Issue 152
March 2017
We all love a good, clean KO, but getting clipped on the chin put you at risk of serious brain trauma and have long-term implications for your jaw’s strength.
A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found the force generated by an Olympic boxer’s punch is close to 200lb – and they’re wearing 10-12oz gloves.
Imagine what kind of force ‘Rumble’ Johnson is hitting in 4oz mitts?
Broken or dislocated jaws are thankfully quite rare in MMA. However, one common jaw injury is called temporomandibular disorder (TMD) and it’s often far more subtle and problematic. It involves straining the chewing muscles and the joints between the lower jaw and base of the skull.
Dr Robert Haley, who has a wealth of experience working with both wrestlers and mixed martial artists, explains: “The temporomandibular joint connects your lower jaw to the temporal bone of your skull, and sits just in front of your ears. There’s a fibrous membrane that surrounds the joint, and also lots of fibrocartilaginous tissue between the two bones.
“Trauma to the jaw can damage this area and lead to jaw lock and restricted movement.
"Some of the signs of injury would be: pain in the area around the ear, clicking, crepitus or popping of the jaw, and decreased range of motion or locking when the mouth is fully open.”
Dr Haley insists the easiest route to jaw protection is via a good sports dentist. Having a custom-made mouthguard is essential and can help keep the jaw properly aligned. He also has a couple of simple strengthening exercises that can also help and mean you’ll at least be able to talk a good fight.
THREE EXERCISES TO IMPROVE JAW STRENGTH
WIDE OPEN
Place your fist under your chin. Start by opening your mouth a few degrees against the counter pressure of your fist.
Hold for 10 seconds. Open a few degrees more and hold again for 10 seconds. Repeat until your jaw is wide open against resistance.
LEFT PUSH
Just as with the wide-open routine, apply counter pressure with your fist on the left side of your jaw as you slide it to the right.
Try a few positions and hold each for 10 seconds. Repeat until your jaw is as far to the side as possible.
RIGHT PUSH
Simply repeat the left push exercise on the other side of your jaw.
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