Can treating my jaw stop my migraines?

It can reduce frequency where jaw dysfunction is acting as a trigger, and it can eliminate headaches that were jaw-driven all along. It is not a treatment for primary migraine, and any clinician promising that is overreaching.

Why are my headaches worst in the morning?

Morning headache commonly reflects something happening overnight — clenching, grinding, or disrupted breathing during sleep. All three are worth evaluating together, because they frequently occur in the same person.

What does a TMJ headache feel like?

Typically a dull, pressing pain in the temples, behind the eyes or across the forehead, often one-sided, worse in the morning or after a lot of talking or chewing, and accompanied by jaw tenderness, clicking or tightness. It rarely comes with the nausea and light sensitivity of a classic migraine, though the two coexist.

How do you get rid of a TMJ headache?

In the moment: warmth over the jaw and temples, keeping the teeth apart, gentle jaw stretching, and rest from chewing. Lasting relief comes from reducing the muscle load that generates it — usually an orthotic, physical medicine and habit change guided by a diagnosis.

Can TMJ cause daily headaches?

Yes. Sustained jaw muscle activity produces a near-constant low-grade headache in some people, and it is one of the more common causes of a chronic daily headache that has not responded to standard headache treatment.

Should I see a neurologist or a TMJ specialist for headaches?

If headaches are new, severe or come with neurological symptoms, a physician or neurologist first. If a neurologist has already evaluated you and the headaches persist alongside jaw symptoms, a clinician trained in temporomandibular disorders is the appropriate next step. See also [migraines and headaches](/orofacial-pain/migraines-and-headaches).

TMJ Headaches

A headache that sits in the temples, wraps behind the eyes, or arrives most mornings is frequently investigated for years as migraine or tension headache without anyone examining the jaw. Headache attributed to temporomandibular disorder is a recognised diagnosis, and for the people who have it, treating the jaw is what finally changes the pattern.

Why the jaw produces headache

The temporalis muscle is a jaw muscle that fans across the side of the skull — precisely where many people describe their headache. When it is held under sustained load from clenching, it produces exactly the deep, pressing temple pain that reads as a tension headache. The masseter and the muscles at the base of the skull refer pain in similarly recognisable patterns.

How it differs from migraine

Jaw-driven headache tends to be pressing rather than pulsating, is often worst on waking or late in the day, frequently comes with jaw or facial tenderness, and can usually be reproduced by loading or palpating the jaw muscles during an examination. Migraine more typically brings light and sound sensitivity, nausea, and a distinct attack pattern. The two also coexist, and jaw dysfunction can act as a trigger for genuine migraine rather than replacing it.

The examination that identifies it

Reproducing your headache during palpation of specific jaw and neck muscles is a strong indicator. So is a headache pattern that tracks with morning waking, chewing, or periods of stress-related clenching. If nobody has palpated your jaw muscles during a headache workup, the possibility has not really been ruled out.

What treatment looks like

Reducing muscle load is the core of it: an orthotic to interrupt night-time clenching, physical therapy for the jaw and cervical muscles, and attention to the daytime inputs that keep the muscles engaged. Where headache is genuinely mixed, coordinating with your neurologist gives a better result than either discipline working alone.

TMJ headache treatment in New York

A headache that sits in the temples or behind the eyes, is worse in the morning or after chewing, and comes with a tender jaw is treated by treating the jaw: reducing muscle load with an appropriately designed orthotic, physical medicine for the temporalis and neck, and correcting the habits — clenching, gum, posture — that keep reloading it. Many New York patients arrive after years of migraine treatment that never fully worked; that history is itself a reason to have the jaw evaluated. Start with a virtual consultation with TMJ specialist in New York City, and bring your headache diary if you keep one.

Common questions

Can treating my jaw stop my migraines?: It can reduce frequency where jaw dysfunction is acting as a trigger, and it can eliminate headaches that were jaw-driven all along. It is not a treatment for primary migraine, and any clinician promising that is overreaching.
Why are my headaches worst in the morning?: Morning headache commonly reflects something happening overnight — clenching, grinding, or disrupted breathing during sleep. All three are worth evaluating together, because they frequently occur in the same person.
What does a TMJ headache feel like?: Typically a dull, pressing pain in the temples, behind the eyes or across the forehead, often one-sided, worse in the morning or after a lot of talking or chewing, and accompanied by jaw tenderness, clicking or tightness. It rarely comes with the nausea and light sensitivity of a classic migraine, though the two coexist.
How do you get rid of a TMJ headache?: In the moment: warmth over the jaw and temples, keeping the teeth apart, gentle jaw stretching, and rest from chewing. Lasting relief comes from reducing the muscle load that generates it — usually an orthotic, physical medicine and habit change guided by a diagnosis.
Can TMJ cause daily headaches?: Yes. Sustained jaw muscle activity produces a near-constant low-grade headache in some people, and it is one of the more common causes of a chronic daily headache that has not responded to standard headache treatment.
Should I see a neurologist or a TMJ specialist for headaches?: If headaches are new, severe or come with neurological symptoms, a physician or neurologist first. If a neurologist has already evaluated you and the headaches persist alongside jaw symptoms, a clinician trained in temporomandibular disorders is the appropriate next step. See also migraines and headaches.

Not sure where to start?

Request a virtual consultation with Dr. Samadian. In-person visits are by appointment in New York.

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Patients of Dr. Samadian

Written by patients treated across the Dion Health practices.

“I found myself dealing with a number of medical issues that I had no idea were so directly tied to my sense of oral wellbeing. The professionals at Dion Health helped me resolve my clenching and grinding, leading to better sleep and a more enjoyable lifestyle.”
Dianne M.

“When I'm dealing with a run-of-the-mill dental issue—or need something more serious like an implant, bridge, or crown—I know I can trust the Dion Health network to provide me with the most advanced techniques, for results that last.”
Kesha W.

“Showing off a glowing smile has me feeling more confident than I've ever felt in my life. Dion Health has fully rehabilitated my smile, resolving all my cosmetic issues with long-term solutions and helping me enjoy the self-esteem I deserve.”
Justin A.

Real patient stories

Patients Dr. Samadian has treated describe their experience in their own words.

Lindsay — TMJ patient
Olivia — TMJ patient
Chihiro — TMJ patient

Testimonials reflect the experiences of individual patients. Individual results vary.

Credentials and affiliations

Related Care

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