12 Nov Experiencing jaw clicking and jaw pain that shoots down your jawline and is causing you to struggle with chewing and swallowing

Do you find yourself constantly opening and closing your mouth to try to “click” your jaw back into place but it doesn’t help your jaw pain
Been told that your jaw pain is because you clench your teeth at night when you sleep

If you answered Yes to any of the statements above, then you are not alone. Studies show that up to 70% of the population experience jaw pain and jaw clicking. There can be many possible causes of jaw pain and jaw clicking ranging from dental conditions to headaches and migraines conditions.

Recently, at My Favourite Physio, we met a lady in her 30s who came in complaining of jaw pain. Her GP had told her that her jaw pain was due to her Temporomandibular Joint, however, X-Rays of her Temporomandibular Joints were normal. When we carried out a full assessment on her neck joints, jaw joints and shoulder joints, we found that she had a lot of joint stiffness, muscle tightness, swelling and pain in her neck and shoulders as well. By placing a gentle pressure on her stiff neck joint, we were able to reproduce her jaw pain that shoots into her jaw, behind her ear and up her neck and into her shoulder. So the actual cause of her jaw pain was not her jaw joint, but her neck joints! She had Cervicogenic Headaches that were presenting as jaw pain!

Fortunately, our Expert Physiotherapists are trained in the treatment and management of Cervicogenic Headaches and we were able to help this lady overcome her jaw pain by treating her first three neck joints, her neck and shoulder muscles. We designed a 6 Week Treatment Program specifically for her, and after the first 2 sessions of Physiotherapy, she actually reported no more jaw clicking or jaw pain! 

So if you are experiencing jaw pain and jaw clicking, it may be coming from your first 3 neck joints, reach out to one of our Expert Physiotherapists at My Favourite Physio on (02) 9790 4233 or DM us on @myfavouritephysio to find out how we can help you overcome your jaw pain.