TMJ & jaw pain physio Frankston
TMJ symptoms can affect everyday life
The temporomandibular joints, or TMJs, connect the lower jaw to the skull. Jaw problems may involve pain when chewing or speaking, stiffness, clicking, limited opening, fatigue around the jaw, or symptoms that overlap with the neck and some headaches.
Symptoms can have several contributing factors, including jaw clenching or teeth grinding, a change in loading, dental issues, trauma or movement habits. Assessment helps determine whether physiotherapy may be appropriate.
When dental or urgent care should come first
Call 000 for difficulty breathing or rapidly worsening swelling affecting the mouth or neck. Seek urgent dental or medical assessment for increasing facial swelling, fever with dental pain, difficulty swallowing, significant trauma, or a jaw that is locked and cannot open or close normally.
See a dentist first for tooth pain, dental damage, gum swelling or a suspected infection. These symptoms need assessment of their cause before routine physiotherapy.
Healthdirect: tooth abscess and when to seek help · Choosing between physiotherapy and a dental assessment.
How Ash assesses your jaw
Start with your story
Tell Ash about the problem, when it started and how it has changed. He will ask about your dental and medical history, any previous treatment, clenching or grinding, and what happens when you eat, talk, yawn or open your mouth.
Jaw opening, movement and a hands-on assessment
Ash will check how far you can comfortably open your jaw and how it moves. He may measure the opening and record whether the jaw moves towards the left or right as it opens, so these findings can be reviewed over time. With your consent, he will also assess the muscles and relevant joint movement by hand.
Understanding clicks, pops and your symptoms
Ash will explain the role of the jaw joints, the small discs inside them and the muscles that move the jaw. He will discuss any clicking or audible popping alongside your pain, movement and history, and explain what the assessment suggests. A sound on its own does not establish the cause of the problem.
Dental or medical assessment may be recommended if the findings suggest another cause or further investigation is needed. Seek prompt medical care if your jaw is visibly out of position or you cannot close your mouth after an injury.
Your treatment has two parts
Hands-on treatment where appropriate
Ash may use gentle manual therapy for the muscles around the outside of the jaw. Where appropriate, this can also include massage of jaw muscles inside the mouth using gloves. He will explain the treatment and ask for your consent first. You can decline treatment inside the mouth or ask him to stop at any time.
Advice and simple exercises to use at home
A big part of the plan is knowing what to do between visits: which habits may be stirring up your jaw, what to ease back on while it’s sore and how to build comfortable movement. Ash will show you simple jaw exercises and check that you can do them comfortably. These often involve short, frequent practice through the day, with the amount and frequency tailored to your symptoms and response.
You will leave knowing what to work on, what changes to watch for and when to review progress. Ash can work alongside your dentist or GP when coordinated care is helpful.
Splints: tooth protection and jaw symptoms
A dentist-prescribed splint can help protect teeth from damage associated with clenching and grinding. Evidence that splints improve TMD pain is limited, so a splint should not be presented as a guaranteed fix for jaw pain or restricted movement.
Ash’s clinical perspective
In the clinic, Ash sees people whose jaws still hurt or don’t move comfortably, even though they’re using a splint. He has also seen people whose discomfort increased while using one. That’s his experience with the people he treats; it doesn’t tell us how everyone will respond. He’ll look at how your jaw moves and how the muscles are working, alongside the care you’re getting from your dentist.
If a splint causes pain, stop using it and contact your dentist or doctor for review. Decisions about a dental appliance should be made with the clinician who prescribed it.
Frequently asked questions
Does jaw clicking always need treatment?
Not necessarily. Clicking without pain or limitation may not require treatment. Assessment is useful when clicking is accompanied by pain, locking, reduced movement or difficulty with everyday activities.
Should I see a dentist as well?
See a dentist for tooth pain, dental damage, bite concerns or suspected grinding-related tooth problems. Some people benefit from both dental and physiotherapy input.
Do I need a referral?
Private patients do not need a GP referral. My Therapist Group does not currently accept TAC, WorkCover or NDIS clients.
Does treatment involve working inside my mouth?
Sometimes. If it is appropriate and you consent, Ash may gently treat muscles inside the mouth using gloves. He will explain it first, and you can decline or stop at any time.
What if I already wear a splint?
Tell Ash what it was prescribed for and how your jaw feels when you use it. Your dentist manages the appliance, while Ash can assess movement and muscle symptoms alongside your dental care.
Related information: Jaw/TMJ pain: physiotherapy or a dental assessment?
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