Migraine attacks your jaw was to blame My Health”/>
We know migraine for what it is: a complex neurological disorder, affecting approximately 15% of the population, with a clear female predominance. It is expressed by attacks that are sometimes violent, pulsating, often unilateral, accompanied by nausea and an intolerance to noise and light. Nothing new under the sun.
But in recent years, an intriguing body of clues has been accumulating in international research. Several teams are closely interested in a related anatomical player: the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), this hinge which allows us to speak, chew, swallow, laugh or clench our teeth. A lot. Sometimes too much.
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ): what exactly are we talking about?
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Placed just in front of the ears, the temporomandibular joint is used from morning to evening: speaking, chewing, yawning, swallowing… nothing is done without it. When it becomes disrupted, specialists then speak of temporomandibular disorders (TMD), the manifestations can range from simple discomfort to muscle or joint pain, crunching, blockages, or even a feeling of fatigue in the jaw upon waking.
According to a review published in 2024 in the British Dental Journal, TMJ-related pain affects 27% of people suffering from headaches, compared to 15% of those without headaches. A gap sufficiently marked to no longer consider this joint as a trivial anatomical detail.
Migraine: a real link with the jaw?
In 2019, a study published in The Journal of Pain showed that people with painful TMD had a significantly higher risk of migraine than tension headaches.
In 2020, another study conducted on more than 150,000 medical records indicated an increased risk of migraine in patients with TMD, with an odds ratio of around 2.7. The 2024 British Dental Journal review goes further and describes a bidirectional association. In short:
- a TMD can promote a migraine,
- but repeated migraine can also contribute to the onset or worsening of TMD.
A game of reciprocal influences, complex, but logical when we look at the anatomy more closely.
Why might the jaw trigger a migraine?
The trigeminal nerve, a strategic crossroads
It all starts with the trigeminal nerve, one of the main players involved in migraine attacks. And it is precisely this same nerve that innervates the jaw, the temporomandibular joint and the masticatory muscles.
Thus, when irritation (inflammation, tension, functional disorder) occurs in this area, it can move up along this particularly reactive nervous network and participate in the onset of a crisis.
Masticatory muscles often overused
In case of bruxism, they work in overload. This excessive contraction can cause pain that radiates to the temples, cheek or forehead.
For the brain, these signals are sometimes difficult to distinguish from the onset of a migraine, and they can amplify its intensity.
Posture, an underestimated factor
The position of the jaw is closely linked to that of the neck. A head that tilts forward, a tense neck, postures that have become common in the digital age, disrupt cervical balance.
However, the connections between the cervical nerves and the trigeminus constitute one of the crossroads of migraine pain. Recurrent postural tensions can therefore promote or trigger headaches.
Migraine: how to know if your jaw is involved?
Not all migraines come from the jaw. Nor does all jaw pain create a migraine. But the association is today sufficiently solid to justify clinical interest, especially in patients who escape usual solutions.
In practice this can mean:
- questioning their nocturnal habits (grinding, clenching),
- monitor tension upon waking,
- pay attention to crunches, sensations of blockage,
- consult a TMJ specialist if symptoms are clustered.
Treatments for TMD, when indicated, are not invasive: education, targeted physiotherapy, exercises, postural re-education, sometimes an occlusal splint.
For doctors: towards a more transversal approach
This association between migraine and TMD invites a change of perspective. For neurologists as for dentists, it is about considering the patient as a whole. The temporomandibular joint remains little explored in migraine consultations. However, a simple muscle palpation or a few targeted questions can point towards an unknown TMD.
Professionals emphasize the need for multidisciplinary care: neurologist, dentist, specialized physiotherapist, sometimes ENT or posturologist.
NAMELY
Bruxism affects between 8% and 31% of adults. This behavior, frequently linked to stress, is one of the factors that can increase jaw tension… and potentially contribute to the appearance of headaches in certain people.
