Written by Zita Sham, Fairuuz Saleh and Shiv Mohan Banka, Principal Physiotherapists at Phoenix Rehab.Clinically reviewed by Louise Yow, Principal Physiotherapist & Director, AHPC A1300363H.Last reviewed 28 September 2026.

Temporomandibular joint disorder physiotherapy

Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) is a painful-yet-common medical condition that limits the natural functions of the jaw, such as opening the mouth and chewing.

It affects more than 10 million people in the United States and is sometimes incorrectly referred to as simply “TMJ,” which represents the name of the joint itself (the accurate and correct term is “temporomandibular joint disorder” which should be TMJD.

TMD tends to affect more women than men and is most often diagnosed in individuals aged 20 to 40 years.

Its causes range from

poor posture
chronic jaw clenching
poor teeth alignment
jaw fracture
conditions such as lockjaw, where the muscles around the jaw spasm and reduce the opening of the mouth

Our senior physiotherapists help people with TMD to ease and relieve pain, regain normal jaw movement and lessen daily stress on the jaw.

WHAT IS TEMPOROMANDIBULAR JOINT DISORDER?

Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD) is a common condition that limits the natural function of the jaw, such as opening the mouth and chewing.

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is a hinge joint that connects your jaw to your skull in front of your ear and guides jaw movement as well as allows you to open and close your mouth and move it from side to side to talk, yawn, or chew.

TMD can be caused by:

Bad posture habits

One of the reasons TMD is so common is because many of us spend a great deal of time sitting at a desk, where we often hold our heads too far forward as we work.

But there are many other kinds of bad posture.

Sitting in the car for a long commute, working at a checkout station, always carrying your child on the same hip, all can place the head in an awkward position and cause jaw problems.

The “forward head position” puts a strain on the muscles, disk, and ligaments of the TMJ. The jaw is forced to “rest” in an opened position, and the chewing muscles become overused.

Chronic jaw clenching (“bruxism”)

Many people clench their jaws at night while they sleep, usually because of stress. Some clench their teeth throughout the day as well, especially when dealing with stressful situations.

This puts a strain on the TMJ and its surrounding muscles.

Problems with teeth alignment (“malocclusion”)

If your teeth are positioned in an unusual way, greater stress is placed on the TMJ when performing everyday jaw motions, such as chewing.

Jaw Fracture

In a traumatic accident involving the face or head, a fracture to the lower jaw may result and cause TMD. Even when the fracture is fully healed, TMJ stiffness and pain may remain.

Surgery

Individuals may experience a loss of TMJ mobility and function following certain kinds of surgery to the face and jaw.

Trismus (“lockjaw”)

This condition, where the jaw muscles spasm and the jaw cannot be fully opened, can be both a cause and a symptom of TMD.

Other causes of trismus include trauma to the jaw, tetanus, and radiation therapy to the face and neck.

Displacement of the disc or soft-tissue cushion located between the ball and socket of the TMJ, which causes popping or clicking of the jaw and, frequently, pain.

Arthritis in the Temporomandibular Joint

HOW DOES IT FEEL?

The symptoms of TMD can be temporary, or last for years. Jaw pain is the most common symptom.

CAUTION: Jaw pain also can be a symptom of a heart attack. Seek medical care immediately if jaw pain is accompanied by:

Chest pain
Shortness of breath
Dizziness
Left arm pain
Numbness in the left arm
Nausea

TMD can cause the jaw to lock or get stuck in a certain position.

You may experience

headaches
feel pain when chewing certain foods
have difficulty fully opening your mouth

TMD symptoms include:

Jaw pain
Jaw fatigue
Difficulty opening your mouth to eat or talk
Ringing in your ears
Dizziness
Headaches
Popping sounds in your jaw
Neck pain
Locking jaw

HOW IS IT DIAGNOSED?

To identify the cause of your symptoms, we may:

Review your medical history, and discuss any previous surgery, fractures, or other injuries to your head, neck, or jaw.
Ask you to describe your pain, including headaches, and observe any pain patterns in the neck and TMJ.
Conduct a physical examination of your jaw and neck, including the soft tissue and muscles in the area.

We will evaluate your posture and observe how your cervical spine moves (the cervical spine is the upper portion of your spine, situated in your neck).

We will examine your TMJ to find out how well it functions and whether there are any abnormalities in your jaw motion.

If, after the examination, we suspect that your pain is a result of the position (“alignment”) of your teeth, the therapist will refer you to a dentist for further examination.

HOW OUR SENIOR PHYSIOTHERAPISTS CAN HELP YOU

We can help you improve the natural movement of your jaw and decrease your pain. Based on your condition, we will select treatments that will work best for you.

Your physiotherapy treatments may include:

Posture Education

If you sit with your head in an increased forward position, you are placing greater strain on the muscles beneath your chin, causing the lower jaw to pull back and the mouth to be in an open position even when resting, increasing stress on the TMJ.

You also might be overworking the jaw muscles to force the jaw closed so your mouth isn’t open all the time.

What our patients say

Google reviews from our clinics in Singapore.

       
 Excellent5.0555 reviews
 5.0
 Excellent555 reviews
  Write a review 
 
 
 
    
 
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Micah 
 54 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +0
Amazing experience with Phoenix Rehab, was assisted by Mavis. She’s very kind and professional and did thorough check on my wrist. I feel very comfortable during the process.

I went in for thermoplastic splint, and everything went smoothly. She was able to address my needs on my left wrist sprain.

They were prompt with appointment process and inquiry. Also the clinic is very close to Tanjong Pagar MRT. I highly recommend!
  
 
     Posted on Google  
   
   Chiky Phan 
 58 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +0
Fist time doing ultrasound for my tennis elbow!! Let’s hope it gets better the next few weeks!! Thank Mavis Tham!!
  
 
     Posted on Google  
   
   XIN WANG 
 75 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +0
Great treatment from my therapist. My painful wrist felt a lot of relief after the session. I’m glad I can slowly get back to doing my usual activities without constant pain.
  
 
     Posted on Google  
   
   Abby Lee 
 91 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +0
Very helpful and friendly !
  
 
     Posted on Google  
   
   雪梅Cui 
 129 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +0
The masseur is very professional and provides excellent service ，yati is very good!
  
 
     Posted on Google  
   
   Tra Nguyen 
 220 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +0
I wasn’t able to close my fingers due to an injury. Nurul at Phoenix Rehab has helped me tremendously with my recovery process. I have been able to resume my daily activities and exercises after only a few sessions. Nurul has been very professional and positive throughout the entire process. Thank you so much for your help!
  
 
     Posted on Google  
   
   Juzer K 
 258 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +0
Huge shoutout to Yuna Zhang from Phoenix Rehab for helping in my recovery from golfer’s elbow 🙌

I walked in with persistent elbow pain that was affecting workouts and everyday tasks, and Yuna immediately made me feel confident I was in the right hands. She took the time to properly assess my condition, explain the root cause, and tailor a treatment plan to my specific needs instead of using a one-size-fits-all approach.

What I really appreciated was how personalised every session felt. The exercises she gave me were practical, easy to follow, and actually worked. Within a short time, the pain reduced significantly and my strength and mobility improved much faster than I expected.

On top of that, the pricing is very reasonable and affordable, which made committing to recovery much easier.

Professional, knowledgeable, and genuinely caring — highly recommend Yuna at Phoenix Rehab if you’re dealing with hand-related sports injuries 💪
  
 
     Posted on Google  
   
   Fazal Hanafi Chaudhry 
 342 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +0
I enjoy coming to Phoenix rehab as they offer a wide variety of services. I had a finger accident and was working with a very experienced hand therapist. Place is clean and comfortable.  Staff were friendly and appointment was on time
  
 
     Posted on Google  
   
   Stella Yam 
 483 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +0
Very good
  
 
     Posted on Google  
   
   Juliana 
 485 days ago
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. +0
Have both physio n Tcm visits here, highly recommend!
  
 
 
  
 
 
   Verified by Trustindex  Trustindex verified badge is the Universal Symbol of Trust. Only the greatest companies can get the verified badge who has a review score above 4.5, based on customer reviews over the past 12 months. Read more

HOW OUR SENIOR PHYSIOTHERAPISTS CAN HELP YOU

We will teach you to be aware of your posture so that you can improve the resting position of your jaw, head, neck, breastbone, and shoulder blades when you’re sitting and walking.

Improving Jaw Movement

We use skilled hands-on techniques (manual therapy) to gently increase movement and relieve pain in tissues and joints.

We may use manual therapy to stretch the jaw in order to improve normal joint and muscle flexibility or break up scar tissues (“adhesions”) that sometimes develop when there is constant injury.

We will teach you special “low-load” exercises that don’t exert a lot of pressure on your TMJ, but can strengthen the muscles of the jaw and improve a more natural, pain-free motion.

Special Pain Treatments

If your pain is severe, Phoenix Rehab may provide treatments, such as

electrical stimulation
ultrasound therapy
radio-frequency Indiba physiotherapy
deep tissue release
cold therapy
heat therapy
trigger point release

Referral to a Dentist

If your TMD is caused by teeth alignment problems, we can refer you to a dentist who specializes in TMD. They can correct the alignment with special appliances, such as “bite guards” that create a natural resting position to relax the TMJ, relieve pain and improve jaw function.

Where are you with this right now?

1. It is settling on its own

Most injuries and most flare-ups settle over weeks with sensible load management and a return to normal movement. Improvement is judged over a month, not over a day, and good days and bad days inside that are usual. If you are doing more this month than last, and sleeping better, it is behaving the way it should. You do not need us for this, and we would rather say so.

2. It has stopped improving

You have adapted without noticing. The other side takes the load, you plan movements you used to make without thinking, and you have quietly dropped things you used to do.

Pain is the first thing to leave. Movement and strength are the last things trained back, and most people stop before that part is done. That is the gap worth measuring, and it is not measured by how you feel on the day.

The Stalled Recovery Review is three appointments over three weeks with the same therapist, because what a joint does under load cannot be read in one visit. The first finds what is limiting it. The next two measure how it responds. $690, nett, no GST, which is three appointments at $230.

3. You have had surgery, or you have a date

Recovery after an operation has a shape, and knowing which stage you are in tells you whether you are on it. See the recovery programs, hand and physiotherapy, or the four stages and what each one works on if you are not sure which applies to you.

All of it runs on the same four stages. The Phoenix Recovery Protocol explains what each stage works on and what you have to meet to move up. No referral needed to start.

Next step

Find out which stage you are in

Pain is the first thing to leave. Movement and strength are the last things trained back, and most people stop before that part is done. One Assessment and Treatment is a single 45-minute appointment at $230, nett, no GST. Your therapist finds what is actually limiting you, treats it in the same appointment, and you leave with your current stage and a written plan.

WhatsApp us

Prefer to phone? Each of our five clinics has its own number on the clinics page. No referral needed to book.