The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is one of the most frequently used joints in the human body. It connects the jawbone to the skull, allowing you to chew, speak, yawn, and express emotion. But when this joint becomes dysfunctional, it can cause a wide array of uncomfortable symptoms, collectively known as TMJ disorders or TMD.
If you’ve been experiencing unusual jaw pain or clicking, TMJ may be the culprit. Fortunately, learning what TMJ is, its symptoms, causes, and how to fix TMJ can help provide the clarity and confidence you need to take the next step toward healing.
TMJ vs Normal Jaw: Understanding the Difference
While TMJ refers to the temporomandibular joint itself—the hinge that connects your jawbone to your skull, TMJD, or temporomandibular joint disorder, describes a condition where that joint becomes misaligned, inflamed, or otherwise dysfunctional. While it originates in the jaw, TMJD can affect much more than just jaw movement, leading to symptoms like headaches, ear pain, and more.
Essentially, the TMJ functions like a sliding hinge and is located on both sides of your face, just in front of the ears. It’s supported by muscles, ligaments, a disc that cushions the joint, and the surrounding connective tissue. Because it’s used constantly—every time you eat, speak, or move your jaw—it’s especially prone to dysfunction from stress, injury, or inflammation.
Common TMJ Symptoms
When the temporomandibular joint isn’t functioning correctly, it can cause symptoms that often go beyond the jaw itself. This is because the TMJ is closely connected to the muscles and nerves of the head, face, and neck, causing dysfunction to present in ways that are sometimes surprising or easy to overlook.
Some of the most common signs of TMJ disorders include:
- Jaw pain or tightness
- Clicking, popping, or grinding sounds in the jaw
- Frequent headaches or facial pain
- Limited range of motion or jaw locking
- Earaches or ringing in the ears
These symptoms vary from person to person, and because they can be easily confused with other conditions, they are often misdiagnosed.
What Causes TMJ Dysfunction?
TMJ dysfunction can develop from a variety of interconnected causes—some obvious, others more subtle. The most common causes of TMJ dysfunction to be aware of include:
- Poor posture and misalignment
- Chronic stress and jaw clenching
- Teeth grinding
- Injury or trauma to the head, neck, or jaw
- Structural imbalances and connective tissue issues
Diagnosing TMJ: What to Expect at CHARM
When you come to us with TMJ dysfunction symptoms, we take the time to listen to your experiences and how they impact your daily life.
Your evaluation includes a comprehensive assessment of your jaw, neck, and posture, and a detailed medical history review. If necessary, we may use imaging techniques like ultrasound or MRI to better understand the joint and surrounding tissues.
Our focus is on identifying and addressing the root causes of your dysfunction—posture, past injury, stress, or structural imbalances—guiding you toward long-term relief and restoring function with compassion and care.
How to Fix TMJ with Regenerative Medicine
While traditional treatments for TMJ disorders often focus on managing pain with medications, mouthguards, or muscle relaxants, these approaches typically offer only temporary relief. Regenerative medicine, by contrast, works to repair and restore the underlying tissues that contribute to dysfunction, offering a path toward long-term healing and improved function.
These regenerative approaches include:
- PRP Therapy (Platelet-Rich Plasma): Concentrated platelets from your own blood are injected into the joint or surrounding tissues to reduce inflammation and stimulate repair of damaged ligaments, tendons, or cartilage.
- BMAC Therapy (Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate): A powerful cellular therapy using bone marrow-derived stem cells to promote regeneration of complex joint structures, particularly in more advanced or chronic TMJ cases.
- Platelet Lysate: A refined version of PRP that delivers immediate growth factor signaling, helping to calm nerve irritation and accelerate tissue healing, especially beneficial for sensitive areas near the jaw and face.
- Prolotherapy: A gentle injection treatment that encourages the body to strengthen and rebuild weakened or overstretched ligaments, improving joint stability and reducing painful movement patterns.
- Microcurrent Point Stimulation (MPS): This direct current therapy delivers low-level electrical currents to targeted points, releasing muscle tension, repolarizing scar tissue, reducing inflammation, improving circulation, and relieving pain.
- Classic IV Laser Therapy: Photobiomodulation is the painless application of therapeutic laser light into tissues to stimulate cellular repair and boost oxygenation while reducing inflammation and pain.
- Postural Restoration: Postural restoration aims to reduce muscle imbalances and asymmetries in order to improve breathing patterns, posture, and ease of movement. For individuals with TMJD, correcting posture in the cervical flexors of the neck—a vital aspect of TMJ function—helps alleviate muscle tension and compression in the joint.
Each of these therapies works not just to relieve pain, but to help the TMJ function more naturally, comfortably, and sustainably over time.
When to Contact CHARM for a Consultation
TMJ disorders can impact much more than just the jaw, often leading to symptoms like headaches, ear pain, and neck tension. If you’re experiencing persistent jaw pain, clicking or locking, or difficulty chewing, these may be signs it’s time for a professional evaluation.
Regenerative treatments like PRP, BMAC, platelet lysate, and prolotherapy offer more than temporary relief—they support the body’s natural healing process to restore stability and function.
If you’re concerned about TMJ dysfunction, schedule a consultation today to explore gentle, personalized care that gets to the root of the problem and helps you feel better for the long term.
