Headaches & Migraines

What Are TMJ Headaches?

Tension headaches are the most common form of headache. Between 70-90% of the population will experience a tension headache of mild or moderate intensity during the course of their lifetime. For the most part, tension headaches are not disabling, and those who suffer from them can go about their daily routines at home or work.

A TMJ headache, on the other hand, can make your day miserable. You may feel it in your temples, your forehead, the back of your head, or your facial muscles. Patients with TMJ headaches who seek care at our offices often use these words to describe what it feels like to have a TMJ headache:

• Tightness
• A band-like feeling
• Aching
• Squeezing
• Pressure

What Causes TMJ Headaches?

Your TMJ headaches could be caused by various factors such as stress, emotions, dehydration, lack of sleep, repetitive work postures, neck muscle strain, or jaw over-use behaviors such as teeth clenching and grinding (bruxism).

If you have been suffering from headaches that defy diagnosis, it’s time to find out if they are TMJ headaches. At New York TMJ & Orofacial Pain, our team is led by board-certified Orofacial Pain Specialists who have provided TMJ headache treatment for patients for over three decades.

Call 888-560-6674 to make an appointment at one of our three offices in the New York City metropolitan area: Manhattan, Westchester County, and Long Island. If you can’t call, please complete this quick form , and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

We want you to know we are familiar with your symptoms, care about your well-being, and have many ways to get to the bottom of what’s causing your headaches and put you on the road to feeling better.

More About TMJ Headache Treatment At New York TMJ & Orofacial Pain

(For information about TMJ migraines, scroll down.)

TMJ headache treatment is not a one-size-fits-all effort. The first order of business is to investigate whether you have the signs of a TMJ disorder. If we find that your headaches are, indeed, triggered by TMJ, your TMJ headache treatment plan may include one or more of the following:

• Medications
• BOTOX® injections
• Behavior modification strategies
• Exercises
• Physical therapy
• Intra-oral appliances
• Therapeutic injections such as trigger point injections
• Relaxation techniques
• Sleep therapy

In addition to the TMJ headache treatment options above, we may consult with your other healthcare providers to ensure that you receive the most careful and comprehensive care.

About TMJ Migraines

In our years of treating patients who come to us for headache relief, we have confirmed that, at times, there is an intimate relationship between migraine headaches and TMJ disorders. We have long-term and ongoing relationships with the leading headache specialists as well as university and hospital-based headache centers in the New York City metropolitan region.

It’s common for TMJ pain and associated awake and sleep bruxism to reduce the effectiveness of migraine treatments. Therefore, many patients are referred to New York TMJ & Orofacial Pain by physicians who have been treating their migraines. These patients often come to us saying they have “TMJ Migraines.”

On the flip side, we see many patients who have unresolved migraine headaches and TMJ pain problems. We frequently work with our physician colleagues to help these patients.

How We Help "TMJ Migraine" Sufferers

A migraine is a headache that often causes severe throbbing pain or a pulsing sensation, usually on one side of your head. It’s often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound. When you get a migraine, it’s common for it to be accompanied by pain and tension in the muscles of your face, jaw, or neck. To address the muscle-based component of your suffering, we may include one or more of the following TMJ migraine treatments:

• Trigger point injections & dry needling
• BOTOX® injections in your jaw muscles
• Intra-oral appliances
• Jaw exercises
• Lifestyle change suggestions
• Relaxation, breathing techniques, or both
• Sleep hygiene therapy

TMJ headaches and TMJ migraines can take over your life, and TMJ headache treatment often requires a team approach. At New York TMJ & Orofacial Pain, we would be delighted to be part of your care team. You can get better!

To make an appointment, call us at 888-560-6674. If you can’t call, complete this quick form , and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.