Exercises for TMJ Pain
TMJ pain occurs when muscles become tight and painful due to repetitive jaw movements or trauma. It causes headaches, neck pain, earaches, jaw pain, tooth grinding, and even sleep apnea. I show 5 simple exercises to relieve jaw tension and help eliminate symptoms.
Level
Beginner
Targets
Jaw pain, earaches, neck pain, headaches
Step by Step Instructions
- Stand in front of a mirror so you can watch your jaw open and close in a straight line (not veering to one side).
- Keep your teeth apart unless you’re chewing; relax your shoulders and face.
- Open your mouth to about 75% of your maximum, hold for 20 seconds, then relax.
- Repeat step 3 five times, and practice whenever you notice your teeth touching or clenching.
- Make a gentle fist and place your first two knuckles centered under your chin.
- Apply light upward resistance with the fist while you slowly open and close your mouth; keep the motion controlled.
- Perform 20 repetitions of step 6, four times per day.
- Place your tongue behind the upper front tooth on the side opposite any popping/excess motion (if unsure, place it midline behind the two upper front teeth).
- With the tongue planted, open and close your jaw in a straight line; avoid side glide.
- Perform 20 repetitions of step 9, four times per day.
- To discourage the jaw from jutting forward, place your tongue on the soft palate (the spongy area just behind the hard palate).
- Keep the tongue there while you gently open and close the mouth, maintaining straight tracking (repeat periodically through the day).
- For increasing opening, stack several popsicle sticks between your upper and lower teeth at the front or slightly to the side so the jaw rests comfortably open.
- Add one more stick to the stack and hold between the teeth for 30–60 seconds.
- Repeat step 14 weekly, adding one stick each week until your comfortable opening reaches roughly 40–48 mm.
[Video Transcript]
Patients often come to Mind Body Spine with TMJ or jaw pain. The first step is always a thorough assessment. Measuring how the joint moves and checking the surrounding muscles, to determine the best course of treatment. One component of care is home exercises. The five exercises below help relax, strengthen, and retrain the jaw so it opens and closes in a straight line. Perform them in front of a mirror so you can see that the jaw tracks up and down rather than veering to one side.
For Exercise 1 (relaxation), remember that your teeth should not touch unless you’re chewing or eating. Open your mouth to about 75% of your maximum and hold for 20 seconds, then relax. Repeat five times, and practice whenever you notice your teeth clenching or touching.
For Exercise 2 (strengthening), place a fist under your chin with your first two knuckles centered beneath it. Apply gentle resistance with the fist as you slowly open and close your mouth. Perform 20 repetitions, four times per day.
For Exercise 3 (limit side motion), place your tongue behind the upper front teeth on the side opposite the popping or excessive movement (for example, if the right side pops, place the tongue behind the left upper front tooth). If you’re unsure, place the tongue midline behind the two upper front teeth. Open and close the jaw while keeping the tongue planted. Do 20 repetitions, four times per day.
For Exercise 4 (prevent protrusion), place your tongue on the soft palate—the spongy area just behind the hard palate—and keep it there as you open and close gently. This helps discourage the jaw from jutting forward.
For Exercise 5 (expand opening), stack several popsicle sticks between the upper and lower teeth at the front or slightly to the side so the jaw can comfortably rest open. To increase opening, add one more stick to the stack and hold between the teeth for 30–60 seconds. Each week, add another stick until your comfortable opening reaches approximately 40–48 millimeters.
These exercises can help reduce TMJ pain by promoting proper tracking, improving muscle balance, and gradually restoring comfortable jaw opening.
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