Jaw pain can be a frustrating and sometimes debilitating issue. While many people assume it’s always a dental problem, the reality is that muscle tension and dysfunction in the surrounding areas often play a key role. Understanding the muscular connection to jaw pain can help you find lasting relief and avoid unnecessary treatments.
In this blog, we’ll guide you through how to determine if your jaw pain is muscular in nature — and what you can do about it.
Common Causes of Jaw Pain
Before diving into muscle-related causes, let’s briefly outline common jaw pain sources:
• Tooth pain
• Pain originating from surrounding structures of tooth ( tongue , cheek , salivary glands etc)
• Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ/TMD)
• Sinus infections
• Trauma or injury
However, muscular dysfunction is often overlooked — and it can be a primary or secondary contributor to jaw pain.
The Role of Surrounding Muscles in Jaw Function
Several muscles are involved in chewing, talking, and jaw movement. These include:
• Masseter – the main jaw-closing muscle
• Temporalis – helps raise and retract the jaw
• Medial and Lateral Pterygoid – control side-to-side movements
• Neck muscles – particularly the sternocleidomastoid and upper trapezius, which can refer pain upward
When these muscles become tense, strained, or overworked, they can mimic or worsen jaw pain.
Signs Your Jaw Pain May Be Muscle-Related
Here are key indicators that your jaw pain may be due to surrounding muscles:
1. Pain That Feels Like Tightness or Soreness
2. Pain That Radiates
3. Clicking or Popping Without Locking
4. Morning Jaw Soreness
5. Relief with Massage or Heat
6. Stress-Related Flare-Ups
How to Confirm It’s Muscular
While self-observation is useful, a professional diagnosis can help. Look for:
• Myofascial trigger point exams by a physiotherapist or dentist trained in orofacial pain
• Palpation tests that reproduce or reduce the pain
• Posture assessments, especially for head-forward posture
• Muscle relaxation techniques that offer relief (e.g., physical therapy, dry needling, or stretching)
What You Can Do About It
If your jaw pain is muscle-related, treatment should focus on reducing tension and restoring balance in the muscles
METHODS
1. Intramuscular injections
These injections temporarily paralyze hyperactive muscles, offering rapid symptom relief
2. Low intensity laser therapy LIIT
Uses photo biomodulation and reduce inflammation and promote muscle relaxation . beneficial for patients with acute or chronic pain
3. Electromyography
EMG quantifies muscle activity through electrical signal analysis . displays muscle activity levels .
4. Physiotherapy as a deprogramming method
Emloys targeted excercises and manual techniques to restrain masticatory muscles and restore optimal jaw function.
5. Muscle programming and deprogramming
Muscle programming refers to the process by which muscles adapt to new functional demands through neuromuscular changes. Muscles deprogramming refers to the process of relaxing or resetting the muscles involved in the TMJ and the masticatory system . It is aimed at
Relaxing muscle activity to allow for more normal function and assessment of dental relationships . For eg. Anterior deprogrammer , kois deprogrammer.
CONCLUSION
Jaw pain isn’t always a tooth or joint issue — your muscles might be the real culprits. If your symptoms align with the signs above, consider consulting a physiotherapist or TMJ specialist who understands muscle-related jaw pain.
By addressing the root muscular causes, you’ll be well on your way to lasting relief — without unnecessary dental work.