08/06/2026
Intra-oral Massage is an advanced technique that should NOT be attempted without proper training and understanding the anatomy. Offering this without educating yourself, practicing palpation, and knowing the possible contraindications puts both you and your client at risk.
The purpose of this post is to ELEVATE Massage Therapy as a respected and credible profession by educating the masses on what should happen within a session. Whether you're an actual massage therapist or you're a regular Joe who wanted to see what all the TMJ hype was about- Please know that going FAST AT DEPTH is cruel and warming up the area prior to deep work truly matters!
WHY would someone think it's okay to perform aggressive intra-oral massage?? Immediately my brain goes to all these intense videos I have seen online (such as the Leeann Rhymes video that went viral from Human Garage) that claim 'emotional releases'. These are not what I have witnessed as an emotional release, these seem more like a trauma response to how much is going on within, being coaxed to endure and accept it.
Ummm, that's not how consent works folks.
When someone is capable of feeling vulnerable and supported enough to have a true emotional release on your table, it's incredible and an honor to be part of. Consent based touch doesn't mean just verbal consent. If their entire body is cringing away from you, there's no longer internal consent. Slowing down, adjusting your pressure/technique and honoring the amount of time and patience some of these structures need is beyond important.
We offer trainings for intra-oral massage both Live and Zoom that are anatomy based and have recordings available from our self study platform to support you post class. Respect. Educate. Elevate.
