TMJ & Jaw Pain (Temporomandibular Disorders)

By Dr. Ken Van Dyken, D.C.

· Reviewed by Dr. Paula DiMaio, D.C.

· Updated October 2026

Medical disclaimer: This article is for general educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider about your specific situation. Seek prompt medical or dental care if you have facial trauma, significant swelling, or jaw pain with fever.

Do you suffer from jaw pain? Have you been struggling to eat, talk or yawn without pain? This article covers most of what you need to know about jaw pain, and what to do about it.

What is a temporomandibular disorder (TMD)?

TMD is the general name given to disorders of the jaw. The jaw has unique anatomy; like the knee, it has a small disc of fibrocartilage that helps facilitate proper movement of the jaw. The disc is suspended on top of the mandibular condyle — the “ball” of the joint — like a little hat. When you open your mouth, your jaw joint hinges and then glides forward. The disc helps facilitate this gliding motion. The jaw also has several muscles that are often involved in jaw problems — the masseters, the temporalis muscles and the lateral and medial pterygoids. These muscles open, close, protrude, and move the jaw back and forth.

When a jaw becomes dysfunctional, it can involve any one or combination of those structures. We label any problem in this area “TMD.” In our exam and history, we try to narrow it down to a more specific diagnosis.

What symptoms do you experience if you have a jaw disorder?

Popping? Clicking? Locking? Pain with opening or closing the jaw? These are all symptoms of TMD. The locking may be occurring because the disc is getting jammed. You may experience cheek pain from muscle spasm or tooth pain from trigger points in the muscle. The joint could have arthritis in it, which may lead to crunching and grinding in the jaw. Additional common symptoms include:

Headaches in the forehead and temples
Difficulty eating
Fatigue from talking
Sharp ear pain

What caused my jaw disorder?

Do you grind your teeth? You’re not alone; in fact, clenching and bruxing is a major source of jaw pain. Often patients who have had a significantly stressful event in life will begin to clench or grind due to stress. The death of a loved one, the loss of a job, or some other difficult event can trigger this behavior.

You might have suffered trauma that could have sprained or injured the jaw. Car accidents, getting hit in the face by a soccer ball or volleyball, or, like some of us, you might just be clumsy and ran into a wall. Regardless, trauma is another source of jaw disorders. For some people, the trauma might have been a long dental procedure.

How can I treat this and keep it from coming back?

This is where a thorough exam and diagnosis shines. Treatment is the most effective when we have an accurate diagnosis. First, a thorough history and exam. Once we have isolated the problem, we can begin to treat with therapies that fit the problem. Here are some of the tools we employ.

Intra-oral and external manual therapies — we gently release muscle spasm and tight musculature. This can relieve pain significantly.
Joint mobilization — gentle mobilizations to the joint promote healing and can dramatically improve ROM.
High Intensity Laser — Class IV therapeutic laser to reduce pain and accelerate healing and regeneration of damaged tissue. (see outcome-claim flag above)
Homecare — to help maintain progress made.

Throughout the course of care, we monitor progress and ensure that we are staying away from provocative factors that could trigger another episode. This is one of the cornerstones of successful care: identifying and minimizing any triggers or habits that could cause another episode. Clenching is one of the biggest factors in triggering future jaw episodes.

Have more questions? Here are some common questions and their answers!

Shouldn’t I see a dentist for this first?

You might need to! It depends (my favorite answer). Some dentists treat jaw pain; splint therapy is usually the most common treatment. Splint therapy can be helpful but we find that a integrated approach is more useful, combining HILT, manual therapy, mobilization, upper cervical work and homecare produces the best approach. If the jaw pain has a dental component, an abscess comes to mind, then you certainly need to see a dentist or oral surgeon first.

My jaw keeps locking. Can you help with this?

The answer to this is – yes! Depending on the severity of the lock, of course. If you are locked open and it appears the jaw is fully dislocated, then it’s off to the ER or oral surgeon. However, “closed locks” where the jaw is refusing to fully open can be treated with our methods. Rest assured, if we don’t make the progress we need, we’ll refer you right away to a skilled oral surgeon.

Are you going to “crack” my jaw?

This one is easy. No.

Our treatments never involve ‘cracking’ the jaw. We target the joint through gentle mobilization and other therapies.

About the Doctor

Dr. Ken Van Dyken, D.C., is a chiropractor at Spinal and Sports Care with a focus on the spine and musculoskeletal conditions. His post-graduate training includes Mechanical Diagnosis and Treatment (MDT parts A, B, and C), SFMA 1, Neuro-dynamics, and FAKTR instrument-assisted soft tissue therapy. He has treated hundreds of jaw pain cases over the last decade.