TMJ & Jaw Pain Treatment

Jaw pain, clicking, limited opening and the headaches that accompany them are frequently musculoskeletal rather than dental, which is why patients often arrive having already been cleared by a dentist. The temporomandibular joint is a joint like any other, with muscles that can become overloaded, a disc that can move poorly, and a close functional relationship with the upper neck.

Assessment covers jaw opening range and its path, the muscles of mastication (masseter, temporalis and the pterygoids), the upper cervical spine, and the habits driving the load: clenching, grinding, chewing side preference, sustained desk posture and stress.

Treatment combines manual therapy to the jaw musculature, including intra-oral work where indicated, upper cervical mobilisation, dry needling to the masseter and temporalis, and a programme of jaw control and relaxation exercises. Where bruxism or occlusion is a major driver, we work alongside your dentist rather than around them.

TMJ problems respond well to treatment but respond slowly to being ignored, and the headache component in particular is often attributed to something else for months.