thank you 🙏🏻

[@Brakzer]

thank you doc

[@julieclinch5797]

I had bells palsy on my right side and have lost my smile. When I smile the tendons on that side of my neck stick out. If I do this exercise could I get my smile back. The right side of my neck is tight

[@seektruth983]

I wonder if myofunctional therapy would help. Or perhaps physiotherapy targeted for that condition.

[@menekseustundag123]

thanks...

[@lamakhaled2466]

Thanks

[@PatrickHustonarcher]

Been interested in this for quite a long while, Spent the past hour looking at different stuff about it. So glad to finally have found someone who talks about the emotional relationship to the muscle. I recommend the language of the body by Alexander Lowen

[@SofiaBuhrgard]

Too long before exercise

[@recessedsubhuman]

i cant move my platsyma on the right side of my neck