TMJ specialist Burnaby: What the right treatment actually does for jaw pain
Author : John Martin | Published On : 05 Jun 2026
It can come in the heart, the temple and even to the nape of your neck, and since we use our jaws every single day, there is no such thing as a break period for your jaw to de-heat or rest the inflammation like you would with an inflamed shoulder that could just sit on a shelf between uses.
One of the most common mistakes is that people live with TMJ dysfunction longer than necessary before getting a proper evaluation. I think it's so specific that it just felt wrong to mention to a GP who, while familiar with the way about town, might not necessarily always know exactly which door takes you to the specialist whom, I would posit, you likely need until they are told on arrival physiotherapy treatment was found to be more effective than pain relief & avoidance strategies, TMJ Specialist Burnaby assessment and treatment!
Suspension of a joint which connects the jaw to either side of the skull, a temporomandibular joint. The jaw itself is a very complex joint, capable of hinging, sliding and even rotating in complex combinations that allow for all the jaw movements necessary. If any of those joint mechanics gets disrupted, whether by hypertonic muscles, disc dislocation, attrition of the cartilage surfaces or a further combination of postural and bite problems, what you end up with is the complex of symptoms collectively known as TMJ dysfunction.
Clicking or popping noises when moving the jaw, an inability to open the native mouth wide, and pain during chewing or yawning and temple headaches, earache or pressure without evidence of ear infection, rather than a list of disparate, unrelated symptoms, which is how a range of doctor’s view TMJ disorder, a TMJ specialist sees a holistic picture.
Why physiotherapy addresses this effectively
Like any other musculoskeletal system, the jaw is also a musculoskeletal system, and so musculoskeletal dysfunction leading to TMJ symptoms will respond according to the same treatment principles as any other area. The examples of education on the habits/positions that brought you to this manual therapy to restore mobility and decrease muscle tension, specific exercises to reinforce movement patterns for your jaw to work without pain.
Beginning with an assessment that sees the jaw as part of the head and neck, rather than purely in isolation, a physiotherapist trained specifically in TMJ takes all those tools with them to Plaza Physio, the TMJ specialist in Burnaby, treats the mechanics of jaw dysfunction, and does not just work on treating the symptoms it causes.
Starting the right treatment
Chronic TMJ dysfunction, which lasts for months or years, is longer in duration than the same condition treated. Early assessment should occur when symptoms begin to be regular, not when severity escalates.
John martin is Author of this article. For further details about tmj specialist burnaby please visit the website.
