Leave headaches and jaw pain behind as Acqualina Spa introduces a revolutionary stress-relief therapy
By Michelle Payer
An astounding 10 million Americans suffer from TMJ (temporomandibular joint dysfunction) disorder – and if you think about it – you might be one of them, as it’s a largely self-diagnosable ailment. So, ask yourself:
- Do you awake with a clenched, sore jaw, headache or toothache?
- Is your jaw area sensitive when you touch it?
- Do you have pain in the face, ear, jaw or mouth that is either constant or intermittent?
- Does your jaw “click,” lock or spasm when you chew, eat, yawn or talk?
TMJ often – unsurprisingly – is stress-related. “Because of the news cycles, the pandemic, increased prices at the supermarket and gas pump, supply chain slowdowns and much more, we are bombarded by stresses,” says Spa Director Catherine Davalle. “The decompression you used to have to take a vacation and travel the world has been gone for several years now; people feel stuck and that’s adding stress,” she says.
After experiencing her own jaw aches and headaches, then asking Acqualina Spa therapists if guests requested TMJ relief, Spa Director Catherine Davalle set out to create a TMJ Release Massage –generally only available in a medical or chiropractic office; in fact, she knows of no other spa that offers it. It took Davalle and a small, specially trained team of Acqualina Spa therapists months to perfect the sequence: deep tissue techniques combined with myofascial release to deliberately relieve tightness in the upper back, then neck, pectoral, facial, quick intra-oral (with gloves) if the patient agrees, jaw muscles and scalp. “Intra-oral massage can be a little painful as we release the tension,” says Davalle. “It’s just a couple of minutes on each side to release the muscle tension and fascia if the patient wants it,” she explains, “and you’ll get an even greater result in relieving TMJ symptoms,” she says.
The 50-minute, $250 treatment includes the above. The 80-minute, $330 session adds a full-body massage to release overall body tensions that may affect TMJ. “With this massage, I can get immediate relief and now I can manage my symptoms much better with regular sessions,” says Davalle, who explains that the therapists give Acqualina clients facial exercises to continue muscular relaxation at home.
“This TMJ Release Massage is a very well-kept secret,” says Davalle, “and why we’re one of the best spas in the world.”