what is the muscle called along the throat glands and cheek along the jaw line?

Question

I was practicing my smile wednesday, and my right cheek felt sore the next day, the part that tingles when you eat something sour. This morning (friday) , my cheek muscle and partial neck muscle near my throat glands were swollen. I've taken tylenol and put ice on it, but it's still swollen. The tylenol relieves the pain, but i have to keep taking it. Will the swelling stop? Could this be serious? I don't want to see a doctor if this is minor.

Answer 1

MASSETER AND FACIAL MUSCLES

Answer 2

Much pain is from muscles below is an example of what may help (based on headaches).
Begin with a couple swigs of molasses or a couple of bananas daily - magnesium (which regulates many things in the body) and potassium (a needed building block for muscles).
Drink at least 1/2 gallons of water per day. Running a body low on water is like running a car low on oil is the analogy the head of neurology at UCDavis told my husband about 10 years ago.

Now to the cause - muscles - your back, neck shoulders and head have tender spots. They are knots in the fibers of the muscles called trigger points. It makes the muscles tight which makes them press on nerves and other things causing the pain.

The cure - start with a professional massage, you will also want to go back over any place you can get to 6-12 times per session up to 6 times per day rubbing (or lightly scratching on your head) every where that is tender until the knots go away. The place where the skull connects to the spine press up under the edge of the skull (to get to those muscles).

For more information read The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Davies. It teaches what to do and where the pain comes from.

Answer 3

If you were smiling you were likely using the levator anguli oris and the buccinator. Your neck muscles shouldn't have been involved unless you were smiling REALLY big. In any event, the swelling and tenderness are probably a coincidence and related to a cold (it's that time of year). Muscle soreness typically resolves in 48-72 hours, but a cold will alts 7-14 days.

Answer 4

practicing your smile is likely just a coincidence. You probably have swollen glands.

The chewing muscle alongthe jaw is called the masseter muscle. Buccinator is the cheeck muscle. Sternoclidomastoid goes along your neck.

Answer 5

The perotid gland is the gland in that area... It might have something to do with it... You can actually get a stone (like a kidney stone or gall stone) in your salivary glands.

Answer 6

It's called the platysma muscle... I would not worry about it.. take some Tylenol and stop smiling ;)

Answer 7

It could be a callous - they can form near areas you've had work done

Answer 8

sternoclediomastiod sp?