Jaw pain & TMD - FAQ

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 Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD), is a common condition affecting the jaw joints and surrounding muscles. This can manifest as an ache or facial pain, headache, grinding or clicking when opening mouth or chewing. In rare instances, some people experience 'locking' which is described as inability to open or close their jaw. 

TMD can be caused due to variety of factors, including trauma to the head and neck region, issues with dentition (underbite or overbite), stress and posture related issues.  The research clearly shows a clinically relevant association between neck disability and jaw disability in individuals with TMD. This means if your neck isn't functioning well, it's highly likely to impact your jaw, and vice versa. It's like two interdependent systems; when one struggles, the other often follows suit. 

Treatment of TMD consists of thorough assessment of your jaw's mobility and surrounding muscles, including neck. Your clinician will undertake detailed history of other relevant contributing factors and will recommend treatment accordingly. Usually a combination of hands-on treatment of neck and jaw, including dry-needling and mobilisation of the jaw along with exercises is proven to be beneficial. 

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