Jaw Pain (TMJ): How to Use a Warm Compress

Jaw pain, clicking, a tired ache around the ear after a meal, headaches at the temples.

Problems with the jaw joint and the muscles that move it are common, and a warm compress is one of the standard first-line measures.

The face needs a gentler approach than a back or a shoulder.

What TMJ problems are

The temporomandibular joint sits just in front of each ear.

Most trouble comes not from the joint itself but from the muscles that work it, particularly the masseter at the angle of the jaw and the temporalis at your temple. Those muscles develop tender spots much like knots anywhere else.

Those muscles get overworked by clenching, grinding at night, stress, chewing a lot of hard or chewy food, and long periods of holding the jaw tight without noticing.

Where the ache reaches the temples and the back of the head, it overlaps with tension headaches.

Applying warmth to the jaw

A large electric pad isn’t the right tool for a face. Better options:

• A warm, damp face cloth held against the side of the jaw for 10 minutes. Simplest and easiest to judge. On damp versus dry warmth, see moist heat vs dry heat.
• A small microwaveable pack, wrapped, held lightly to the side of the face. See electric vs microwave vs stick-on heat packs.
• An electric pad only if you can rest the side of your face lightly against it, cover on, lowest setting, 10 minutes. Never strap or press a pad against your face, and never near your eyes.

Facial skin is thin and sensitive, so use less heat and less time than you would elsewhere. The general limits are in who should not use a heating pad.

After the warmth

• Self-massage. With two fingers, small circles on the muscle at the angle of the jaw, then at the temple. A minute each side, gently.
• Resting jaw position. Teeth slightly apart, lips together, tongue resting on the roof of the mouth. Your teeth should not touch when at rest, and most clenchers are surprised by this.
• Gentle opening. Open and close slowly in a straight line, 10 times, within comfort. No forcing.

Habits that matter more

• Notice daytime clenching. Many people clench while concentrating or driving. A reminder on your phone or a sticker on your screen helps you catch it.
• Soften the diet during a flare. Avoid hard nuts, tough meat, ice, crusty bread and chewing gum for a couple of weeks.
• Cut big bites. Slice apples rather than biting into them.
• Don’t rest your chin on your hand at a desk. See upper back pain from desk work.
• Ask your dentist about night grinding. A splint helps many people, and worn teeth are a clue. Winding down before bed helps too: warmth before bed.
• Check the neck too. Neck tension and jaw tension travel together. See heating pad for neck pain and tech neck.

See a dentist or doctor if…

• Your jaw locks open or closed, or you can’t open it more than a couple of centimetres
• There’s swelling, redness or fever around the jaw or ear, which may mean infection
• Pain is clearly coming from a tooth
• The pain followed a blow to the face
• It isn’t improving after a few weeks of gentler habits

Call 995 if jaw pain comes with chest pressure, breathlessness, sweating or nausea. Jaw pain can be a symptom of a heart attack, particularly in women.

Clinically reviewed by: Nigel Chua (Hand Occupational Therapist) & Louise Yow (Physiotherapist). This article is general information, not a diagnosis. electricheatpad.com sells electric heat pads.