Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCausesDiagnosisAt-Home CareTreatmentFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Causes
Diagnosis
At-Home Care
Treatment
Frequently Asked Questions
Tight jaw muscles can interfere with the most basic daily tasks, such as talking and chewing your food. Conditions that cause tight jaw muscles can also be quite painful. However, many of these conditions can be treated with medical interventions and home remedies.
This article discusses common causes of tight jaw muscles and how to manage your symptoms.
LaylaBird / Getty Images
Causes of Tight Jaw Muscles
Stress and Anxiety
Tight jaw muscles can be a side effect ofstressandanxiety. Muscle tension throughout the body increases when you are under a lot of stress or feeling anxious. If you are prone to clenching your jaw, you’ll likely experience tension in your jaw muscles as well.
Temporomandibular Joint Disorders
Conditions that affect your jaw joint are calledtemporomandibular joint disorders(TMJ or TMD). These conditions are very common, affecting over 10 million Americans.There are three main categories of TMD:
Regardless of the underlying cause, all types of TMJ can cause tightness in your jaw muscles.
Teeth Grinding
Bruxismis a condition that occurs when you grind or clench your teeth throughout the day or while you sleep. You might not even be aware of this habit until you develop symptoms. In addition to tight jaw muscles, bruxism can cause:
Tetanus
This condition is often called lockjaw because tight jaw muscles are one of the most common symptoms of tetanus.Other symptoms can include:
Tetanus can lead to serious medical conditions, such as pneumonia (an infection of the air sacs in the lungs) or blood clots (collections of blood that form in your veins and arteries).
Are You Overdue for Your Tetanus Booster Shot?
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis(RA) is an autoimmune disorder. This means that your immune system attacks your joints as if they were foreign to your body. Inflammation causes pain throughout the joints in your body—which can include your jaw joints. Up to 90% of people with RA also have TMJ.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis(OA) occurs when padding between the bones in a joint wears down over time. Unlike RA, which tends to attack the same joints on both sides of the body at the same time, OA can affect one or more unrelated joints in your body. This means you could have OA on one side of your jaw, but not the other. In addition to tight jaw muscles, other symptoms of OA in the jaw include:
Excessive Chewing
Jaw muscles can become temporarily sore and tight after you’ve chewed gum or sticky candy or eaten tough or fatty food. However, symptoms typically resolve within a few days.
Diagnosing Jaw Pain
In many cases, at-home care can relieve symptoms of a tight jaw. Even in cases in which professional help is needed, at-home treatment is often incorporated into a holistic care routine. Types of at-home care include:
Jaw Joint Stretches
Can Massage Therapy Ease TMJ Pain?
Other Treatments for a Tight Jaw
A variety of other treatments are available to reduce tightness in your jaw muscles. These can include:
Summary
A Word From Verywell
Living with tight jaw muscles can be frustrating—especially when you aren’t sure what’s causing your symptoms. However, treatment can be very effective. Talk to your doctor or dentist about your symptoms, even if they are mild. Early intervention can help prevent more serious jaw issues from developing.
Wear a mouth guard to help your jaw muscles relax while you sleep.
When you clench your jaw, you are working your chewing muscles. Over time, these muscles can get bigger.
8 Things to Stop Doing If You Have TMJ
11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.TMD (Temporomandibular disorders).Johns Hopkins Medicine.Bruxism.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Tetanus symptoms and complications.Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Network.RA and jaw pain: Can rheumatoid arthritis cause joint pain?.Global Healthy Living Foundation.Is your jaw pain because of arthritis? Signs your arthritis is affecting your jaw, and what to do about it.Practical Pain Management.Osteoarthritis of the temporomandibular joint.Colgate-Palmolive Company.TMJ exercises for pain relief.Joshua Hong DDS.TMJ diet: What to eat, what not to eat.River Edge Dental.Muscle relaxants aren’t the only way to relax a tense jaw.University of Michigan Health.Physical therapy for temporomandibular disorders.Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC.TMJ injection treatments: Lidocaine, steroids, hyaluronate & botox.
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.TMD (Temporomandibular disorders).Johns Hopkins Medicine.Bruxism.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Tetanus symptoms and complications.Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Network.RA and jaw pain: Can rheumatoid arthritis cause joint pain?.Global Healthy Living Foundation.Is your jaw pain because of arthritis? Signs your arthritis is affecting your jaw, and what to do about it.Practical Pain Management.Osteoarthritis of the temporomandibular joint.Colgate-Palmolive Company.TMJ exercises for pain relief.Joshua Hong DDS.TMJ diet: What to eat, what not to eat.River Edge Dental.Muscle relaxants aren’t the only way to relax a tense jaw.University of Michigan Health.Physical therapy for temporomandibular disorders.Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC.TMJ injection treatments: Lidocaine, steroids, hyaluronate & botox.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.TMD (Temporomandibular disorders).Johns Hopkins Medicine.Bruxism.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Tetanus symptoms and complications.Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Network.RA and jaw pain: Can rheumatoid arthritis cause joint pain?.Global Healthy Living Foundation.Is your jaw pain because of arthritis? Signs your arthritis is affecting your jaw, and what to do about it.Practical Pain Management.Osteoarthritis of the temporomandibular joint.Colgate-Palmolive Company.TMJ exercises for pain relief.Joshua Hong DDS.TMJ diet: What to eat, what not to eat.River Edge Dental.Muscle relaxants aren’t the only way to relax a tense jaw.University of Michigan Health.Physical therapy for temporomandibular disorders.Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC.TMJ injection treatments: Lidocaine, steroids, hyaluronate & botox.
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.TMD (Temporomandibular disorders).
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Bruxism.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Tetanus symptoms and complications.
Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Network.RA and jaw pain: Can rheumatoid arthritis cause joint pain?.
Global Healthy Living Foundation.Is your jaw pain because of arthritis? Signs your arthritis is affecting your jaw, and what to do about it.
Practical Pain Management.Osteoarthritis of the temporomandibular joint.
Colgate-Palmolive Company.TMJ exercises for pain relief.
Joshua Hong DDS.TMJ diet: What to eat, what not to eat.
River Edge Dental.Muscle relaxants aren’t the only way to relax a tense jaw.
University of Michigan Health.Physical therapy for temporomandibular disorders.
Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC.TMJ injection treatments: Lidocaine, steroids, hyaluronate & botox.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
