@drjoedamiani: Does your jaw click or pop every time you open your mouth? Often, this signifies a change in the way your jaw (temporomandibular joint, or TMJ) is moving. Click the link in my bio to learn more about my signature jaw pain process! One of the most common contributors is forward head posture. When your head drifts forward, the muscles under your jaw (like the infrahyoid and suprahyoid groups) and the deep neck flexors tighten. This tension literally pulls the mandible (lower jaw) backward. As a result, your jaw bone ends up sitting too far back on the small cushioning disc inside the joint. Normally, when you open your mouth, your jaw joint rotates and then slides forward smoothly on the disc. But, if the jaw is sitting too far back, it starts on the edge of the disc and when you open, the jaw bone suddenly slips forward onto it. That slip is what causes the click you hear and feel. In this video, I’ll walk you through a 3-part routine to reduce that clicking: 1️⃣ Release the tight muscles under the jaw and along the mandible using self-massage techniques. 2️⃣ Stretch the front of the neck while anchoring the collarbones to lengthen shortened tissues and restore proper head alignment. 3️⃣ Strengthen the deep neck flexors and postural muscles with resistance-based exercises to bring the head and jaw back into neutral. Finally, I’ll show you how to retrain your bite by moving into an edge-to-edge position and practicing opening/closing in alignment—helping the jaw sit properly on the disc again. This approach addresses both the cause (posture and muscle imbalance) and the symptom (clicking/popping) so you can move toward long-term relief rather than just chasing temporary fixes. Try the routine daily, and see how your jaw feels over the next few weeks! #tmj #tmjdisorder #jawpain #jawclick #physicaltherapy

Dr. Joe Damiani, DPT

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Region: US

Tuesday 26 August 2025 12:07:41 GMT