If you’ve ever woken up with a sore jaw, noticed clicking or popping when you chew, or experienced headaches that seem to radiate from your temples, you may be dealing with a temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, often referred to as TMD.

While it’s easy to brush these symptoms off at first, they can become a persistent source of pain that affects everyday activities like eating, talking, and even sleeping.

The good news? Physical therapy is often one of the most effective first-line treatments for TMJ disorders and can help many people avoid more invasive interventions.

What Is the TMJ?

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the hinge that connects your lower jaw (mandible) to your skull. You have one joint on each side of your face, located just in front of your ears.

Every time you:

• Talk
• Chew
• Yawn
• Swallow

your TMJ is working.

Because the joint is closely connected to the muscles of your jaw, neck, and face, problems in one area often create pain somewhere else.

Common Signs and Symptoms of TMJ Disorders

TMJ disorders can present in many different ways. Common symptoms include:

• Jaw pain or tenderness, especially when chewing or talking
• Clicking, popping, or grinding when opening or closing your mouth
• Jaw locking or difficulty opening your mouth fully
• Headaches around the temples or behind the eyes
• Neck and shoulder tension without an obvious cause
• Ear pain, pressure, or a feeling of fullness (without an infection)
• Facial soreness or fatigue, especially in the morning (often from nighttime clenching or grinding)
• Difficulty finding a comfortable bite

If you’ve experienced these symptoms for more than a couple of weeks, it’s worth getting evaluated. TMJ disorders are highly treatable, and earlier intervention often leads to faster recovery.

Why Your Neck Matters Just as Much as Your Jaw

TMJ pain is rarely just a “jaw problem.”

The muscles of your jaw, neck, and upper back all work together to support your head and control movement. They also share nerve pathways, meaning dysfunction in one area can create pain in another.

For example:

• Poor posture from sitting at a desk
• Looking down at a phone for long periods
• Stiffness in the upper neck

can all increase stress on the jaw.

Likewise, jaw dysfunction can contribute to neck pain and headaches.

That’s why effective treatment focuses on the entire system—not just the jaw itself.

How Physical Therapy Can Help TMJ Pain

Every patient is different, so treatment always begins with a comprehensive evaluation.

From there, your plan may include several evidence-based treatment techniques.

Joint Mobilization

Gentle hands-on mobilizations help restore normal movement within the jaw joint, improving opening range while reducing pain, clicking, and stiffness.

Cervical (Neck) Manipulation

When neck stiffness is contributing to jaw pain—which is very common—improving mobility in the upper cervical spine can significantly reduce symptoms.

Research supports cervical treatment as part of a comprehensive TMJ program, particularly for:

• Reducing headaches
• Improving jaw opening
• Restoring normal movement

It works best when combined with manual therapy and exercise.

Dry Needling

Dry needling can reduce muscle tension and deactivate painful trigger points throughout the jaw, face, and neck.

Common treatment areas include:

• Masseter
• Temporalis
• Suboccipital muscles
• Upper trapezius

Many patients notice improved jaw movement and decreased tension within just one or two visits.

Exercises That Help TMJ Recovery

Hands-on treatment helps reduce pain, but exercise is what creates lasting results.

Depending on your evaluation, your therapist may prescribe exercises such as:

Chin Tucks

Improve head and neck posture while reducing strain on the jaw.

Jaw & Tongue Coordination Exercises

Retrain healthy jaw movement through controlled opening and proper tongue positioning.

Wall Angels

Strengthen the upper back, improve posture, and reduce tension throughout the neck and jaw.

The combination of manual therapy, dry needling, and progressive exercise helps reduce symptoms while preventing them from returning.

You Don’t Have to Live With TMJ Pain

Jaw pain shouldn’t become something you simply learn to live with.

Whether you’re experiencing headaches, clicking, jaw tightness, or neck pain, addressing the problem early can make recovery much easier.

At Physio Room, our team takes a whole-body approach to TMJ disorders by evaluating both the jaw and the surrounding structures that influence how it moves.

With personalized treatment focused on restoring movement, reducing pain, and improving function, our goal is to help you return to eating, talking, exercising, and living comfortably again.

If you’re experiencing TMJ symptoms, we’d love to help.

Schedule an evaluation at our Highlands Ranch or Colorado Springs clinic and let us help you get back to feeling your best.

Written by By Dr. Nate Henry, PT, DPT, DSc, Board Certified OCS & SCS, CSCS | Physio Room

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Have you heard of Temporomandibular Disorder? 

Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are disorders of the jaw muscles, temporomandibular joints, and the nerves associated with chronic facial pain. 

If you experience chronic jaw or facial pain, you may be suffering from TMD. The good news is, if you’re in the Denver or Colorado Springs area, Physio Room can help.

Dr. Nate here. A little bit about me – I’m an Osteopractic physiotherapist and a performance strength coach. As a 20-year old veteran of the US Army, I have a passion for maintaining the individual’s body to always be ready for the challenges of physical activity. 

I’ve treated soldiers of all levels and forces, and I specialize in delivering injury prevention, human performance optimization, and holistic rehabilitation. 

In 2022, there was a paper published by the American Academy of manipulative therapy. I’m a senior instructor for that Academy, and my colleagues put together a study that included a control group where the patients received pretty typical TMD treatment that included a splint, some medications and some mobilizations of the TMJ. 

The experimental control group proceeded an advanced intervention to include a manipulation of the upper cervical spine, as well as dry needling of the TMJ and surrounding musculature.

After measuring the pain levels over seven days, treatment continued twice a week for four weeks. The improvement in pain levels was sustained at the three month mark; including both statistical and clinical differences observed in each case. 

So, we know that the treatment process works. Let’s say you think you might have TMD. What next? 

Go visit your dentist. Once you get diagnosed by a treating dentist, you’ll get referred to someone that can help. You will then get evaluated to see if there are any impairments elsewhere in the head, neck and face. This is how the process looks at Physio Room.

If you’re still wondering if this treatment could really work for you, take it from my good friend Tom. He was a Navy veteran of 30 years and had some bilateral TMD. I treated him one time, and five years later, he said he told me that he hasn’t had a problem with his jaw since the treatment.

I used to be co-located with a dentist during my time in the military. A dentist once approached me to look at a patient of his that couldn’t close her jaw. 

With a single manipulation of the upper cervical spine, this issue was resolved. I gotta be honest, I was surprised and so was the patient! But that’s all that it took. 

While the randomized control trial that I previously mentioned took 6-8 treatments for those patients to get jaw pain relief, every once in a while TMD treatment can be a one-and-done treatment. If anything, most patients will at least begin seeing some pain relief after just one treatment. 

After our initial intervention, we will empower our patients so that they can treat themselves at home. This will include some self mobilizations and exercises to prevent further pain from TMD. 

If you are suffering from this debilitating problem, give us a call. We can help and we want to help! 720-316-9974.

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