If you’re experiencing jaw pain, stiffness, or clicking sounds when you open your mouth, you’ve likely searched for “TMJ pain relief exercises” hoping to find quick solutions. While exercise can play a role in managing temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, jumping straight into jaw exercises might not be the best first step—and could potentially make your symptoms worse.
Many people assume that strengthening or stretching jaw muscles will solve their TMJ problems. However, TMJ pain often stems from muscles that are already overworked and tense. Adding more stress to these overactive muscles through inappropriate exercises can intensify your discomfort rather than relieve it.
What causes temporomandibular joint pain?
Understanding the cause of your TMJ pain is essential for selecting the right treatment approach. The following are common underlying issues that can lead to symptoms of temporomandibular joint disorders, and some people have more than one underlying cause:
- Stress and tension: Emotional stress often manifests as physical tension in the jaw muscles. Many people unconsciously clench their jaw or grind their teeth during stressful periods, leading to muscle fatigue and joint strain.
- Teeth grinding (bruxism): Whether it occurs during sleep or while awake, grinding or clenching your teeth puts excessive pressure on the TMJ and surrounding muscles.
- Poor posture: Forward head posture, often caused by prolonged computer work or looking down at mobile devices for long periods, can alter the alignment of your jaw and create muscle imbalances.
- Dental issues: Misaligned teeth, missing teeth, or an improper bite can force your jaw to work harder to perform normal functions like chewing and speaking.
- Injury or trauma: A blow to the jaw, whiplash, or other facial injuries can damage the TMJ or surrounding tissues.
- Arthritis: Both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis can affect the temporomandibular joint, causing pain and limiting movement.
- Hormonal changes: Some research suggests that hormonal fluctuations may contribute to TMJ disorders.
- Habitual behaviors: Chewing gum excessively, biting fingernails, or holding objects between your teeth can strain the jaw muscles and joint over time.
Identifying the specific cause of your TMJ pain is crucial for getting treatment that actually works for you. What helps one person’s stress-related jaw clenching might not be effective for someone dealing with arthritis-related joint inflammation.
Treatment options for TMJ disorders
Once you’ve identified or had a medical professional diagnose the underlying cause, you may be on the path to getting effective treatment already. Here are some of the things you may encounter when seeking treatment from a variety of healthcare providers for TMJ, including physical therapists:
- Intraoral devices: Custom-fitted mouthguards or splints can help reduce teeth grinding and clenching, especially during sleep. These devices help reposition the jaw and reduce pressure on the joint.
- Dental procedures: A dentist might recommend orthodontic treatment to correct bite problems, dental restorations to improve jaw alignment, or other procedures to address underlying dental issues contributing to TMJ pain.
- Relaxation techniques: Since stress and tension often play a role in TMJ disorders, learning stress management techniques can be highly effective. Deep breathing exercises, meditation, and progressive muscle relaxation can help reduce overall tension.
- Heat and cold therapy: Applying warm compresses to tight jaw muscles or cold packs to reduce inflammation can provide temporary relief from TMJ symptoms.
- Dietary modifications: Eating softer foods and avoiding hard, chewy, or large foods that require wide jaw opening can give your temporomandibular joint time to heal.
- Medications: Over-the-counter pain relievers, anti-inflammatory drugs, or muscle relaxants may help manage symptoms, though these typically provide temporary relief rather than addressing the root cause.
- Lifestyle changes: Improving posture, avoiding habits like nail-biting or gum chewing, and being mindful of jaw clenching throughout the day can significantly impact TMJ symptoms.
The most effective treatment plans for your specific scenario may be a combination of multiple approaches.
Physical therapy for TMJ symptoms
You have options for seeking treatment for TMJ pain from your primary care physician, an ENT, or even your dentist. Each will have their own method of diagnosing and assessing the best course of treatment, although each of these specialists may also have a limitation due to their scope of expertise.
Physical therapy offers a helpful first step to TMJ treatment that can address muscle and joint issues right away, while providing advice for seeing another specialist if your needs extend beyond the scope of PT.
It may be faster to book an appointment with a PT than another specialist, and the types of treatment at PT begin with the accessible, conservative methods to help improve your symptoms quickly.
A qualified physical therapist will assess your posture, neck mobility, jaw movement patterns, and muscle tension to develop a personalized treatment plan. This approach helps ensure that any exercises for TMJ you perform will actually benefit your condition rather than potentially making it worse.
Our Physical Therapists at Border can use a variety of techniques to help alleviate your symptoms, including:
- Manual therapy: Hands-on techniques can help release tension in tight jaw and neck muscles, improve joint mobility, and restore normal movement patterns.
- Targeted TMJ stretches: Unlike generic exercises, a physical therapist can teach you specific TMJ stretches that address your particular muscle imbalances and movement restrictions.
- Postural training: Learning proper head and neck alignment can reduce strain on the temporomandibular joint and prevent future problems.
- Education and awareness: Understanding your condition and learning to recognize early warning signs helps you manage symptoms proactively.
- Progressive exercise program: As your symptoms improve, your therapist can gradually introduce strengthening exercises that support long-term jaw health without overloading already stressed tissues.
The key advantage of working with a TMJ specialist is receiving treatment that’s specifically tailored to your condition. Rather than trying random exercises and hoping they help, you get evidence-based interventions designed to address your particular type of TMJ disorder.
Take the Next Step Toward TMJ Relief
While exercises can be beneficial for TMJ pain, the key is knowing which ones are appropriate for your specific condition and performing them correctly. No one online has the same ability to diagnose your problem compared to an expert who provides a one-on-one evaluation.
If you’re ready to address your TMJ pain with a comprehensive, personalized approach, we’re here to help. Schedule your first appointment by calling a nearby Border clinic or by requesting one online today.