The Needle-Free TMJ Treatments That Actually Relieved My Jaw Clenching

“Are you sure you’re not in serious pain right now?” A question I’m asked each time my friends and I go out to eat, thanks to the incessant pop my jaw makes as I chew. The sound alone doesn’t faze me anymore, but I have struggled to find a remedy while dealing with ongoing TMJ flare-ups.

In an effort to reduce throbbing aches, I’ve consistently relied on masseter injections for the past two years. After a few swift shots from a dermatologist, my jaw tension completely disappeared for four months at a time until the neuromodulator used in each session wore off. I always knew I was due for a re-up once I began waking up with pain. However, after an unfortunate injection experience that left me with a crooked grin, I weaned myself off of the treatment altogether.

To address my popping jaw issues and pain, I explored a variety of pain relief options without injections. Thankfully, there are several treatments for TMJ symptoms, including Emface, acupuncture, trigger-point injections and massages, and nightly mouth guards.

If you also struggle with jaw pain as I do, read on for some of the best treatments I’ve tried that are well worth the money for long-term relief. But first, a primer on what TMJ actually is.

TMJ is the abbreviation of the jaw joint itself, formally known as the temporomandibular joint. It is one of the most complex joints in the body because it moves two ways at once—open and forward—putting in double the work for your mouth to function properly. Cushioning the joint itself is a small disc (called the articular disc), which is similar to the cartilage in your knee and helps the motion stay smooth.

“When a normal jaw opens, the first two-thirds of the movement is like a swing motion. In the last third, it slides forward,” explains Nojan Bakhtiari, a dentist who specializes in TMJ and orofacial pain. “It’s a very difficult coordinated movement. In a perfect world, the TMJ should swing and slide forward together and back again.”

For people who struggle with TMJ issues, clinically referred to as TMD (or temporomandibular disorders), such as pain, lockjaw, or other mechanical problems, the jaw joint essentially is not operating to the best of its ability. “This can occur due to a variety of reasons, including structural issues, physical damage to the joint, or even systemic conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, or osteopenia,” says Bakhtiari.

Just like any other muscle or joint, the TMJ can get overused, says dentist Jonathan B. Levine. “When they’re overworked from clenching, grinding, or stress, lactic acid builds up, and the muscle goes into spasm, pulling on everything connected to it. That’s when pain on opening and joint noise begin.” He adds that “the spasming can drag the articular disc out of its proper position, which produces the clicking, popping, or locking so many people experience.”

A telltale sign that you should visit a specialist is pain. It’s quite possible that symptoms can get worse without proper treatment or diagnosis. “The muscle stays locked in a cycle of tension and spasm, the disc stays displaced, and the joint absorbs more strain than it was ever built for,” says Levine.

There are a variety of treatments that can help mitigate TMJ issues. Night guards are most often recommended by dentists, but that’s not the end-all, be-all solution. Levine says that physical therapy, trigger-point injections, facial massages, and Botox also help. Additionally, there are devices, like Emface, that flush out lactic acid and retrain the muscle to minimize the spasms, as well as acupuncture techniques that can also make a difference. The most important thing to keep in mind is that what works for some people won’t work for others. “That’s why it’s very relevant to screen patients instead of just going straight to a treatment,” adds Bakhtiari.

You probably would never guess this, but Levine says that a lot of TMJ dysfunction can be traced back to how you sleep. “Many people have an anatomical airway obstruction, whether that’s a deviated septum, a small or retruded jaw that pushes the tongue backward, or a naturally narrow airway,” he explains. “During sleep, that restricts oxygen, and the body’s unconscious fix is to grind and clench, thrusting the jaw forward to open the airway. The grinding damaging your jaw at night is very often the body’s survival mechanism to breathe, not just a stress habit.”

The only way to learn what TMJ treatment is best for you is by visiting a specialist—something I learned on the long, winding road to jaw relief. My TMJ treatment journey came about inadvertently about two years ago. My jaw has popped for as long as I can remember—probably due to my extensive orthodontic work from childhood. The clicking and popping noises have become second nature to me, but the aching pain that occurs when I’m stressed can sometimes get difficult to deal with.

During a routine aesthetics appointment, my practitioner asked if I experienced jaw pain and then said I’d benefit from masseter injections. Along with relaxing the pain, the treatment would slim my face. (I was more interested in the latter.) This ended up being the catalyst that led me here—trying to find alternatives for my clenching pain.

Masseter injections

The first time I got masseter injections, I was so happy with the results. So much so that once the neuromodulator started to fade and I could feel the aches returning, I booked another appointment with a dermatologist. The next jab led to a distorted smile due to incorrect injection placement. There was nothing I could do but wait for the results to fade, and it was a grueling five months not being able to recognize my own smile.

Hindsight is 20/20. Looking back, I wish I would’ve gone to a TMJ or orofacial specialist first to get to the root of the issue and ultimately learn whether masseter injections were the best option in the first place. I believe it would’ve helped me avoid my debilitating smile mishap.

As Bakhtiari puts it, “Dermatologists are trained to do cosmetic injections, but they aren’t able to diagnose if someone has a tooth issue or a jaw issue related to the TMJ. For example, if you have a tooth that’s starting to die out on you, you could have muscle pain that could mimic TMJ,” he explains. “It’s important to get to the true source before you pick the treatment option.”

Emface

After injections, I turned to Emface. This is an FDA-approved professional treatment that helps TMJ symptoms, including pain and muscle spasms, with radiofrequency and HIFES (or high-intensity facial electrical stimulation) to retrain the masseter and temporalis muscles. “Emface relieves the spasm at its source rather than masking it,” shares Levine. “And, because it retrains the muscle instead of weakening it the way Botox does, it restores more balanced, coordinated jaw function.”

Midway through one of my Emface treatment sessions

To experience the full effects of Emface, it’s recommended to complete six sessions, once a week. I’ve had two so far, both of which have been quick and painless. At the start of each treatment, two stickers, which are hooked up to the machine, are placed on either side of my face. Over the course of 20 minutes, they gently heat up, causing mini facial spasms from the radiofrequency. It just feels like little jolts of energy on my face. Afterward, I can immediately go back to work—no downtime required.

My face has felt a tad bit more mobile and relaxed after each session, but there hasn’t been a significant change in my clenching. (Granted, I have been extra stressed lately.) I hope to see more meaningful improvement after completing the recommended six treatments. Pricing varies by provider and depends on your location. In New York City, where I’m based, a single session can cost $500.

Acupuncture

I’ve booked treatments on and off for about five years at WTHN, a wellness and acupuncture studio based in New York City. Those sessions have mainly been tailored to handle stress and digestion. I’ve only recently started treatments to address my symptoms, though it’s a pretty common treatment for those with TMJ.

“Acupuncture works on both the cause and the effect of TMJ,” says Nicole Glathe, a doctor of Chinese medicine. “On the cause side, TMJ pain is closely tied to the nervous system. Acupuncture helps downshift and regulate the nervous system so the jaw can finally rest. On the effect side, acupuncture manages pain directly: reducing inflammation, improving blood flow to relax tired muscles, and breaking up adhesions in the fascia (the connective tissue surrounding muscles) to restore ease of movement.”

My acupuncture sessions incorporate facial massage and gua sha—two things Bakhtiari says can help ease discomfort in the jaw area—before injections are even a consideration. And beyond expertly placing the needles in my jaw, my therapist uses a well-rounded approach, making sure to place some on other trigger points all over the body that are known to minimize stress.

Since I’ve only had two sessions so far, I can’t yet say if they have made a noticeable difference. Much like any treatment, Glathe reminds that consistency is key when it comes to experiencing TMJ relief. “The number of sessions needed depends on how long and how severe the pain has been,” she says. “A helpful rule of thumb: think about how long you’ve been dealing with the pain, then plan for at least that many treatments. If you’ve had TMJ pain for six months, expect to need six treatments minimum.”

After trialing the above treatments, I visited Bakhtiari for a full examination of my jaw, bite, and mouth. I quickly realized I should have visited him first. It’s quite possible that the remedies I had been trying wouldn’t give me continuing reprieve.

During the consultation, Bakhtiari took his time evaluating my jaw’s range of motion and asked important questions about my health history, which included extensive orthodontic work and surgery as an adolescent to remove my tonsils and adenoids. From there, he took a CT scan of my jaw.

The scan revealed my articular disc sits further back than the average person, which contributes to my extra-loud popping. He suspects this is the result of my childhood orthodontist fixing my underbite. Additionally, because my tongue is rather large, sleep apnea may also be contributing to my aching jaw pain. (Note: I have yet to take a sleep apnea test, so this has not been confirmed.)

Once I’m able to rule out sleep apnea, Bakhtiari said he’d be able to prescribe proper treatment. In the meantime, he suggested I do facial massages and stretches at home—I use the Shark DePuffi morning and night, which has helped significantly with my jaw pain—as well as practice breathing techniques, like diaphragmatic breathing, to make sure my “parasympathetic nervous system gets a reset every once in a while.” I’ll remember that last one, since I always experience a flare-up when I’m stressed.

The most important thing to take away is that TMJ treatment isn’t one-size-fits-all. Proper evaluation by a professional trained to treat the issue, namely a dentist who specializes in TMJ and orofacial pain, is imperative to feel better. With the correct diagnosis and treatment, your jaw just might stop clicking and popping for good.

Meet the Experts

• Dr. Nojan Bakhtiari, DDS, FAAOP, is a board-certified dentist specializing in TMJ treatment, as well as facial and oral pain. He practices in New York City.
• Dr. Jonathan B. Levine, DMD, is a board-certified dentist, prosthodontist, and founder of Smile House NYC.
• Dr. Nicole Glathe is a doctor of Chinese medicine and the head of product and service innovation at WTHN.

Looking for More Wellness Ideas?

Why Trust Harper’s Bazaar?

For more than 150 years, Harper’s Bazaar has been the preeminent fashion and beauty resource for women at every age. We cover what’s new and what’s next in beauty by working with the world’s leading authorities in dermatology, plastic surgery, cosmetics, skincare, haircare, and fragrance. Every story we publish has been thoroughly researched and vetted by our team of beauty editors and industry experts.