TMJ pain affects many people. The pain may be localised to the jaw itself, while others get neck pain, face pain, unexplained tooth pain, or migraines. While the same pain pathway is triggered in most of these conditions, the underlying issue is the same - the jaw is the main culprit.

I see a large number of people with TMJ dysfunction in my practice, and often people ask how I knew it was their jaw causing their pain. And while what I do in practice is much more detailed than this, I have created a list for you, so that you can check yourself and confirm you have a TMJ issue. You may not get all of the symptoms on this list, but it’s a good starting point.

How to check yourself for TMJ dysfunction

Vertical facial measurements

Measure from the outer edge of your eye to the outer edge of your lip. These measurements should be almost equal. Human faces are asymmetrical and you may never get perfectly equal measurements, but anything greater than about 3mm difference could signify a jaw issue.

Light sensitivity

Shine the pen light right into your eye. If you blink hard, withdraw and/or looking away, or your eyes get watery, this is a sign your midbrain is overly sensitive. While not the only cause of midbrain sensitivity, jaw dysfunction is a common one. You might also reflect on how often you need to wear your sunglasses, and if you can tolerate screen time or working at a computer.

Sound sensitivity

There are two types of sound sensitivity. Ask yourself if one; can you tolerate loud noises or do you jump and stay in an anxious state for longer than average? and two; can you tolerate background noise, or do you find it is distracting and actually makes you feel agitated or angry? Sound sensitivity also indicates the midbrain is overly wound up, which might suggest a jaw issue.

Body range of motion

There are three places that seem to be connected to jaw dysfunction. Do you have neck pain (especially upper neck, near the base of the skull)? Do you get shoulder pain or have a niggly shoulder? Have you noticed your hips aren’t quite aligned, or maybe you get lower back or knee pain?

While there are many causes of general loss of range of motion, or biomechanical changes in the body, these three together often indicate an underlying TMJ dysfunction (as triggered by the fascia that connects the TMJ all the way down to the pelvic floor).

Watch yourself say the “sssss” sound in front of the mirror.

Does your jaw move sideways or forwards when your make that sound? It should remain in the very centre of the face, with a slight gap between teeth. If it doesn’t, the jaw is attempting to recorrect itself with movement.

How did you go… do you have many of these signs? You don’t have to put up with your TMJ dysfunction, or the symptoms it causes.