Jaw clicking, face pain, temples that throb by afternoon — TMJ disorders and headaches usually share the same drivers. We treat the jaw and neck together, one-on-one, until the cycle breaks.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Devon Hoffman, PT, DPT, CSCS · August 2026
Temporomandibular disorders (TMD, often called "TMJ") affect the jaw joint and chewing muscles, causing jaw pain, clicking, and frequently headaches. Physical therapy — manual therapy to the jaw and neck plus targeted exercise — is an evidence-supported, non-invasive treatment. RISE Physical Therapy treats TMJ and headache patients one-on-one in 45-minute sessions in Boise and Nampa, Idaho, with no referral required.
TMJ dysfunction — clinically, temporomandibular disorder (TMD) — is a group of problems affecting the temporomandibular joint that connects your jaw to your skull, and the muscles that move it. The joint sits just in front of your ear and works thousands of times a day: talking, chewing, yawning, and, for many people, clenching. When the joint's disc, capsule, or surrounding muscles become irritated or overworked, the result is pain that can spread well beyond the jaw itself.
TMD is common — studies estimate it affects roughly 5–12% of adults, and it's a leading cause of facial pain. It's also one of the most under-treated: many people bounce between dentists, ENT visits, and imaging without anyone examining how the jaw and neck actually move.
TMJ dysfunction rarely stays confined to the jaw. Common symptoms include:
Seek an evaluation if symptoms have lasted more than a week or two, keep returning, or are changing how you eat, sleep, or concentrate. Sudden inability to open or close the mouth warrants prompt care.
The jaw and upper neck share wiring. Sensory nerves from the upper cervical spine and the trigeminal nerve (which supplies the jaw and face) converge in the same brainstem relay, which is why a stiff, guarded neck can produce face pain and why jaw clenching can fuel headaches. Common contributors we see at RISE include nighttime clenching and grinding (bruxism), sustained forward-head posture at a desk, stress-driven muscle tension, a previous jaw injury, and long dental procedures.
Research reflects this connection: high- and moderate-quality evidence shows manual therapy to the jaw and neck reduces TMD pain and improves mouth opening in both the short and long term,[1] and the effects last longer when combined with therapeutic exercise.[2] An umbrella review of physiotherapy for TMD found moderate effects for manual therapy and exercise on both pain and mouth opening.[3]
TMJ care at RISE starts with a different assumption: the jaw, the neck, and your daily habits are one system. Every session is 45 minutes one-on-one with the same Doctor of Physical Therapy — enough time to actually treat all three.
A combined exam finds whether your pain is joint, muscle, neck-driven — or all three.
Manual therapy and dry needling calm the joint and the overworked muscles feeding your headaches.
Jaw-control exercises and habit retraining keep the clench-pain-headache loop from restarting.
One-on-one TMJ and headache care from a specialist — no referral needed in Idaho.
Devon is a co-founder of RISE Physical Therapy and treats TMJ, headache, concussion, orthopedic, and sports injuries. He earned his Doctorate of Physical Therapy at Idaho State University. Meet the full team →
