Chiropractic Techniques
Jaw Pain

Jaw pain is one of those conditions that can quietly affect a surprising number of things.
Eating, talking, yawning, sleeping. When the jaw joint is not functioning well, discomfort can spread into the face, head, neck, and ears. Many people don’t realise that what they are experiencing as a headache, earache, or neck stiffness may have a connection to what is happening in the jaw.
The temporomandibular joint, or TMJ, is one of the most frequently used joints in the body. It is also one of the most commonly overlooked when people are trying to understand recurring head and neck pain.
At Northbridge Chiropractic, we look at the jaw as part of the broader picture of head, neck, and spinal function. A thorough assessment helps us understand what may be contributing and whether chiropractic care is appropriate for your situation.

The TMJ and the cervical spine are closely related.
The muscles that control jaw movement attach to the skull and connect into the neck and upper back. When there is tension or dysfunction in the jaw, the surrounding muscles often compensate, and that tension can travel upward into the head or downward into the neck.
This is why people with TMJ dysfunction commonly experience headaches, particularly at the temples or base of the skull, earaches or a feeling of fullness in the ear, neck stiffness or upper back tension, and clicking or popping sounds when opening or closing the mouth.
We often see patients who have been managing these symptoms individually without realising they may share a common contributing pattern. A thorough assessment of the jaw, neck, and upper spine together can help clarify the picture.

We start with a thorough assessment before anything else.

We look at the TMJ, the cervical spine, and the surrounding musculature together. We ask about your symptoms, when they started, what makes them better or worse, your stress levels, your sleep, and whether you are aware of grinding or clenching.

Depending on what we find, your care may include chiropractic assessment and management of the cervical spine and upper back, which often play a contributing role in jaw dysfunction, soft tissue therapy and myofascial release for the muscles of the jaw, face, neck, and shoulders, dry needling to address trigger points in the masseter, temporalis, and surrounding musculature that contribute to jaw tension and referred headache patterns, postural guidance to reduce the forward head position that can increase load through the jaw, and practical advice on stress management habits, sleep position, and daily behaviours that may be contributing to jaw tension.

We also work collaboratively where needed. If we feel your situation would benefit from input from a dentist or other health professional, we will let you know and can assist with that process.