Jaw and TMJ pain
Pain, clicking or tightness in the jaw, often linked to clenching and neck tension.
By Andrew Ellis, AHPRA registered physiotherapist · Reviewed July 2026
What it is
The temporomandibular joint, or TMJ, is the jaw joint just in front of the ear. Pain here can come from clenching, grinding, stress or a link with the upper neck. It can make eating, talking and yawning uncomfortable.
Signs and symptoms
Everyone is different, but these are common with jaw and tmj pain. You may have some and not others.
How physiotherapy helps
Physiotherapy can settle jaw pain by treating the muscles and joint and their link with the neck. We use hands on release, dry needling of the jaw and neck muscles where useful, and exercises to improve jaw control, alongside advice on clenching and habits.
- Jaw and neck assessment
- Soft tissue release and dry needling
- Jaw movement and control exercises
- Advice on clenching and habits
How we treat it
The right mix depends on your assessment. These are the services we most often draw on for this.
Trigger point dry needling
Fine needles into trigger points to release muscle tension and ease referred pain. A core focus at PACT.
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Soft tissue release
Skilled hands on work through muscles, tendons and ligaments to ease tension and restore flexibility.
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Spinal and joint mobilisation
Gentle, controlled movement to improve a stiff joint and ease the pain that comes with it.
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What you pay, with or without cover
Every appointment is a full, unhurried session with the time to work through complex, persistent problems. The fee is $165 for an initial visit and $142 for a follow up, and if you have Medicare, private health extras or an accepted claim, here is what you pay.
Paying privately
No referral or paperwork needed. Every visit is a full, unhurried session with the time it needs.
With a Medicare plan
A GP Chronic Disease Management referral rebates $61.80 on every visit, up to 5 a year.
With private health extras
Claim on the spot through HICAPS. The gap depends on your fund and level of cover. See all health funds
Workers comp & CTP
Accepted workers compensation and CTP claims are billed straight to your insurer, and we handle the paperwork.
Every bar is drawn to the same scale, from $0 to the standard fee. Private health gaps vary with your fund and your level of extras cover.
Other problems we help with
Pain rarely sits in one neat box. These are commonly linked, and we treat them all.
Good to know before you book
Do you treat the jaw from inside the mouth?
How much will it cost?
Do I need a referral?
Can it be managed by telehealth?
Read more on this
Plain English articles from our physiotherapist, written to answer the questions we get asked most.
This page is general information about jaw and tmj pain, not a diagnosis or a substitute for an assessment. If you are concerned about your symptoms, book an appointment or see your GP.
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Same day appointments often available at our Miranda clinic, or by telehealth across Australia.