CORRELATION BETWEEN TMJ AND NECK PAIN Written By: Dr. Ankita Shah, 6 January 2023

To begin with, TMJ is a joint that moves and adjusts the position of the condyle and disc based on the body’s posture and the position of the teeth when they come together. The incorrect position of the teeth has been known to cause several issues that can affect the whole body, including your neck. It could even cause TMD.

TMD, also known as temporomandibular or jaw joint disorder, is a condition that affects the whole body and can be influenced by factors such as the health of TMJ, posture, hormones, stress, diet and many more factors.

In order to understand the relationship between TMJ and neck pain, you’ll have to understand one key fact:

“THE HUMAN BODY FUNCTIONS AS ONE UNIT”

It means: If one part of your body is affected or imbalanced, then the effects of it can reverberate throughout your entire body.

For example, an ideal neck posture supports your head and, in turn, your jaw. This relationship can be compromised if either neck posture is compromised or jaw position is imbalanced. This imbalance could occur due to numerous reasons.

We’ll discuss the relationship between the two in more detail below:

A] Correlation between TMJ and Neck Pain: How to Determine If your Neck Pain is associated with TMJ?

TMJ imbalances are known to cause a variety of conditions, including a forward head posture, which can cause neck and shoulder stiffness.

When a person has an incorrect bite (malocclusion), the muscle tension arising from jaw activity will cause their head to move forward into a forward head and neck posture. This can cause you to slouch, causing your neck muscles to stiffen. This may put undue stress on your neck and cause neck pain. Similarly, an imbalanced jaw can also lead to a forward head and neck posture, causing neck pain.

This reverberation effect doesn’t stop at the neck. It also affects your shoulders, back, pelvis, and legs.

TMJ experts have observed that around 70% of cases where people experience neck pain have been associated with Temporomandibular disorders. The same study found that the correlation between neck disability and jaw disability was significantly high. The study also goes on to emphasize that poor neck posture can also lead to jaw dysfunction and pain in jaw and neck.

Self-diagnosing TMJ can be a bit difficult since it is complex and deals with the entire body. A visit to a TMJ Specialist can help determine if your neck pain is a result of TMD. However, there are a few symptoms that can help you do an initial self-diagnosis that can help you determine whether you should pay a visit to a TMJ specialist. You can read about some of these symptoms in our in-depth guide: How To Know If It Is TMJ Disorder Or Something Else? It can also help you distinguish TMJ Pain from normal pain.

Meanwhile, we have shared below some of the most common Symptoms of Neck Pain Associated With TMJ:

The correlation between TMJ and neck pain emphasizes the need for an optimized bite. An optimized bite is essential for establishing a harmonious balance in the TMJ, teeth, shoulder, neck, head, and hips. There are several techniques that can help optimize a bad bite. GNeuromuscular orthotics is considered one of the best treatments by TMJ specialists all over the world. We’ll shortly discuss other treatment options available, but before that, let’s focus on GNeuromuscular orthotics.

B] Why Is GNeuromuscular Orthotics An Ideal Treatment For TMD Neck Pain?

GNM is a measured physiologic approach that addresses the causes and source of the discomfort to the teeth, jaws and muscles of the head, neck and shoulders. It is an advanced treatment approach that combines the concepts of correct bite and balanced muscle forces. It focuses on body alignment, optimal mandibular function, and accurate occlusion.

A GNM orthotics specialist may use orthotic devices such as a TMJ splint or TMJ mouthguard to treat your condition. These can aid in solving several issues, including anterior open bite, neck pain and cervical problems.

C] Other Treatment Options For Neck Pain Caused Due to TMD:

Because TMJ Disorder is not well-known, individuals with TMD are frequently given incorrect diagnoses and do not receive appropriate care. Instead, when faced with patients who display symptoms such as neck and shoulder stiffness, neck pain, and forward head and neck posture, all focused on one body part, the doctors offer treatment based on the location of pain or symptoms. This often causes the patients to wander from specialist to specialist until they find a physiotherapist who can refer them to a TMJ expert or if they come across a TMJ expert who’ll offer treatment.

In order to treat the Neck Pain arising out of TMJ Disorder, A TMJ specialist will have to diagnose the cause of the neck pain. Depending on the determined cause, the TMJ expert will then offer a treatment that can ease your neck pain caused due to TMD. The TMJ expert will suggest one of the following treatment options.

1. Orofacial Pain Relief:

Orofacial therapy offers jaw and neck pain relief with the help of massages such as Functional Neuro Myofascial Massage Technique (FNFT) and also uses Low Level Laser Therapy to help relieve neck ache.

2. Myofunctional Therapy:

Myofunctional therapy is another non-invasive treatment option for neck pain caused due to TMJ disorders. It helps relieve TMJ neck pain by strengthening your tongue and orofacial muscles.

3. Airway Orthodontics:

Airway orthodontics is dental speciality that focuses on correcting malpositioned jaws to treat sleep and breathing disorders. Since an incorrect jaw position is often responsible for forward neck posture, correcting a malpositioned jaw can also ease neck pain.

4. Tongue Tie Release:

Tongue tie release procedure releases the fascia to ensure regular jaw movements. Typically, your head follows your tongue, which means that head slouches low and tilts forward if a person has a tongue tie. This affects the surrounding muscles causing neck and back pain. Therefore getting tongue tie release treatment can help relieve your neck pain.

Reaching out to a reputed TMJ doctor can help you identify the root cause of your neck pain. Once the cause of your neck pain has been determined, you can get it treated by the industry’s leading TMJ expert at our TMJ, Tongue Tie, and Sleep Institute.

We encourage you to get a TMJ diagnosis soon, as leaving TMJ disorder untreated can cause issues that can affect the quality of your life. Reading our guide: What Happens If Tmj Disorders Are Left Untreated? should help you understand the necessity of getting it treated.

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