Jaw Pain and TMD
Jaw pain and TMD
When your jaw hurts or you grind your teeth, the problem might include your upper neck.
Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are complex. In our experience, the upper neck is often part of the picture. The nerves, muscles and joints of the upper neck and jaw are closely connected, so tension in one can show up in the other. That's why we look at both.
For people who have worked with their dentist or dental specialist but still have residual problems, it can be worth having an assessment to see if we can help. If we think you need to see another practitioner, we’ll let you know. We’re always happy to work alongside other health professionals.
What TMD can look like
People come to us with some mix of:
Jaw pain or tightness, especially when chewing, yawning or first thing in the morning
Clicking, popping or a jaw that feels stiff or catches
Headaches, or aching around the temples and face
Ear pain or fullness without an ear problem
Neck and shoulder tension that goes along with the jaw
Clenching or grinding, often without realising
Your jaw doesn't work on its own
It moves in time with your head, neck and breathing, and it responds to stress. If stress is ongoing, the muscles of your neck, jaw and base of the skull can stay chronically tight. The longer this is the case, the greater the chance of problems developing. So alongside your jaw, we look at how your upper neck is moving, how you hold tension, and how you breathe. Sleep, stress and daily habits matter too.
How we work with it
Spinal Somatics is a gentle, precise approach to chiropractic that uses quite light, brief contacts to work with the tension your nervous system is holding. One of the areas we pay particular attention to is the upper neck. For jaw pain, we also use specific, gentle soft tissue methods to help ease and release the muscles of the jaw and support how the jaw joints move. There are no forceful techniques involved, but some techniques may involve the release of muscles inside your mouth using a glove.
Change can take time, especially if the problem has been there a while. We'll give you an honest idea of what we're seeing and what to expect, and we'll review how you're going as we go.
What your first visit looks like
We start by listening: when your jaw problems started, what makes it better or worse, and what else is going on, including headaches, sleep and stress. We check how your neck and jaw move, then explain what we find and what we recommend.
Common questions
Is jaw pain the same as TMD? Not always. TMD is a group of problems affecting the jaw joint and muscles, but other problems, especially in the upper neck, can also cause pain to refer to the jaw area.
Will I need to stop grinding or clenching? We won't just tell you to stop because often it happens during sleep or when you’re unaware of it. We look at what's driving it, things like stress, poor sleep or tension in the neck, and talk through options with you and your dentist if needed.
Can children and teens come for jaw problems? Yes. We see younger people for jaw, neck and head tension too, and we explain everything in plain language. Chiropractic can often be a helpful complement to orthodontic work, as changes in the structure of the teeth and jaw occur [Learn more about how we care for kids here.]
Meet Dr Stephen Foster [here]