Jaw & TMJ Pain Treatment

We provide jaw and TMJ pain treatment for a wide range of conditions.

Jaw clicking or pain is a common complaint, which we’re very experienced at treating here at Meadowside.

It may be connected to teeth grinding or jaw clenching, through habit or stress. It may also be related to dental work, either recent or in the past, which has left your jaw muscles and joints under strain, leading to problems in the mechanisms of eating, yawning or talking.

Often, jaw issues are closely linked to neck pain, neck stiffness and headaches. This is because the neck, head and jaw are closely connected by many structures, anatomically and neurologically.

Our approach

To find the root cause of your jaw problem we would first note all the details about how symptoms started, if there is pattern to them, what makes things better or worse with your jaw pain. We’ll also ask if there is any clicking or grinding, and how long have these issues been going on.

With jaw pain, we always ask about other issues too which may be related – any pains or stiffness in your neck, any headaches, dental health and and general health, and any significant events in the past such as accidents or surgery.

We then observe your jaw in motion, as well as the neck and sometimes the rest of the spine – making note of any restrictions or pain. We may also perform special tests to assess the nerves, joints, muscles and ligaments in the area.

Once we have established our working diagnosis, we will always take time to explain to you what we found and let you know how we can help, and whether we need to make any referrals – for example for x-rays, MRI, blood tests or other investigations.

During treatment, we use specific massage, mobilisation, gentle manipulations and stretching techniques to improve the flexibility in joints and muscles, relieve tension, and ensure good circulation for effective recovery.

During the session, we also provide advice on exercise, stretches and other techniques to aid fast recovery and maintain the treatment results in the long run.

Prescribed exercises

These are some of the most common techniques and exercises we prescribe for TMJ problems and jaw:

Strengthening Exercises

Strengthening the muscles which open the jaw:​

Place a thumb under your chin and push your chin downward against it.

Continue opening the mouth against moderate force from your thumb, and then hold it open for 5-10 seconds.

​

Strengthening the muscles which close the jaw:​

Open your mouth. Squeeze your chin with your index and thumb fingers.

Close your mouth while keeping a gentle downwards pressure on your chin to resist the movement.

​

Repeat each of these two exercise 5 times, 1-3 times a day.

If you experience any pain, try to reduce the pressure or the range of movement (ie open the mouth less).

Self-massage for the jaw and temples​

The strengthening exercises above work really well coupled with massaging the muscles all along both sides of the face:

Start from the temples, and massage down along the side of your face, just in front of your ears and under the cheekbones.

Continue along the jawline, and under the jawline, until you reach the chin.

​

Neck strength and stretch exercises

Jaw and TMJ problems often present alongside neck pain or stiffness, as the two areas are very closely linked. For this reason, we usually also prescribe neck exercises to help achieve good results when treating the jaw. Follow the link for our favourite neck exercises.

Unsure whether we can help you? Click the button below to book a FREE, no obligation 15-minute chat with one of our Osteopaths, to discuss your specific situation: