What non-pharmacological interventions are effective for patients with TMJ pain?

Effective non-pharmacological interventions for managing temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain include:

• Self-management techniques such as eating a soft diet, resting the jaw during acute pain, avoiding parafunctional activities (e.g., teeth grinding, jaw clenching, chewing gum), and applying local measures like covered ice, warm flannels, heat pads, or muscle massage to relieve symptoms ¹.
• Physiotherapy involving passive jaw stretching exercises, posture training, massage, and possibly acupuncture to relax muscle spasm and improve joint function ¹.
• Therapeutic jaw exercises that provide coordination training, muscle relaxation, and strengthening, which may improve range of motion and help overcome fear of jaw movement ¹.
• Psychological therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to address pain-related anxiety, psychological distress, and to help identify factors exacerbating symptoms ¹.
• Reinforcement of positive lifestyle strategies including gentle regular exercise, stress management, relaxation techniques, maintaining social interactions, and good sleep hygiene ¹.

These interventions follow a biopsychosocial approach and are supported by evidence indicating short-term relief and functional improvement, although some have low to moderate evidence strength ¹.