TMJ Treatment and Pain Relief: How to Cure Jaw Pain

Jaw pain from the temporomandibular joint, usually called TMJ or TMD, is very common. It can cause jaw ache, clicking, headaches and difficulty chewing. The reassuring news is that most TMJ problems settle with simple self-care, and many people never have lasting trouble.

This guide explains how to ease TMJ pain, what treatments help, whether it can be cured for good, and when to get it checked.

Quick answer

The best TMJ treatment starts at home: rest your jaw with soft food, avoid chewing gum and wide yawning, apply warmth or a wrapped ice pack, massage the jaw muscles and keep your teeth apart when you are not eating. Paracetamol or ibuprofen can help short term. If pain lasts beyond a few weeks, see your dentist or GP, and physiotherapy can treat the jaw and neck muscles.

What TMJ is

The temporomandibular joints connect your lower jaw to your skull, just in front of each ear. TMJ problems can come from the jaw muscles, the joint itself or both. Common contributors include clenching or grinding the teeth, stress, an injury to the jaw and habits such as chewing gum or biting nails.

Common symptoms

• Pain in the jaw, face, temple or around the ear
• Clicking, popping or grating when you open your mouth
• Difficulty opening the mouth fully
• Headaches, often at the temples
• A tired or aching jaw, especially in the morning

How to ease TMJ pain at home

Rest the jaw

• Eat softer foods for a while and cut food into small pieces
• Avoid chewing gum, tough or chewy foods and biting nails
• Support your jaw when yawning to avoid opening too wide
• Keep your teeth apart and your lips together when resting

Soothe the muscles

• Apply warmth, or ice wrapped in a cloth, to the jaw for 10 to 15 minutes
• Gently massage the jaw muscles in small circles
• Try gentle jaw relaxation exercises, opening and closing slowly within comfort

Reduce clenching

Many people clench their jaw without noticing, especially when stressed or concentrating. Checking in during the day, relaxing the jaw and managing stress can make a real difference.

How to relieve TMJ pain at night and jaw ache after sleeping

Waking with an aching jaw, sore teeth or a headache at the temples often means you clench or grind your teeth in your sleep. To ease TMJ pain at night:

• Apply warmth to the jaw muscles for 10 to 15 minutes before bed, then gently massage them
• Cut down on caffeine and alcohol, especially in the evening, as both are linked with teeth grinding
• Wind down before bed with a relaxation or breathing routine, because stress is a common driver of night-time clenching
• Sleep on your back with a supportive pillow, rather than on your front with your jaw pressed into the pillow
• Avoid chewy food and gum late in the day

If you regularly wake with jaw pain, see your dentist. They can check your teeth for signs of grinding and may suggest a mouth guard or splint to wear at night.

Neck and jaw pain together

Jaw pain and neck pain often go together. The jaw and neck muscles work closely, and a head-forward posture, for example over a laptop or phone, adds tension to both. Tight neck and shoulder muscles can also contribute to aching in the jaw, face and temples, so easing the neck often helps the jaw settle. Regular posture breaks and our neck pain exercises are a good start, and a physiotherapist can assess the jaw and neck together.

TMJ treatment options

• A dental night guard from your dentist if you grind or clench at night
• Physiotherapy for jaw and neck muscle tension, posture and exercises
• Acupuncture, which some studies suggest can ease TMJ pain in the short term
• Pain relief such as paracetamol or ibuprofen for a short period, discussed with a pharmacist
• Psychological support where stress is a major driver

Injections and surgery are only considered for a small number of people with persistent problems.

Can TMJ be cured permanently?

Many TMJ problems settle completely within weeks or months with self-care. For some people, symptoms come and go, often flaring at times of stress. Managing clenching, stress and jaw habits is the best way to keep it from returning.

When to get help

• Your jaw locks open or shut
• You cannot eat or drink, or you have frequent severe headaches or vision problems such as double vision, which need urgent advice from your GP or NHS 111
• There is swelling, fever or you feel unwell
• You are over 50 and have new jaw pain when chewing with headaches or vision changes, which needs same-day medical advice
• Pain is not improving after a few weeks of self-care
• Pain is affecting eating, sleeping or work

Face pain does not always come from the jaw. See what can be mistaken for trigeminal neuralgia.

Frequently asked questions

How long does TMJ take to heal?

Many cases improve within a few weeks to a few months with self-care.

What is the fastest way to relieve TMJ pain?

Rest the jaw with softer food, apply warmth, gently massage the muscles and avoid clenching.

Does jaw clicking mean I have TMJ?

Painless clicking is common and usually harmless. Clicking with pain or locking is worth having checked.

Can stress cause TMJ?

Stress often leads to clenching and grinding, which are common drivers of TMJ pain.

TMJ jaw pain support in Chiswick

Jaw pain is assessed and treated at Omnia Lifestyle, 8 to 9 Bedford Corner, The Avenue, Chiswick W4 1LZ, close to Turnham Green station, on bus routes 94, E3 and 272. Limited parking is available on request when booking.

Our physiotherapists treat jaw, neck and posture-related muscle tension with hands-on care and jaw exercises, and our acupuncturists offer acupuncture to ease TMJ pain alongside self-care. An initial physiotherapy assessment in Chiswick (70 minutes, including treatment) is £99, and a 60 minute acupuncture session in Chiswick is £80.

Read more about TMJ jaw pain and neck and shoulder pain, explore acupuncture and physiotherapy, or book an appointment.

This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have any of the warning signs listed above, seek medical attention.