Jaw and face pain—whether it's that nagging ache in your temples, the sharp discomfort when you chew, or the constant tension around your jaw—can be more than just a minor inconvenience. It can affect everything from your ability to eat and speak comfortably to how well you sleep at night. If you've ever felt the frustration of dealing with unexplained facial pain, you're not alone.

The causes are varied and often complex, but the good news is that you don't have to simply "live with it." In this blog, we'll explore the most common reasons for jaw and face pain, how physiotherapy can offer relief, and what steps you can take to start feeling better today.

What are the most common symptoms of jaw and face pain?

• Pain around the jaw, face, temples, or ears
• Difficulty opening or closing the mouth
• Jaw stiffness or tightness
• Headaches or migraines
• Facial tenderness or swelling
• Pain during chewing, talking, or yawning

What are some of the common causes of jaw and face pain?

• Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD/TMJ)
• Bruxism (Teeth Grinding)
• Sinus Issues
• Dental Problems
• Nerve-Related Pain (Trigeminal Neuralgia)
• Infections and Inflammation

If you’ve been suffering from jaw or face pain, you might be wondering: “Is there any way to fix this without relying on medication or surgery?” The answer is yes - physiotherapy can be a game-changer. With the right techniques, physiotherapists can target the root causes of your discomfort, help restore movement and teach you strategies to prevent pain from returning. Let’s take a closer look at how physiotherapy can offer lasting relief for your jaw and face pain.

So how can we help?

1. Assessment and diagnosis.

The first part is to conduct a thorough assessment to correctly diagnose the cause of your jaw and face pain. This will help us determine the right treatment for you.

2. Electrotherapy, ultrasound and drug phoresis.

Electrotherapeutic modalities, including SCENAR therapy, as well as ultrasound can significantly help to reduce/alleviate jaw and face pain. They work by improving local blood supply, hence delivering more oxygen to the affected areas which helps to reduce pain and inflammation in your jaw and face pain.

Sometimes we use medications, such as fisiocrem, voltaren gel and others in combination with ultrasound (this is known as drug phoresis). In this case you get the coupled effect of the ultrasound as well as the medication.

Ultrasound helps to drive the medication directly to the site of pain (similar to a cortisone injection) but is completely pain-free. It also bypasses your gastrointestinal tract (stomach and gut) which means less side effects and less degradation of the drug.

3. Massage therapy.

Muscle tension is a common cause of jaw pain, especially when related to temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) or bruxism (teeth grinding). Over time, the muscles that control jaw movement—such as the masseter, temporalis, and pterygoid muscles—can become tight, overworked, and painful.

Soft tissue massage helps release this tension by targeting the affected muscles, increasing blood flow, and promoting relaxation. Myofascial release, a specific technique used to stretch and release tight fascial tissue, can also be particularly helpful when the connective tissues surrounding the muscles become restricted, further contributing to pain.

Both of these techniques can reduce pain, improve circulation, and help reset the muscle tone, allowing for better jaw mobility and less discomfort during everyday activities like eating or talking.

So far we discussed how an accurate assessment, ultrasound treatment and electrotherapy as well as soft tissue massage can help to relieve/alleviate jaw and face pain. In our next blog we will discuss posture correction for jaw and face pain.