What Is TMJ?
TMJ dysfunction is common and affects almost a third of the world's population (Alqutaibi et al., 2025). It can cause pain that ranges from mild to severe. Fortunately, with the right treatment and support to address the cause of your TMJ pain, relief is possible.
What Causes TMJ?
Contrary to popular belief, having a bad bite is not believed to be a cause of TMJ disorders as once thought. Research hasn't established misaligned bite as a cause of TMJ disorders. Instead, a bad bite is a symptom caused by muscle tension in the jaw and teeth clenching and/or grinding due to excess stress or anxiety (Maini et al., 2023).
It turns out that TMJ dysfunction is likely caused by several factors in most cases.
Stress and other psychological factors
Psychological and life stressors are often the root cause of TMJ and the habits that impact the chewing muscles, causing symptoms.
Stress, anxiety, and depression often lead to muscle tension in the face, jaw, shoulders, and neck which can cause TMJ pain. When you're experiencing stress, you're also more likely to grind or clench your teeth, which can cause pain.
Poor posture
Poor posture also causes TMJ problems. When you slouch or look down at your phone or computer screen your head is bent forward. This places extra strain on your jaw and neck muscles, which are all connected.
Chronic conditions
Several medical conditions can affect the jaw joint. These include autoimmune diseases and inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Research has also linked chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia to TMJ problems (Maini et al., 2023).
Gender and hormones
Researchers suspect that hormones play a role in the cause of TMJ because it affects more women than men.
Estrogen fluctuations during a woman's reproductive years, perimenopause, and menopause can impact the TMJ in a few ways. It can reduce lubrication in the jaw joints, break down collagen and cartilage which are crucial to joint health, and increase inflammation which can also affect the joints and the surrounding muscles and tissues (Leucuta et al., 2024).
Who Is at Risk?
Women have a higher risk of TMJ dysfunction than men, likely due to hormones like estrogen, but there are other risk factors, too.
You may have a higher risk of TMJ dysfunction if you are under a lot of stress or have a psychological disorder, such as depression or anxiety, you have an autoimmune disease, or an inflammatory or chronic pain condition.
People who struggle to get enough quality sleep also seem to have a higher risk of TMJ pain. A 2025 cross-sectional study found that insomnia (trouble falling or staying asleep) was linked to a higher prevalence of pain-related TMD (Dong, et al., 2025).
Certain habits that create extra tension in the jaw – often fueled by stress or other psychological factors – can also increase your risk of TMJ problems. This includes grinding or clenching your teeth, chewing on hard items like your nails or pencils, or having poor posture.
What Are the Symptoms?
TMJ symptoms can range in severity and come and go or stick around long-term. Depending on the cause of your TMJ problem, you may also have other symptoms related to the underlying cause. For instance, you may be dealing with feelings of anxiety, sadness, or trouble sleeping if your TMJ is caused by stress or another psychological issue.
Common symptoms of TMJ include:
Pain in the jaw joint
Pain in the chewing muscles
Pain that spreads to your face, behind your eyes, your neck, and shoulders
Painful clicking, scraping, or popping sensation in the jaw when opening your mouth
Jaw stiffness
Difficulty moving your jaw
Locking of your jaw
Teeth sensitivity or pain that's not caused by an oral health problem
Headaches
Ear pain that may also be accompanied by ringing in your ears and/or changes in hearing
A change in the way your top and bottom teeth fit together
Tingling or numbness in the fingers
How Is TMJ Diagnosed?
Diagnosing TMJ can be difficult because there may be more than one contributing cause. For this reason, doctors usually rely on a combination of tests to diagnose it.
Medical history
Your doctor will start by taking a detailed medical history. This will include any underlying medical conditions, including headaches, neck, or back pain. They will also need details about your symptoms, such as where you feel the pain, when it occurs, and if you've noticed what makes your symptoms better or worse.
The more you can share about your symptoms, the more helpful it will be.
Physical examination
A physical examination of your jaw will be used to check for pain, trouble moving your jaw, and for other signs of TMJ problems, like clicking or popping when opening and closing your jaw.
If they suspect an underlying medical or oral health issue might be causing your symptoms, you may be referred to a dentist or specialist to rule out other causes before they can diagnose a TMJ disorder.
Imaging
Your doctor might also recommend imaging, such as X-rays or a CT scan to check your jaw joints and bones, or MRI to look at the surrounding muscles and soft tissues.
In some cases, a TMJ arthroscopy may be recommended. This imaging test involves inserting a thin tube with a tiny camera into the joint space via a small incision. This provides your doctor with detailed pictures of the different structures that make up your jaw joint.
How Is TMJ Treated with Regenerative Therapies?
For a long time, treatment for TMJ dysfunction focused on managing symptoms with over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs), muscle relaxants, and intraoral devices like mouthguards and splints. In some cases, orthodontic treatments, such as braces, or even surgery have been used. With more evidence emerging on the root causes of TMJ and a lack of evidence to support some of these treatments, other approaches are being considered.
Conventional TMJ treatments for managing symptoms
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends sticking with the most conservative and reversible TMJ treatments that avoid permanently changing the position or structure of your teeth. This is because there's not enough evidence to support that these will reduce your symptoms or cure TMJ problems.
As well as NSAIDs and muscle relaxants, some other conservative treatments used to manage TMJ symptoms include eating a soft diet and resting your jaw for a few days and applying warm compresses over the joint.
Behavior modification
Treating the underlying causes of TMJ problems is the best way to get lasting relief. Depending on the cause, this can include behavior modification to lower stress, improve foundational health, and prevent excess tension on the jaw joints and muscles.
Some examples are stress management and relaxation techniques, exercises to improve posture, and improving sleep.
Complementary treatments
Complementary treatments, such as acupuncture, can also be used alongside other types of TMJ treatments. Acupuncture uses thin needles inserted into parts of the body and is widely used in the U.S. and other parts of the world to treat chronic pain, including joint pain. A 2024 meta-analysis of 11 randomized controlled trials showed that acupuncture and laser acupuncture were more effective in reducing TMD pain than placebo (Di Francesco et al., 2024).
Regenerative therapies like platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections and platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) injections are also being used more frequently in the treatment of TMJ disorders. These platelet-derived therapies use concentrated plasma from your own blood to reduce inflammation and encourage your body's natural healing abilities.
A 2023 systematic review found PRP injections used after arthrocentesis (a procedure to flush out the joint) significantly improved range of motion and pain intensity for up to 12 months (Haddad et al., 2023). A 2023 network meta-analysis involving 421 patients found that PRF and hyaluronic acid provided even better results than PRP alone with patients experiencing long-term pain reduction and improvement in mouth opening (Xu et al., 2023).
What Are Possible Complications?
TMJ dysfunction can lead to long-term jaw pain, headaches, and pain that extends to your face, neck, and shoulders.
Problems with your teeth are also possible complications of TMJ issues, including pain and sensitivity, tooth damage, and misalignment from tension, clenching, and grinding.
Can TMJ Be Prevented?
You may be able to prevent TMJ problems by managing stress and identifying and modifying behaviors that cause tension on the jaw joints and surrounding muscles, such as teeth clenching and grinding, poor posture, and chewing on non-food items, like your nails or the ends of pencils.
Addressing underlying medical and mental health problems that can cause TMJ dysfunction may also help prevent it. Taking care of your health by getting enough sleep, exercising, and the right nutrition can also help by reducing inflammation and regulating your nervous system.
Takeaway
Your jaw joints play a key role in everyday actions like chewing and swallowing, talking, and smiling. Lasting relief from TMJ dysfunction starts with pinpointing and addressing the underlying cause of your TMJ dysfunction, not just treating the symptoms. A doctor can help you identify the cause of your TMJ problem and guide you on the behavioral changes and therapies to help you heal and restore healthy jaw function.
