Jaw Clicking and Popping?

Does the thought of biting into a bagel or a piece of steak make your jaw ache? The first step in proper digestion of food is the chewing process, but for too many people the act of chewing is uncomfortable and eliminates the enjoyment of the eating process.  They experience pain and popping when chewing their food. They avoid enjoying certain foods or maybe even avoid eating around other people due to the fear of their jaw noise embarrassing them.

 Does this sound like you?   If so these can be signs of serious Tempomandibular Disorder (TMD) in the Tempomandibular joint (TMJ).

Over the years I have helped many patients with TMD reduce and even eliminate the pain and aggravation.  I recently worked with a patient who would wake up in the morning with her jaw completely locked until she could work some motion into it, despite sleeping with a mouth guard every night.  After removing the tension in the muscles of the jaw, and using gentle adjustments to correct the motion of the jaw when closing, she no longer is waking with pain and is able to eat what she wants with out the annoying click in the jaw.

My approach to restoring proper joint function to the TMJ is simple and effective.  I first do a thorough evaluation of the TMJ and the upper joints of the neck. This evaluation includes determining how the joints are moving and examining all of the attached muscles to determine if any are too tight or weakened.  Often times, this will even include listening to the TMJ with a stethoscope to determine the exact location of any clicking.

If it is determined that the problem is in the joints and muscles, and can be helped by chiropractic care, I start off very gently.  The first stage of care would be to balance out the muscle tension, by relaxing the tight muscles.  In mild cases, this will be enough to correct the motion and allow the jaw to heal.


The second stage, if needed, is to correct the motion of the TMJ to allow free movement and reduce the wear and tear on the joint itself. This correction is done through gentle adjustments that retrain the TMJ to move correctly again.

The third stage of care for TMD is the use of cold laser therapy to reduce inflammation and stimulate the healing process in the tissue surrounding the TMJ.

 If you are experiencing pain, popping or locking of your jaw, contact me for an evaluation and recommendations on how to start enjoying your favorite foods again.  Simple non-invasive treatment for TMD is available, let us help.

What Our Patients Say: "With TMJ, I was experiencing lots of jaw pain, neck pain, and headaches. I have been to other chiropractors to get help with this, but I recently moved to the area and had to find a new chiropractor. I have been suffering from this for a few years. At times it was painful to chew my food. I experienced daily headaches. Dr. Mairs has definitely helped with the pain I was experiencing. I no longer have to deal with daily headaches and pain."
                                                                                                   ~Ashley S.