TMJ Dysfunction: Understanding Jaw Pain and the Role of Acupuncture
Jaw pain, clicking when opening your mouth, headaches around the temples, and tension through the neck and shoulders can all be associated with temporomandibular disorders (TMD).
Symptoms can range from occasional discomfort to persistent pain that affects everyday activities such as eating, speaking and yawning. Understanding the potential causes of jaw pain is an important first step towards finding an appropriate management approach.
What Is TMJ Dysfunction?
The temporomandibular joints (TMJs) connect the lower jaw to the skull, allowing you to open and close your mouth. Temporomandibular disorders describe a group of conditions affecting these joints, the surrounding muscles, or both.
Common symptoms include:
- Jaw pain or tenderness
- Clicking or popping sounds when moving the jaw
- Tightness through the jaw and facial muscles
- Headaches around the temples
- Difficulty opening the mouth fully or chewing comfortably
Not every clicking jaw indicates a problem, and jaw pain can have several possible causes. An appropriate assessment can help identify contributing factors and guide management.
What Can Contribute to Jaw Pain?
TMD can have several contributing factors, which may include:
- Clenching or grinding: Repeatedly loading the jaw muscles can contribute to pain and tenderness.
- Stress and muscle tension: Stress may be associated with increased jaw clenching and tension through the face, neck and shoulders.
- Muscular overuse: Repetitive chewing or sustained muscle activity may aggravate symptoms.
- Joint-related changes: Irritation, injury or conditions such as arthritis may affect the jaw joint.
Neck and shoulder tension can also occur alongside jaw pain, although the relationship varies between individuals. Identifying the factors relevant to each person can help inform a suitable management plan.
Managing Jaw Pain: The Role of Acupuncture
Managing temporomandibular disorders (TMD) often involves a combination of approaches, depending on the individual’s symptoms and contributing factors.
Acupuncture may be a useful addition to a broader treatment approach, particularly for people experiencing jaw pain, muscle tension and tenderness. Research has investigated acupuncture for TMD-related pain, with some studies reporting improvements in pain and related symptoms. However, the overall certainty of the evidence remains limited, and individual responses to treatment can vary.
Acupuncture may complement other management strategies, such as physiotherapy, jaw exercises and approaches to reducing clenching. The aim is to help manage symptoms and support everyday comfort as part of an individualised approach to care.
A 2023 clinical practice guideline published in The BMJ conditionally recommends acupuncture as one option that may be considered for chronic pain associated with TMD. This means it may be suitable for some people, depending on their circumstances and preferences, rather than being the right approach for everyone.
Acupuncture does not replace appropriate dental or medical assessment. If jaw pain persists, mouth opening becomes restricted, or symptoms interfere with eating and daily activities, assessment by a dentist or GP is recommended.
Further Reading
For readers interested in the research, the following peer-reviewed publications explore acupuncture and temporomandibular disorders:
- Park EY, Cho J-H, Lee S-H, et al. (2023). “Is acupuncture an effective treatment for temporomandibular disorder?: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.” Medicine, 102(38), e34950. Read the paper
- Di Francesco F, Minervini G, Siurkel Y, et al. (2024). “Efficacy of acupuncture and laser acupuncture in temporomandibular disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.” BMC Oral Health, 24, 174. Read the paper
- Tardelli JDC, Gubitoso B, Botelho AL, et al. (2024). “Efficacy of acupuncture on craniomandibular myofascial pain in temporomandibular disorder patients: A systematic review.” Heliyon, 10(13), e32075. Read the paper
- Busse JW, Casassus R, Carrasco-Labra A, et al. (2023). “Management of chronic pain associated with temporomandibular disorders: a clinical practice guideline.” The BMJ, 383, e076227. Read the guideline
Research suggests acupuncture may have a role in managing some forms of TMD-related pain, although the overall certainty of the evidence remains limited. Treatment decisions should be guided by an appropriate assessment of each individual’s symptoms and needs.