TMJ Treatment in Dallas and Richardson

Experts advise starting with simple, conservative care and avoiding treatments that permanently change your teeth, bite or jaw. Research suggests that manual therapy, where a therapist uses their hands to stretch the soft tissues and muscles around the joint, can help improve function and relieve pain. According to the American Physical Therapy Association, physical therapy for TMJ usually combines:

• Education about what’s driving your pain and the habits that make it worse, such as clenching
• Hands-on soft tissue work for tight jaw, face and neck muscles
• Joint mobilization to ease stiffness in the jaw and neck
• Exercises you repeat through the day to improve jaw movement and the posture of your head and neck
• Heat or ice and other treatments to settle sore muscles
• Stress management and posture habits for work, phone and computer use

Your plan is built around your evaluation and draws on the methods our physical therapists use every day, including manual therapy, soft tissue mobilization, exercise, ice and heat, and patient education. We also offer dry needling, which we use for mouth and jaw problems among other conditions. Your therapist will tell you whether it suits you. If your teeth or bite may be part of the problem, a physical therapist will refer you to a dentist to check them.

Your first visit is an evaluation with a physical therapist. We’ll go over your medical history, ask about your symptoms and what makes them better or worse, and check your strength, range of motion and posture. For jaw pain, that includes how your jaw opens and moves, and how your neck moves. Then we’ll explain what we found and build a treatment plan around your needs and goals.

It helps to write down your symptoms before you come, including what makes them worse or better. Wear loose, comfortable clothes.

No. Texas law lets you see a physical therapist for up to 30 days without a doctor’s referral, although some insurance plans still ask for one before they’ll pay. Not sure physical therapy is right for you? Book a free screen with one of our licensed physical therapists or certified athletic trainers, who’ll assess your pain, answer your questions and recommend next steps.

We accept most insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid, and offer affordable options if you have a high-deductible plan or no insurance. See our insurance page or call either clinic. Both clinics offer physical therapy, and either one can refer you to the other if it’s more convenient for you.

Jaw pain can also be a sign of a heart attack. Seek medical care immediately if jaw pain comes with chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, or pain or numbness in your left arm.

See your doctor or dentist if you have constant pain or tenderness in your jaw, or if you can’t open or close your jaw completely. Pain in the mouth, jaw or face isn’t always TMJ, so they may need to rule out other conditions first.

Dallas clinic · Richardson clinic

• TMD (Temporomandibular Disorders), National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIH)
• TMJ disorders: Symptoms and causes, Mayo Clinic
• Temporomandibular Disorders, MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine)
• Physical Therapy Guide to Temporomandibular Disorder, American Physical Therapy Association (ChoosePT)