TMJ pain can transform simple activities like eating, talking, or even yawning into uncomfortable experiences. If you’re dealing with jaw discomfort, clicking sounds, or muscle tension around your face, you’re not alone—millions of people struggle with temporomandibular joint dysfunction every year.
While online research can provide helpful starting points for understanding TMJ symptoms, it can’t give you a personalized recommendation for your specific symptoms. The temporomandibular joint is complex, and what works for one person may not work for another.
So if you’ve been struggling to get rid of jaw pain or other symptoms, what could possibly help?
Causes of TMJ pain
Before exploring how to treat jaw pain, it’s essential to understand what might be causing your discomfort. The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) connects your jawbone to your skull and allows you to chew, speak, and move your mouth. When this joint becomes dysfunctional, it can create pain that radiates throughout your face, neck, and even shoulders.
There are more than 30 conditions that can cause TMJ disorder through pain and dysfunction of the joint, the most common being things like:
- Tension/jaw clenching
- Jaw injury
- Muscle fatigue/overuse
- Arthritis
In many cases, the underlying cause is not clear or involves multiple concurrent conditions, such as genetics, life stressors, or seemingly unrelated health conditions.
How to treat TMJ disorder
With so many potential causes, there’s nearly as many ways to treat a TMJ disorder (TMD), which can be confusing to sort through as you do research online about your symptoms.
That said, some obvious causes, such as a jaw injury, can often heal on their own with the right treatment and enough time. It’s when the pain doesn’t go away, gets worse, or becomes unbearable that you may want to consider making an appointment with a medical professional like a Physical Therapist.
At-home treatments
Self-care methods can sometimes provide significant relief for many people dealing with TMJ pain. These approaches are often the first step of effective treatment and can be particularly effective for mild to moderate symptoms.
- Heat and cold therapy: Applying heat or cold to the area that hurts can help reduce inflammation and muscle tension. Use a cold pack for 10-15 minutes at a time to reduce swelling, or use a warm compress to relax tight muscles.
- Dietary modifications: Avoid foods that require excessive chewing, such as tough meats, hard candies, or chewing gum. Cut food into smaller pieces and chew slowly and evenly on both sides of your mouth.
- Stress management: Since stress often contributes to jaw clenching and muscle tension, stress reduction techniques can be helpful for more than just your mental health. Deep breathing exercises, meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, and regular exercise can help reduce overall tension levels.
- Jaw rest and positioning: Be mindful of your jaw position throughout the day. Your teeth should be slightly apart when your mouth is relaxed, with your tongue resting gently against the roof of your mouth. Avoid habits like nail biting, pen chewing, or chewing a lot of gum.
- Gentle jaw movements: Along with its resting position, pay attention to how your jaw moves as you use it. Open and close your mouth slowly, move your jaw side to side on occasion, and gently massage the muscles around your jaw joint. However, avoid aggressive stretching that might worsen your symptoms.
Curing TMJ disorder with physical therapy
If your relaxation and at-home treatment techniques aren’t working, the next conservative treatment step is often physical therapy. A skilled physical therapist can assess your specific situation and develop a targeted treatment plan that may better address the root causes of your pain. Plus, if you’ve tried things on your own already, you’ll have that much more information to share to inform the diagnosis.
Although each person’s TMJ physical therapy plan can differ, there are several common treatment options we can utilize:
- Comprehensive assessment: Physical therapists trained in TMJ treatment will evaluate your jaw movement, muscle tension, posture, and overall biomechanics.
- Stress-relieving stretches: Therapeutic stretches target not only the jaw muscles but also the neck, shoulders, and upper back muscles that may be contributing to TMJ pain.
- Non-medicated pain relief techniques: Physical therapists use various hands-on techniques to provide pain relief without medication.
- Targeted jaw exercises: When appropriate, our Physical Therapists can teach you specific exercises designed to strengthen weak muscles and improve jaw coordination. These exercises are carefully selected based on your individual needs and are progressed gradually to avoid aggravating symptoms.
- Injury and sprain rehabilitation: For people whose TMJ pain stems from a specific injury, physical therapy provides structured rehabilitation to restore normal function.
- Postural correction: Physical therapists address postural imbalances through targeted exercises and ergonomic education, helping to reduce strain on the temporomandibular joint.
- Education and prevention: Therapists teach patients about proper jaw mechanics, stress management techniques, and lifestyle modifications that can prevent symptom recurrence.
Start finding relief from temporomandibular joint disorder today
Living with TMJ pain doesn’t have to be your new normal. While at-home treatments can be effective for some, professional guidance often makes the difference between temporary symptom management and lasting recovery. Learn how our Physical Therapists can help you live with less pain by calling one of our New Orleans clinics or by requesting an appointment online today.
