If you’ve ever felt clicking, locking, or pain in your jaw—especially when chewing, yawning, or talking—you might be experiencing something called temporomandibular disorder, or TMD. It’s more common than you might think, and it doesn’t just affect your jaw. Headaches, facial tension, neck pain, and even ear discomfort can be part of the picture.
The thing about TMD is that it’s rarely caused by just one thing. That’s why treating it with a single approach—like just taking medication or just wearing a night guard—often doesn’t fully solve the problem. To truly help someone feel better, a combination of treatments is usually needed, and that means getting a team of professionals involved.
Recent research supports this. A large review of different treatments found that people with chronic TMD pain improved the most when they received a mix of therapies—like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) paired with relaxation techniques, hands-on jaw mobilization by a therapist, or targeted manual therapy for tight muscles.[1] It turns out the mind and body are deeply connected when it comes to jaw pain.
Medical guidelines are shifting in this direction, too. The American Family Physician journal now recommends starting with non-drug options like education, physical therapy, and behavioral approaches, and only adding medications like anti-inflammatories or muscle relaxants when needed.[2] And in rare, severe cases, surgery may be considered—but that’s usually the last resort.
There’s also growing evidence that working with both a dentist and a physiotherapist together—and sometimes even a psychologist—can make a real difference. One study showed that combining dental techniques (like splints) with manual therapy helped reduce both pain and disability in people with TMD.[3]
At Pacific TMD Care, we follow this team-based philosophy. We look at the whole person—not just the jaw—and design treatment plans that are personalized, evidence-based, and focused on long-term relief.
REFERENCES:
- Matheson EM, Fermo JD, Blackwelder RS. Temporomandibular Disorders: Rapid Evidence Review. Am Fam Physician. 2023 Jan;107(1):52-58. PMID: 36689971.
- Yao L, Sadeghirad B, Li M, Li J, Wang Q, Crandon HN, Martin G, Morgan R, Florez ID, Hunskaar BS, Wells J, Moradi S, Zhu Y, Ahmed MM, Gao Y, Cao L, Yang K, Tian J, Li J, Zhong L, Couban RJ, Guyatt GH, Agoritsas T, Busse JW. Management of chronic pain secondary to temporomandibular disorders: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised trials. BMJ. 2023 Dec 15;383:e076226. doi: 10.1136/bmj-2023-076226. Erratum in: BMJ. 2024 Jan 30;384:q253. doi: 10.1136/bmj.q253. PMID: 38101924.
- Brighenti N, Battaglino A, Sinatti P, Abuín-Porras V, Sánchez Romero EA, Pedersini P, Villafañe JH. Effects of an Interdisciplinary Approach in the Management of Temporomandibular Disorders: A Scoping Review. Int J Environ Res 3-Public Health. 2023 Feb 4;20(4):2777. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20042777. PMID: 36833474; PMCID: PMC9956386.