TMJ Pain/Jaw Pain Relief in Geelong West
Does This Sound Like You?
- Pain or tenderness in the jaw, particularly around the ear or temple
- Clicking, popping, or grinding sounds when opening or closing your mouth
- Difficulty or pain opening your mouth fully
- Jaw locking, either open or closed
- Pain that radiates to your neck, shoulders, or causes headaches
- Morning jaw stiffness or soreness
- Teeth grinding or clenching (bruxism), especially during sleep
What Contributes to TMJ and Jaw Pain
TMD can stem from a range of factors, including teeth grinding or clenching, stress, jaw injury, arthritis affecting the joint, and dental bite issues. There’s also a growing body of evidence pointing to functional and neurological connections between the jaw and the upper cervical spine, which is why neck posture and function are often assessed alongside jaw symptoms.
The jaw doesn’t work in isolation, it’s directly connected to the upper neck and the nervous system that controls how those muscles fire. So when you come to us with jaw tension, clenching or TMJ pain, we don’t want to guess where the dysfunction is, we want to find out. If clinically indicated, this may include functional motion x-rays of the neck as part of your initial consultation. Unlike a standard static x-ray, these capture the spine moving through its range, allowing us to see exactly where movement through the upper neck is restricted rather than just how the bones are positioned. This gives us two things. One, a safe and clear picture of what’s actually happening in the area connected to your jaw. Two, the ability to address the root cause of your jaw pain, rather than guessing and hoping it settles on its own.
Once we’ve completed your full assessment across your two visit initial consultation, we build you a customised health strategy report outlining exactly what we recommend doing together to work toward your goals and your results. This includes:
- The evidence based number of visits recommended for your specific case
- Evidence based rehab to support improvement in your jaw tension and TMJ symptoms
- Access to our in house workshops to support your lifestyle and overall wellbeing outside the practice
- Regular reviews and retesting throughout your care
- A follow up functional motion x-ray if clinically indicated, to help show the progress your body has made once your initial phase of care is complete
