Jaw Tension: Why the Base of the Skull May Be the Missing Piece

Headaches, Dizziness, Jaw Tension and Teeth Grinding: Why the Base of the Skull Might Be the Missing Piece

Most people think jaw tension starts in the jaw.

Teeth grinding, stress, TMJ—that’s usually where the conversation ends. But after working hands-on with the body, again and again a different pattern shows up. The tension often isn’t starting in the jaw at all.

It’s coming from the base of the skull.

The place most people overlook

Right where your skull meets your neck sits a small group of muscles called the suboccipitals. They’re not big, and they’re not particularly well-known outside clinical or bodywork settings, but they are incredibly sensitive.

These muscles are packed with proprioceptors—receptors that tell your brain where your head is in space. In simple terms, they help orient you. Balance you. Stabilise your perception.

They also have a physical connection into the system around the brain and spinal cord via what’s known as the myodural bridge.

So when there is tension here, it doesn’t just feel like a tight neck. It can show up as:

Head pressure, Tension headaches, A strange “off” feeling, Even dizziness that’s hard to explain

The jaw–neck relationship is real

There’s also a neurological crossover between the jaw and the upper neck, often referred to as the trigeminocervical complex.

That’s a technical way of saying this:

What’s happening at the base of your skull can influence your jaw. And what’s happening in your jaw can feed back into your neck.

It’s why people who clench their jaw often have tight upper necks.And why releasing the neck can sometimes soften the jaw without touching it directly.

When dizziness isn’t coming from the inner ear

One of the more misunderstood symptoms I see linked to this area is dizziness.

Not spinning vertigo, but more of a subtle unsteadiness. A floating feeling. Difficulty focusing. A sense that something is just slightly “off”.

This is often described as cervicogenic dizziness—coming from the neck rather than the inner ear.

When the suboccipital muscles are tight or overworking, the brain can receive mixed signals about where the head is in space. That mismatch alone can create disorientation.

Mouth breathing, posture, and the same pattern

Mouth breathing is usually approached as a breathing issue. But very often it sits inside a wider postural pattern.

Forward head posture (FHP) often develops from prolonged looking down at phones, laptops, or screens. When your head juts forward, it changes the alignment of the cervical spine, tightens the neck and chest muscles, and can subtly shift the position of the tongue and jaw.

The tongue naturally rests against the roof of the mouth when the head and neck are in neutral alignment. With FHP, the jaw may drop slightly, and the tongue may fall lower in the mouth or shift forward, which can affect breathing, swallowing, and even speech over time. There’s also a cascade effect: the shoulders round forward, the thoracic spine curves more, and breathing patterns change, which can reinforce low tongue posture and mouth breathing.

All of these increase load on the suboccipital region.

So instead of being separate problems, they’re often different expressions of the same underlying pattern.

Sinus pressure, congestion, and the role of the neck

A lot of people come in describing “sinus pressure.”

That heavy feeling around the eyes. The forehead. The cheeks. Sometimes it feels like congestion that never fully clears.

But not all sinus discomfort is coming from the sinuses themselves.

In many cases, the neck—particularly the base of the skull—is part of the picture.

When sinus pressure isn’t just sinus

The face and upper neck share a neurological pathway known as the trigeminocervical complex.

In simple terms, this means the brain processes signals from the jaw, face, and upper neck together.

So tension at the base of the skull can be felt:

• Around the eyes

• Across the forehead

• Through the cheekbones

It can feel exactly like sinus pressure, even when there’s no significant congestion present.

Fluid movement and that “blocked” feeling

There’s also a mechanical side to this.

Forward head posture and tight suboccipital muscles can influence how fluid moves through the head and neck—particularly venous and lymphatic drainage.

When the head sits forward:

• The tissues under the jaw and throat can become slightly compressed

• Drainage pathways may become less efficient

• Fluid can feel like it lingers in the face

This doesn’t mean something is “blocked” in a medical sense, but it can create:

• A sense of fullness

• Puffiness around the eyes

• Mild congestion that doesn’t fully shift

Breathing patterns matter more than we think

Posture also affects how we breathe.

Forward head posture is often linked to:

• Mouth breathing

• Reduced nasal airflow

• Shallow, upper chest breathing

Over time, this can dry and irritate the nasal passages and reduce the natural filtering and humidifying role of the nose.

Which means sinus symptoms can feel more noticeable, or slower to resolve.

Where cranial resonance fits

By working with the occipital and suboccipital area, cranial resonance approaches this pattern at its source.

Through gentle contact and vibrational input, the aim is to:

• Reduce tension at the base of the skull

• Improve sensory communication within the nervous system

• Support more natural breathing

• Allow fluid movement to normalise

Clients will often describe this not as “sinus relief” directly, but as:

• A clearer, lighter feeling in the face

• Less pressure around the eyes

• Easier nasal breathing

A quick note

This isn’t a treatment for sinus infections or medical sinus conditions.

But if you experience ongoing pressure, tightness, or that slightly “blocked” feeling—especially alongside jaw tension or neck tightness—it’s worth considering that the base of the skull may be part of the pattern.

Cranial resonance and vibrational work

The approach is simple in principle. Instead of forcing the body to release, it works through the nervous system.

A weighted 128 Hz tuning fork produces a frequency that the body can feel quite deeply. It sits within the range that stimulates receptors such as Pacinian corpuscles, which respond to vibration and pressure.

When that vibration is applied to specific points around the occiput and suboccipital area, combined with gentle, precise contact, something interesting happens.

The body starts to shift subtly.

Muscles that were holding begin to soften.The jaw can feel less clenched without direct work.The breath can deepen without instruction. I also give my client gentle exercises to improve forward head posture.

It’s about giving the nervous system different information.

What people actually feel

The feedback from clients is consistent.

A softening at the base of the skull, a sense of space in the jaw, less pressure in the head, and a feeling of being more grounded.

Sometimes people don’t even realise how much they were holding until it’s no longer there.

A more connected way of looking at symptoms

Jaw tension, headaches, dizziness, mouth breathing—they’re often treated as separate issues.

But when you start looking at the relationships between the occiput, the nervous system, and the body’s sensory networks, a different picture emerges.

One where the base of the skull plays a central role.

And one where working with the body through vibration, touch, and awareness can support it in letting go of patterns it’s been holding for a long time.

What Clients Say:

A recent client experience

“I didn’t realise how much tension I was holding until it started to release.

It wasn’t like a typical treatment—nothing was forced. But I could feel something happening, especially at the base of my skull. At one point my jaw just dropped slightly and I noticed I wasn’t clenching anymore.

Afterwards, my head felt clearer, lighter. Even my breathing felt different—like it had more space.

It stayed with me for days.”

“Something shifted that I couldn’t quite explain—but my jaw was softer, my head felt lighter, and I slept better that night.”

If you would like a fee PDF on exercises you can do at home to improve head posture and massage acupressure points, click through to my website to the support page.

To find out more or to book a Cranial Resonance Session please click here