TMJ, Tension, and Trauma: What Your Jaw Is Trying to Tell You

Dr. Kyle Wilgus
Jun 16
3 min read

Vertigo and Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care

TMJ, Tension, and Trauma: What Your Jaw Is Trying to Tell You

Jaw pain can be frustrating, persistent, and—quite literally—exhausting. If you’re dealing with tightness, clicking, popping, or pain while chewing or speaking, you may be experiencing TMJ dysfunction. But what if the real issue isn’t just in your jaw… but in your neck?

Let’s take a deeper look at the connection between TMJ (temporomandibular joint) issues, muscle tension, and upper cervical misalignments—and what your body might be trying to tell you.

Understanding the TMJ and Its Role

Your TMJ is the hinge joint that connects your jawbone to your skull, located just in front of your ears. It plays a crucial role in speaking, chewing, yawning, and facial expressions.

Because of how often and how forcefully we use our jaw, it’s under constant stress. TMJ disorders can lead to symptoms like:

Pain or tenderness in the jaw, face, neck, or shoulders
Clicking or popping when opening the mouth
Locking of the jaw
Headaches and earaches
Difficulty chewing or biting

But What’s Causing It?

While dental issues, stress, and grinding (bruxism) are often blamed, many people find that even with bite guards or jaw therapy, the problem keeps coming back.

Here’s where it gets interesting: The alignment of the upper cervical spine—especially the atlas (C1) vertebra—can directly impact the muscles and nerves controlling your jaw.

The Upper Neck–Jaw Connection

When the upper neck is misaligned, it creates a ripple effect through the surrounding muscles, joints, and nervous system. Here’s how it affects your jaw:

Muscle Imbalance: Misalignments in the upper cervical spine pull on surrounding muscles, including those connected to your jaw and face. This can cause tightness, strain, or improper movement of the jaw joint.
Nerve Irritation: The trigeminal nerve, which controls sensation and motor function in your face and jaw, is closely related to the brainstem—located right where C1 and C2 vertebrae sit. A misalignment here can disrupt this nerve’s normal function.
Postural Stress: Poor head and neck posture (often from trauma, tech use, or chronic tension) can change your bite alignment and jaw tracking over time.

In other words, your jaw might be overcompensating for what your neck isn't doing correctly.

What About Past Injuries or Trauma?

Trauma such as whiplash, sports injuries, falls, or even birth injuries can shift the upper cervical spine out of alignment—sometimes without you realizing it. Over time, this misalignment can lead to chronic jaw dysfunction, muscle tension, and even nerve-related symptoms.

Upper Cervical Care: A Natural Solution

Upper cervical chiropractic focuses on correcting the precise alignment of the top two bones in the neck to reduce interference in the nervous system and restore proper structural balance.

Unlike traditional chiropractic, upper cervical care is gentle and extremely specific—no cracking or popping. It allows the head, neck, and jaw to return to a more natural position, reducing strain and restoring harmony in the system.

Patients often report:

Reduction or elimination of jaw pain
Less tension in the neck, face, and shoulders
Improved posture and head positioning
Fewer headaches or related symptoms

Your Jaw Is Speaking—Are You Listening?

TMJ pain isn’t just a nuisance—it’s a signal. If you've tried dental work, night guards, or muscle therapy with little long-term relief, it may be time to explore a deeper cause.

Correcting upper cervical misalignments not only helps the jaw—it helps the whole system work better..

Take the next step in your health journey.

Find an upper cervical doctor in your area and schedule a consultation today!

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