Jaw clicking on one side occurs when the disc inside the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) moves out of sync with the jaw joint. This can cause a popping or clicking sound when opening or closing the mouth.
Painless jaw clicking without locking or other symptoms is often not concerning. However, clicking accompanied by pain, limited movement, or jaw locking may warrant further attention. Physical therapy can help address contributing factors through movement retraining, manual therapy, and individualized exercises.
Click…click…click…
Sometimes that click gets so annoying. Chewing, yawning, laughing, opening your mouth…it’d be so nice to do these things without that click!
You are mostly not worried, but then you start to wonder what is actually going on with that jaw clicking on one side. Why does it happen? Is it something to be concerned about? Will it become a bigger problem?
The short answer is that painless jaw clicking on one side can be totally normal and not worrisome. It is something that a lot of our clients ask us about! But we will break down everything you need to know about it right now.
Here’s what we are going to talk about in this blog post:
What causes jaw clicking on one side?
When jaw clicking is normal
When jaw clicking warrants further attention
How physical therapy can help jaw clicking
What causes jaw clicking on one side?
Jaw clicking on one side happens when the disc inside of the jaw joint moves out of sync with the rest of the joint.
Let’s start with a super quick anatomy lesson to explain what this means.
The jaw, also known as the temporomandibular joint, or TMJ for short, is kind of like a ball-and-socket joint (the shoulder is another example of a ball-and-socket joint). Something that makes the TMJ unique is that it has an articular disc inside of it. This helps the ball move on the socket more smoothly. There is more complex motion that happens within the TMJ that doesn't happen in other joints, so the disc is there to make this movement happen smoothly.
The disc is supposed to move inside the joint and also it is anchored to the joint through soft tissue connections to help it stay “on track”. When the joint and disc movement happen in sync with each other, you get jaw opening and closing without clicking.
Check out this video to see the disc and what jaw movement looks like.
When the disc starts to move out of sync with the jaw joint, that's when you feel a pop or a click when you open and/or close your mouth. The disc can slide forward off of the ball part of the joint and that sliding forward causes a click. If you get a click when you close your mouth as well, that is the disc re-engaging with the ball part of the joint.
Most people think of having just one jaw. However, that one jaw bone (aka the mandible) has two joints, one on each side of the face. So, you actually have two TMJs. This is why you can have jaw clicking on one side only (but also one side affects the other so it is totally possible to have jaw clicking or other symptoms on both sides).
Here are some reasons jaw clicking on one side can happen:
Chronic stress
An isolated episode of opening your jaw too far
Underlying hypermobility condition (like Ehler's Danlos syndrome)
Muscle tension and imbalances
Jaw habits like nail biting, chewing lips/cheeks, or chewing gum
Teeth clenching or grinding
Chewing food predominantly on one side of the mouth
Jaw injury or trauma
When jaw clicking on one side is normal
Jaw clicking on one side can be normal and not something to worry about.
The times that jaw popping and clicking is not concerning are:
There is no pain or discomfort associated with the pop/click
There is no jaw locking
You can control when it pops/clicks or not
There are no other pain or symptoms in the head, neck, or jaw
When jaw clicking on one side warrants further attention
As we just mentioned, jaw clicking on one side can be normal and not concerning.
However, if the clicking is associated with any of these symptoms or patterns, it is time to pay attention:
Jaw pain or tenderness
Pain with chewing and eating
Limited ability to open your mouth
Jaw locking or catching
Pain associated with the pop or click
Frequent headaches or facial tension
Snoring or sleep apnea
Symptoms progressively getting worse
How physical therapy can help jaw clicking
Physical therapists who have received extra training in the jaw can help so much with jaw clicking on one side and any other jaw symptoms. We love helping people with jaw pain and symptoms here at Empower Physio and Wellness!
First we start with an in-depth evaluation to fully understand your symptoms, your history, lifestyle factors, and your goals. We then do a movement assessment where we look at how your jaw and neck move and assess for tension in the surrounding muscles. We also look at things like breathing strategy, core stabilization, stress processing, sleep, posture, and any other factors that we think are influencing your jaw.
We often incorporate manual therapy in our treatment of jaw symptoms. This can include manual soft tissue work (external and/or inside the mouth), dry needling, cupping, and joint mobilization. It is really important to pair manual therapy with something active. This helps you get the most out of hands-on work and make it most effective. We always pair manual therapy with things like breath work, movement retraining, mobility drills, and strengthening exercises. We also have a huge focus on nervous system regulation and stress processing, and incorporate this coaching into our physical therapy plans of care.
No two plans are the same because each human is unique and the factors contributing to your symptoms are unique. We tailor your plan specifically to you!
If you'd like to get started with some strategies at home to help your jaw clicking on one side, check out our next blog, How To Stop Jaw Clicking on One Side: Simple DIY strategies as explained by a physical therapist.
Where to find physical therapy for jaw clicking on one side
Have you tried the strategies from this blog and want more individualized support?
If you are located in or near Westerville, Ohio we can help you with physical therapy to improve your jaw clicking on one side !
You can get started right away by learning more about our physical therapy services, TMJ treatment, or getting in contact with us.
We also offer virtual coaching throughout the world to empower you with your health and get to the root of what is holding you back. You can learn more about our virtual coaching program here.
If you have additional questions, we would love to talk with you, hear your story, answer all your questions, and see how we could help.
You can call or text us at (614) 423-9731 or schedule a free discovery call. You can also learn more about Empower Physio and Wellness + our team or check out other services we offer.