If you've been chasing down migraines, neck stiffness, or that nagging ache in your shoulders without much luck, you're not alone. These types of symptoms can be frustrating, especially when you’ve tried everything from medication to physical therapy, and the pain keeps coming back.
Here’s something most people don’t realize: issues with the jaw, specifically the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), can cause or worsen these types of pain. And unless someone’s looking in the right place, it’s easy to miss.
Dr. Eddie Siman has seen this time and time again over the past 35 years. Patients come in after seeing multiple healthcare providers and specialists, but still have no clear answers. Once their TMJ is properly diagnosed and treated, though, things finally start to make sense, and the pain begins to fade.
Let’s break down how that works.
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the small but powerful joint that connects your jaw to the rest of your skull. You use it constantly: to talk, chew, yawn, and even breathe properly. When it’s working as it should, you don’t think about it. But when it’s out of balance, the effects can ripple out in ways that catch people off guard.
That’s because your jaw doesn’t operate in isolation. It’s closely tied to the chewing muscles, facial muscles, and the muscles in your head, neck, and shoulders. When something’s off, like a misaligned bite, jaw clenching, or chronic grinding, it can throw your entire upper body out of sync. That can lead to a range of TMJ symptoms, including jaw pain, muscle tension, headaches, and neck aches.
Even things like gum chewing, nail biting, and poor posture can strain the jaw joint over time. Add in stress, and it’s easy to see how TMJ can become a long-term issue without the right diagnosis and care.
A lot of people don’t realize that the jaw is connected to one of the most pain-sensitive nerves in the head: the trigeminal nerve. This nerve runs through the TMJ area and plays a big role in headaches and migraines.
When your jaw joint is misaligned or under constant strain, it can irritate this nerve. That irritation can trigger frequent headaches that feel like migraines or actually are migraines. Many people go years trying different medications and treatments without knowing the root cause might be mechanical, not neurological.
Muscle spasms in the jaw and face, along with inflammation in the soft tissue surrounding the temporomandibular joint, can also contribute to that pressure. And it’s not just the head, tightness and pain can radiate through the neck and shoulders, making daily life uncomfortable.
We’ve seen patients who thought they had chronic migraines for life, only to find that the right TMJ treatment brought major relief. Once the jaw is back in alignment and pressure on the trigeminal nerve is reduced, the headaches often stop, or at least become far less intense and frequent.
If your jaw is out of balance, your body tries to compensate. The muscles in your neck and shoulders work harder to stabilize your head and posture. Over time, this constant compensation can lead to muscle fatigue, tension, and even inflammation.
This is why people with TMJ disorders often notice:
The jaw joint plays a bigger role than most people think. The chewing muscles and surrounding soft tissue are connected to important muscle groups in the upper body. When the jaw doesn’t move the way it should, those other muscles suffer too.
Many people try physical therapy or chiropractic adjustments, which can offer temporary relief. But unless the jaw is part of the picture, that pain often comes back. Understanding the link between the jaw and the rest of the body is key to real healing.
Most conventional treatments for migraines or neck pain only deal with the symptoms. Pain relievers, muscle relaxants, massage therapy, and even injecting botulinum toxin type A might help for a while. But they don’t solve why the pain is happening in the first place.
Even advanced tools like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or physical therapy can miss jaw-related causes unless the healthcare provider is specifically trained to evaluate the TMJ. Many patients try self-care like eating soft foods, using moist heat, or reducing stress, but if there’s structural damage or an imbalance in the joint, it may not be enough.
That’s where Dr. Siman’s experience and specialized approach come in. He focuses on diagnosing the root cause using real data, not guesswork. His goal is to relieve pain without relying on medications or treatments that just mask the discomfort.
Dr. Siman has been treating temporomandibular disorders for over three decades, helping more than 20,000 patients find relief from chronic symptoms like headaches, neck aches, and jaw pain. His method is personalized, science-backed, and minimally invasive.
Each patient begins with a full evaluation, which may include:
This approach helps identify problems that typical medical exams or dental visits might miss. Once the diagnosis is clear, Dr. Siman offers a range of nonsurgical treatments, which may include:
He avoids TMJ surgery whenever possible. In most cases, patients see real results from these less invasive options, without needing procedures that involve surgery or long recovery times. Dr. Siman’s goal is lasting relief, and he uses technology and experience to make it happen.
If you’ve been dealing with headaches, ongoing pain, or stiffness in your neck and shoulders, it might be time to take a closer look at your jaw. Many patients have temporomandibular joint issues and don’t even realize it.
These symptoms don’t always show up in obvious ways. You might not feel sharp jaw pain or hear a jaw click. But if your teeth don’t fit together quite right, or if your jaw feels tense or overworked, that could be a sign of deeper issues.
TMJ problems can cause widespread discomfort. But the good news is, there are effective, non-invasive ways to treat them. You don’t have to live with constant discomfort, rely on medications, or turn to invasive procedures. With the right care, the right tools, and the right doctor, you can start to feel better.
He’ll listen closely, evaluate thoroughly, and help you understand all of your treatment options, without pressure, and without rushing into surgery. For many patients, that second opinion makes all the difference.
Dr. Eddie Siman has over 35 years of experience and is a premier TMJ and Sleep Apnea expert in Los Angeles and Orange County. Many come to Dr. Eddie Siman with severe tinnitus, migraine problems, and sleep apnea with no relief in sight. Little do these patients know that their painful symptoms are tied to the Temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Think outside the box and pay a simple visit to Dr. Siman today so you can finally find the source of all your pain and get rid of it once and for all.
Schedule your Private Consultation and Diagnosis Appointment with Dr. Siman Expert TMJ, Cosmetic Dental, and Sleep Apnea Treatments.
Call today (818) 574-5009
14629 Ventura Blvd, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
414 N. Camden Drive Suite #1240, Beverly Hills, CA 90403
