Massage for tension headaches and jaw clenching: the pain announces itself at the temples, but it is generated further down
A lot of headaches start below the neck. Tight muscles at the base of the skull, a jaw you only notice you are clenching at three in the morning, shoulders that never quite drop.
Massage can help the muscular part of that. It is not a treatment for migraine, it is not a treatment for a diagnosed jaw-joint disorder, and there are headaches that need a doctor today rather than a massage next week. This page is careful about which is which.
Some headaches are not a massage appointment
Seek medical care rather than booking if a headache comes with any of this:
- Sudden and severe — the worst you have ever had, arriving in seconds. That is an emergency.
- A headache that follows a blow to the head.
- Fever, a stiff neck, a rash, or confusion.
- Weakness, numbness, trouble speaking, or a change in vision.
- A headache that is new after the age of fifty, or that keeps getting worse week by week.
- A headache that is worse lying down, or on coughing and straining.
- In pregnancy, a headache with swelling or visual changes.
None of that is us being cautious for the sake of it. Those patterns point at causes that a pair of hands cannot address.
Where a tension headache is actually made
The small muscles at the base of the skull, the upper trapezius, the muscles along the side of the neck, and the jaw. When those stay contracted for weeks, the pain often turns up somewhere else entirely — at the temples, behind the eyes, in a band around the head. Treating the temples achieves very little. Treating what is pulling on them is what shifts it.
That is also why people describe the relief as unfamiliar: it is not that the headache was masked, it is that the thing generating it let go.
The jaw, and exactly what we do and do not do
We work the jaw muscles externally, over the skin — the masseter along the angle of the jaw, the temporalis at the side of the head, and the neck and scalp around them. That is ordinary massage and it is often the piece nobody has touched.
We do not do intra-oral or buccal work. Nobody puts gloved fingers inside your mouth here, so if that is specifically what you are looking for, we are not the clinic for it and we would rather say so than have you book and find out.
If you have been diagnosed with a temporomandibular joint disorder, your dentist or physician leads that, not us. We do not adjust joints, fit splints, or manage the condition. What we can do is ease the muscular tension that usually comes with it, alongside whatever they have you doing.
Tension headache is not migraine
We will not tell you massage treats migraine. Migraine is a neurological condition and belongs with a physician. Plenty of people who get migraines also carry a great deal of neck and shoulder tension, and easing that is worth doing on its own terms — but easing it is what we are offering, not treating the migraine.
What to book
| Booking | Time | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neck, scalp and jaw focus | 60 min | 115 | Tension headaches, clenching |
| Upper body with neck and jaw | 90 min | 155 | When the shoulders are part of it |
| First massage with us | 60 min | 89 | First visit, once per person |
| 30-minute add-on | +30 min | +65 | Added to a 60 |
Say "headaches and jaw" when you book, not just "neck and shoulders". It changes where the hour goes: less time on the mid-back, more on the base of the skull, the scalp and the jaw.
What tends to happen afterwards
A dull, heavy feeling in the head for a few hours afterwards is common and usually passes by the next morning. Drink water, do not book it for an evening you need to be sharp, and go easy on screens for the rest of the day if you can. If a session reliably makes your headaches worse rather than better, stop and say so — that is information, not something to push through.
Booking
Massage is arranged by phone rather than the online calendar, which matters here: you can describe where the headache sits, whether you wake with it, and whether you know you clench, and be matched to a therapist and a length that fit.
What we will not do
- Diagnose a headache. We are not physicians.
- Claim to treat migraine or a diagnosed jaw-joint disorder.
- Offer intra-oral jaw work. We do not do it.
- Tell you to skip a doctor's appointment because you have a massage booked.
Where to find us
Downtown Montreal — 2365 rue Saint-Patrick, Unit A5
Laval — 1655 boulevard de l'Avenir
Saint-Léonard — 5045 rue Jean-Talon Est
West Island — 45 boulevard Brunswick, Dollard-des-Ormeaux
This page is general information and not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Massage therapists at New Age Spa are not physicians or dentists and do not diagnose, treat or manage headache disorders, migraine, or temporomandibular joint disorders. Seek medical care rather than booking a massage for a headache that is sudden and severe, follows a head injury, comes with fever, a stiff neck, confusion, weakness, numbness, speech or vision changes, is new after age fifty, is progressively worsening, is worse lying down or on straining, or occurs in pregnancy with swelling or visual changes. Jaw work is performed externally over the skin only; intra-oral or buccal massage is not offered at any New Age Spa clinic. Tell your therapist about pregnancy, blood-thinning medication, recent surgery, recent dental work or any diagnosed condition, as these change what is appropriate. Prices are current as of 3 September 2026, are in Canadian dollars per massage and before tax, and can change; massage therapy is a taxable supply in Québec. Massage is arranged by telephone and is not available through online booking. Insurance receipts are issued in the name of the person treated; reimbursement is a matter between you and your insurer. Individual results vary and no outcome is guaranteed.
