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🦷 TMJ & Jaw Pain
Jaw pain. Headaches.
We can help.
TMJ disorders are often misunderstood and undertreated. Our physio specialises in the muscular, cervical, and cranio-sacral contributors to jaw pain — and most cases resolve within 3 months of conservative treatment.
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Suyi Chan — Senior Physiotherapist
15+ years clinical experience
Specialist in TMJ, cranio-sacral & jaw pain
Trained in dry needling for jaw & head
Collaborates with dentists & other specialists
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Over 50% of TMD is muscular (myofascial) origin
Conservative physio resolves most cases in 3 months
Combined jaw + neck treatment is most effective
No referral required (private patients). Comparable outcomes to splinting therapy
50%+
Of TMD is muscular in origin
3mo
Most cases resolve conservatively
60min
Initial TMJ consultation
No
Referral required
400+
Five-star reviews
WHAT IS TMJ DISORDER?
The joint most people
don't know they have.
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) sits just in front of each ear, connecting your jaw to your skull. It's one of the most complex joints in the body — responsible for chewing, speaking, and yawning — and when it's not working properly, the effects extend far beyond your jaw.
TMJ disorders (TMD) can cause pain ranging from mild discomfort localised to the joint, all the way to severe widespread pain that radiates into the neck, head, and ear. Clicking, locking, limited mouth opening, headaches, and tooth grinding (bruxism) are all common presentations.
Importantly, over 50% of TMD is muscular (myofascial) in origin — meaning it responds exceptionally well to physiotherapy. You may not need a splint, a dentist, or surgery. You may just need the right physio to address the muscular and cervical contributors that other practitioners have missed.
WHO IS TMJ PHYSIO FOR?
Symptoms we commonly
treat and resolve.
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Jaw Pain & Clicking
Pain, clicking, or grinding at the joint itself — especially with chewing, yawning, or speaking. Often worse in the morning if you clench or grind at night.
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Headaches & Migraines
A significant proportion of tension-type headaches and some migraines originate from TMJ dysfunction and the muscles of the jaw, neck, and suboccipital region. Treating the TMJ often resolves the headaches.
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Ear Pain & Tinnitus
The TMJ sits immediately adjacent to the ear canal. TMJ dysfunction can cause ear pain, a sensation of fullness, or tinnitus that has no ear-based cause. Treating the joint often resolves the ear symptoms.
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Neck Pain & Stiffness
The jaw and the cervical spine are intimately connected — dysfunction in one commonly affects the other. Treating the TMJ and neck together is consistently more effective than treating either in isolation.
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Limited Mouth Opening
Difficulty opening your mouth wide — for eating, dental visits, or yawning — is a classic sign of TMJ restriction, either muscular or joint-based. Physio can restore normal range of motion in most cases.
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Bruxism & Teeth Clenching
Teeth grinding and jaw clenching (bruxism) — often during sleep — overloads the TMJ and the muscles around it. Physio addresses the muscular consequences and can help break the clenching habit through targeted education and exercises.
50%+
Of TMJ disorders are myofascial (muscular) in origin — meaning they respond directly to physiotherapy without needing dental intervention.
3 mo
Conservatively managed TMD decreases pain, improves mouth opening, and resolves most presentations within 3 months of physiotherapy.
= splint
Recent systematic reviews show outcomes from physio (counselling + exercise) are comparable to splinting therapy — even without seeing a dentist first.
WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS
Physio works for TMJ.
Here's the evidence.
Recent systematic reviews support treating the TMJ and the cervical spine together — it is consistently more effective than treating either in isolation. The evidence is clear: jaw pain and neck pain are connected, and addressing both leads to better and faster outcomes.
Importantly, if you haven't seen a dentist yet or had a splint made — don't assume that's your only option. The research shows physiotherapy can produce outcomes comparable to splinting therapy. It's absolutely worth trying physio first.
Our approach: we assess the jaw, the neck, the head posture, and all the muscular contributors to your presentation. We treat the whole picture — not just the joint.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Your TMJ consultation,
step by step.
01
Comprehensive History
Your physio takes a thorough history — when your symptoms started, what triggers them, whether you clench or grind, your sleep quality, stress levels, and whether you've had any dental treatment. All of these factors inform the assessment.
02
TMJ & Cervical Assessment
The assessment examines the jaw joint directly (sometimes with a gloved hand, similar to a dental check), as well as your neck movements, head posture, and the muscles of the jaw, temple, and cervical spine. Both the joint and the surrounding tissue are assessed — because both matter.
03
Diagnosis & Explanation
You'll receive a clear explanation of what's happening and why. Is it muscular? Is the joint itself involved? Is the neck contributing? Are lifestyle factors driving it? Understanding the mechanism is the first step to resolving it.
04
Treatment
Treatment may include massage and trigger point release of jaw and cervical muscles, joint mobilisation, dry needling, postural correction exercises, jaw-specific exercises, and targeted advice on clenching habits, diet modification (for acute flares), and sleep position.
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Home Program & Lifestyle Modifications
You'll leave with a clear home exercise program and specific lifestyle recommendations. For bruxism and clenching, this includes habit-awareness strategies and — where appropriate — a referral to a dentist for a splint if conservative physio alone isn't sufficient.
PATIENT STORIES