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The other pterygoid muscle, the lateral pterygoid, is the number one myofascial source of pain and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction (figure 4.45). Constant trigger point–generated tension in the lateral pterygoids tends to pull the lower jaw forward and disarticulate, or partially dislocate, the joint. Popping or clicking in the jaw is the result of this and displacement of the meniscus, which is the articular disc that separates the jaw bone from the skull and allows for movement in the joint. As with the masseter, trigger points in the lateral pterygoid refer pain to the cheek, mimicking sinus pain. They can also stimulate sinus secretions. Many “sinus attacks” are simply the effects of lateral pterygoid trigger points (Simons, Travell, and Simons 1999; Reynolds 1981; Marbach 1972).
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Clair Davies (The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook: Your Self-Treatment Guide for Pain Relief (A New Harbinger Self-Help Workbook))