Real Talk on TMD (TMJ) Relief: Holistic Tips for Jaw Pain (Because This Isn't Medical Advice!)
What is TMJ?
Temporomandibular refers to the two hinge joints connecting your lower jaw (mandible) to your skull. Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD, often called TMJ) involves pain, clicking, popping, or locking in these joints and surrounding muscles. Often triggered by teeth grinding (bruxism), clenching from stress, arthritis, or jaw overuse.
TMD disproportionately affects women, especially in their reproductive years (roughly 20–50, with peaks often in the 35–44 age group in studies). While it can impact anyone of any age or gender, women are 2-4 times more likely to experience it and seek treatment—possibly due to hormonal influences, higher stress responses, or differences in pain processing. A majority of the TMD cases I have seen have some sort of stress as an underlying factor. I have had clients that have had structural issues with their jaw that causes the issue, but a majority of the cases are stress related. Life changes from having a baby to long work hours can cause flare-ups or the disorder to appear.
Contributing Factors to Jaw Pain.
While jaw muscles can be the direct source of pain, tightness and issues in connected areas often play a big role. Why is that? Everything in the body is connected. Let's break it down.
Head/neck: The Temporalis muscle commonly referred to as your temples is a major area that is affected in TMD (TMJ). To understand why, start rubbing your temples in a circular motion. How does it feel? It is amazing how much pressure our own bodies hold and we don't even notice it. Now apply pressure to your temples where the trigger point is. Then clench your jaw like you are chewing gum. Feel that connection?
TMD often goes hand in hand with headaches and migraines.
The next group of muscles on your head that affect TMD are your suboccipitals. Place both hands on the back bottom portion of your skull where your head meets your spine. You have 8 muscles in this group. Can you feel the pressure? These muscles are commonly referred to as your headache muscles.
Chest: In our chest we have the pectoralis muscle group, often just referred to as our pecs. Most of us have very tight pecs which causes poor posture. Our pecs are often very tight pulling our shoulders forward causing them to round toward the front. Everything we do is right in front of us so it is important to check in with ourselves throughout the day and make sure our shoulders are pulled back.
Hips: There's an intriguing link between the jaw and hips that starts in embryonic development, where both structures share some early cellular origins. This may contribute to why some women notice TMD changes after pregnancy and pelvic shifts—along with stress and posture factors.
*Here is an interesting blog about the hip and jaw connection if you are interested in learning more: The Pelvic Floor-Jaw Link: What the Research Shows
These are just a few areas that I address when I see clients who are suffering from TMD. Which leads me to our next topic.
What Does One Do When TMD (TMJ) is Making Life Miserable?
There are many things you can do to help alleviate your TMD pain. Many of my clients have a mouth guard that they wear at night. Ask your dentist about them making one that fits your mouth properly. Limit your caffeine intake. Caffeine is a stimulant that can cause you to grind your teeth and can disrupt your sleep cycle. Check in with your posture throughout the day. Make sure your shoulders are pulled back and that you are sitting up straight. If you have a desk job consider investing in a stand up desk and stand for a portion of your day. Doing things like yoga or exercising can put you in your body more and you can start to develop a habit of checking your posture throughout the day. Self massage is a great tool to help relieve any built up pressure you accumulate throughout the day. All my clients that I see for TMD I teach them a few simple self massage techniques that they can do before bed or when you wake up in the morning. Above all stress management is key. Make time for yourself, schedule a massage or take a long Epsom salt bath. Life can be busy, but If you don't take care of yourself how do you expect to show up for the ones you love?
Most clients report significant relief after just one session and many feel much better with regular sessions. If you are suffering from TMD and are in need of immediate relief, click on our bookings page and schedule your session today.
*This post is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice.
