TMJ, Headaches, and Neck Pain: How They’re All Connected

Understanding the Head-Neck-Jaw System and Why Treating One Often Helps the Others

By Dr. Jon Mackey, Chiropractor at Umana Health (Etobicoke)

Many people are surprised to learn that jaw pain, headaches, and neck stiffness are often part of the same problem. You might feel tension in your temples, notice a tight or clicking jaw, or wake up with neck pain - and not realize how closely these areas are connected.

If you’re dealing with any combination of these symptoms, understanding this connection can be the key to longer-lasting relief.

1. Your Jaw and Neck Share the Same Nerve Pathways

The jaw (TMJ) and the upper neck communicate through a region of the nervous system called the trigeminocervical complex. This means that pain or tension in the jaw can influence the neck - and vice-versa.

Examples you might recognize:

• Jaw tension → headaches around the temples

• Neck stiffness → pain when chewing

• Stressful day → both jaw clenching and a tight upper neck

• Poor sleep → waking up with jaw pain and a headache behind the eyes

When one area becomes sensitized, the others often follow.

2. Overworked Jaw Muscles Often Come From the Neck

Most TMJ issues aren’t rooted in the joint itself. They come from overworked, tight jaw muscles - especially the masseter and temporalis.

But these muscles rarely work alone.

If the neck is tight, fatigued, or out of balance from long hours at a desk, the jaw muscles often pick up the slack.

Your body starts compensating without you noticing:

• Forward head posture increases jaw muscle load

• Tight suboccipitals increase temple pressure

• Stiff upper traps contribute to clenching

• Shallow breathing amplifies stress and jaw tension

So treating the jaw without addressing the neck is often incomplete.

3. Stress Amplifies Both Jaw and Neck Tension

Stress doesn’t just affect the mind - it changes how your muscles behave.

Many people clench their teeth, tighten their jaw, or raise their shoulders without realizing it.

Over time this can create:

• Persistent jaw soreness

• Tension headaches

• Pressure behind the eyes

• General tightness at the base of the skull

You might not even notice the clenching - but you feel the symptoms.

4. Treating All Three Together Leads to Better, Longer Relief

This is why TMJ treatment at Umana Health isn’t just “jaw work.”

A thorough session typically includes:

• Gentle, vibration-assisted soft tissue work

To calm overworked jaw muscles without the intense pressure most patients dislike.

• Targeted neck and upper back treatment

Suboccipitals, SCM, upper traps, and mid-cervical joints all play a role in jaw mechanics.

• Mobility and control exercises

Simple movements to improve coordination between the jaw and neck.

• Practical strategies for stress and daily habits

(like jaw rest position, self-massage, and breathing techniques)

This whole-body approach often leads to faster, longer-lasting improvement compared to treating the jaw alone.

5. When You Should Consider a TMJ Assessment

You don’t need to have severe jaw pain to benefit from an assessment.

Common signs you might not realize are related:

• Headaches near the temples

• Tightness when chewing or talking

• Clicking or popping when opening your mouth

• Neck stiffness that won’t go away

• Morning jaw soreness

• Stress-related tension in the jaw/face

• Pain when opening wide or biting down

If you’ve been treating neck pain but still feel something “missing,” the jaw may be the missing link - and vice versa.

Looking for Relief? I Can Help.

I offer gentle, muscle-focused TMJ treatment at Umana Health in Etobicoke (Kipling & North Queen).

Whether your main issue is headaches, neck tension, jaw pain, or all three, we can work together to calm the muscles down and restore more comfortable movement.

📍 Umana Health - Etobicoke

📞 Book a TMJ Assessment through our website or clinic reception