09/08/2026
Only half of all TMD/TMJ cases come from the muscles. Yet pressing on the muscle to reproduce the same pain is a large part of its diagnosis.
That can miss other things. Such as whether you can actually sense where your jaw is, whether your nervous system has become oversensitised, or whether long-term facial pain has started to change how you engage in facial expressions with others. These all use muscles and are documented effects of chronic facial pain.
So my co-author and I searched six databases and screened over 300 studies published between 2022 and 2025, and built a five category system clinicians can use with tools they already have:
1️⃣ Normal Muscle — no muscular involvement, look elsewhere (often dental) 2️⃣ Muscular Pain — local discomfort and reproducible 3️⃣ Muscular Pain with Somatosensory Change — altered sensation and awareness of jaw position 4️⃣ Widespread Muscular Pain and Dysregulated Motor Control — pain at rest, spreading of pain, neck involvement, often stress and sleep tied in 5️⃣ Orofacial Somatosensory Distortion — the brain's map of the face itself has become distorted
What this means practically: someone in Category 2 may respond well to hands-on therapy, while someone in Category 5 may need a broader approach. Knowing which category you're in can help your clinician fine-tune your treatment.
This is a proposed classification, not yet formally validated, but it's already how we assess muscle related jaw pain in clinic across Cheltenham, Southbank and Hobart. We are always thinking.
Jaw pain, facial pain, or headaches linked to jaw muscle tension? Get in touch to book an assessment.
