Restore Function with Jaw Clicking Treatment
Heard a click or felt a pop when opening or closing your mouth? It’s a common symptom of temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD), often linked to jaw pain, headaches, or earaches. It can be caused by stress, clenching or a misaligned bite, and although it may seem harmless when accompanied by pain, stiffness, or difficulty opening or closing your mouth, it may point to more severe issues.
At Bangalow Headache Neck & Jaw Clinic, we offer evidence-based jaw clicking treatment that targets the root cause, helping you regain comfort, function and peace of mind.
What is Jaw Clicking?
Jaw clicking refers to a noticeable clicking, popping or cracking sound in your jaw joint, also known as the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). It usually occurs when talking, eating, or yawning, signalling a biomechanical issue. The articular disc within the joint shifts out of position and snaps back as you move, resulting in this audible sensation.
Some people experience clicking without pain, but for many, it may be accompanied by tightness, soreness, or even locking. This indicates a TMD, often requiring treatment with a jaw pain physio.
We understand how frustrating and debilitating jaw clicking can be, but we can help
Symptoms Present with Jaw Clicking
Along with jaw clicking, you might notice:
- Pain or tenderness in the jaw or neck
- Headaches, especially upon waking
- Earaches, blocking or ringing in the ears
- Limited jaw movement or difficulty opening your mouth fully
- A feeling of jaw locking or catching (getting stuck)
- Clicking or popping when chewing, yawning or speaking
- Facial muscle fatigue or tightness
- Dizziness
Jaw clicking can affect one or both sides of your face, and if left untreated, these symptoms can interfere with sleep, eating, and day-to-day comfort.
Safe & Fast
All techniques involve targeted, slow and sustained pressure. There is NO manipulation (cracking) of the spine.
Effective
80% of people assessed have treatable and relevant dysfunction. Most of these will see significant changes in the first two weeks.
100% Natural
No drugs, needles, toxic chemicals or side-effects. Just correcting a previously misunderstood fault in biomechanics.
Jaw Clicking Causes
The click you hear or feel is often due to the articular disc inside your TMJ being pulled out of position. Some common causes include:
- Teeth grinding or clenching (bruxism)
- Muscle tension in the neck or jaw
- Trauma or direct injury to the jaw
- Poor posture or structural issues
- Joint hypermobility or instability (looseness in the ligaments)
- Prolonged dental procedures or jaw hyperextension
- Misaligned bite
Common Jaw Clicking Triggers
Certain behaviours and habits can aggravate or trigger jaw clicking, such as:
- Excessive chewing on hard foods
- Yawning or opening the mouth wide
- Resting your chin on your hand
- Talking for long periods without rest
- Clenching your jaw when stressed
- Nail biting or frequent pen chewing
- Sleeping on one side of your face
Schedule an appointment to learn how our jaw clicking treatment can help break these habits and ease their symptoms.
Diagnosing Jaw Clicking
Every initial appointment at our jaw clicking clinic begins with understanding your medical history and thorough physical examinations. We’ll take a look at your jaw, neck, and surrounding structures, assessing range of motion, posture, muscle tension and biomechanics. Our physiotherapist may perform simple function checks to measure jaw mobility and detect restrictions or instability.
When necessary, we may require dental X-rays, CT scans or an MRI, and we work with your dentist, prosthodontist or orthodontist to ensure accurate diagnosis and treatment.
Non-Invasive Jaw Clicking Treatment
To correct the dysfunction and ensure lasting relief, we tailor each treatment for clicking jaws to our findings during diagnosis. With hands-on therapy to restore correct jaw motion, joint alignment, and reduce tension, your plan may include posture retraining and targeted TMJ exercises.
To ensure sustainable recovery, we also guide patients in habit awareness, clenching and grinding management, and proper jaw use. In some cases, we’ll introduce tools like mouthguards or splints.
We also provide treatment for jaw clicking on one side to rebalance motion and reduce strain. This involves correcting asymmetrical biomechanics, posture and tongue placement and practising jaw tracking exercises.
For jaw clicking that overlaps with other dysfunctions, our bruxism clinic can help with more focused jaw and TMJ disorder physiotherapy.
Drug-Free Treatment for Jaw Clicking
Our method is safe, natural, and non-invasive.
No cracking, medications, or injections, just precise, sustained pressure to get you feeling better. Many clients notice a difference within the first two weeks of treatment for jaw clicking, with many feeling real improvements in 3 to 4 sessions.
Additionally, we’ll answer any questions, so you’ll leave each session with a clear plan and confidence in your next steps.
Why Choose Our Jaw Clicking Clinic?
With decades of experience treating jaw dysfunctions, Michael Hayward, our lead physiotherapist, has trained extensively in Australia and internationally. Offering specialised treatments for jaw clicking cases, he’s well-versed with its surrounding structures, from the joints and ligaments to muscle movement and imbalance, ensuring an accurate assessment that considers every possibility.
Combining deep biomechanical knowledge with a proven and personalised approach, we’re dedicated to helping you find a solution with careful, thorough treatment to help you get back to living without pain.
We also treat...
Our experts treat a number of headache and jaw pain issues, and have a high level of knowledge and experience with any pain you may be suffering from.
Call us today to see
how we can help you
Jaw Clicking Treatment FAQs
Occasional clicking when opening your mouth isn’t unusual and may happen when the jaw moves slightly out of alignment. If there’s no pain, stiffness, or other symptoms, it’s often harmless. But if it becomes frequent, louder, or starts affecting how your jaw moves, it may be a sign of an underlying issue.
Book an appointment at our jaw clicking clinic for an accurate assessment.
Frequent or painful jaw clicking can indicate a problem with surrounding structures, such as disc displacement, joint inflammation, or muscle tension from clenching or grinding. It may also be linked to jaw misalignment or trauma. Getting assessed and following a jaw clicking treatment plan early can help prevent the issue from progressing and alleviate pain.
If your jaw clicking is persistent, painful, causes stiffness, or affects your ability to eat, speak, or yawn, it’s worth undergoing an assessment. A structured treatment for jaw clicking can also help with locked jaws, improving function and reducing the risk of long-term joint issues.
Care for Your Jaw Today
Whether you’re dealing with jaw clicking on one side, seeking treatment for jaw dysfunction or struggling with headaches stemming from the jaw, our jaw pain physio in Bangalow can help. Book an appointment today, and we’ll get to the root cause of your jaw clicking.
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We are the original North Coast Head Neck & Jaw Clinic
