We help active people in the Atlanta area take control of their health and wellness today so they may thrive and enjoy the best years ahead.
Personalized, one-on-one care for jaw pain, clicking, and TMJ dysfunction, from a team that treats the whole system, not just the symptom.
Pop Quiz: Can You Find Your TMJ?
A quick anatomy lesson.
Place your fingers just ahead of your ears. Open and close your mouth. Those joints you feel moving are your temporomandibular joints.
Their job is to connect your lower jaw bone to your skull. When working well, your temporomandibular joints allow you to talk and eat and sing and laugh and blow bubbles, totally pain-free.
TMJ dysfunction, sometimes called TMJ syndrome or simply "TMJ," develops when the muscles, nerves, and other tissues supporting these joints become damaged or disordered.
Do these symptoms sound familiar? You could have a testy TMJ
If you have been dealing with jaw pain, jaw clicking, jaw popping, or a sense that something in your bite just is not right, you are in the right place. The most common signs of TMJ dysfunction include:
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Pain in the jaw that may radiate into the head, face, neck, and shoulders
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Stiffness and reduced mobility in the jaw
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The feeling that your jaw is about to lock
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Clicks, pops, or grating sensations in your jaw
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Misalignment of the upper and lower teeth
Symptoms like these can come and go, but when they are around, they can be genuinely uncomfortable. Functionize offers TMJ treatment in Dunwoody and the greater Atlanta area that gets you efficient and noticeable symptom relief.
And we try not to stop there.
TMJ symptoms often don't show up alone
Here is something we love about human bodies (including yours): signs and symptoms act like road signs. If we pay attention to them, we can usually find our way to the root of what is actually going on.
That is exactly where we want to start if we are looking for true healing.
TMJ dysfunction is a great example. Many people who come to us with signs of TMJ issues also have chronic fatigue, mood disorders, fibromyalgia, or similar conditions. Their stress levels are often elevated. They often have unexamined posture problems that repeatedly strain the jaw, neck, and upper back.
These correlated issues are not coincidence. They are your body’s way, in its innate wisdom, of telling you that something is off.
At Functionize, we help you listen and respond to your body with a holistic, YOU-centered approach. That means you will not just leave here with fewer symptoms. You will leave with a real understanding of what has been driving them, and the tools to keep your jaw, your posture, and your whole system on the right track long after your care with us is complete.
What to Expect From Your TMJ Treatment
Whether your TMJ issues "came out of nowhere" or trace back to a specific incident like a car accident, dental work, or a period of high stress, our physical therapists can help.
Every visit at Functionize is one-on-one with your specialist for a full 50 to 60 minutes. That means undivided attention, real time to work through what your body is telling us, and a plan built entirely around your specific case. Not a shared block on a busy clinic floor.
Your care may include:
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Full body postural screen and functional assessment
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Hands-on manual therapy techniques
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Gentle exercises to support posture, core stability, and jaw mechanics
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Educational discussions about topics like stress management, sleep, and daily habits contributing to symptoms
We know you are laser-focused on finding lasting solutions to your TMJ pain. Let us walk with you and select the right combination of services to help your body heal well.
Common TMJ Concerns We Help With
Jaw Clicking and Locking
When the disc inside your jaw joint stops moving smoothly, you might notice clicking, popping, or that unsettling moment where your jaw catches or locks up entirely. We work to restore the joint mechanics and muscle coordination that keep your jaw moving the way it is supposed to, so opening, chewing, and speaking start feeling easy again.
TMJ-Related Headaches
Not every headache is a headache. Many of the tension headaches and around-the-temple aches our patients describe actually trace back to jaw dysfunction and the shared muscle and nerve pathways between the jaw, neck, and base of the skull. Addressing what is happening at the source often quiets what is happening at the top.
Bruxism and Clenching
Chronic clenching and grinding put your jaw muscles and joints under enormous, repetitive load, often without you realizing it is happening. Our care focuses on reducing that muscle guarding, calming the nervous system patterns driving the clench, and building awareness of the daily habits contributing to it.
Neck Pain Connected to Your Jaw
Your jaw and your neck are more of a team than most people realize. When the neck lacks the stability and mobility it needs, the jaw compensates. And when the jaw is overworked, the neck feels it. We treat the two together, because that is how the body actually works.
TMJ dysfunction rarely looks the same from one person to the next. What starts as a click, a pinch, or a passing headache can turn into a daily distraction if the root of it goes unaddressed. Here are a few of the specific concerns we most often help our patients work through.
You Deserve a TMJ Specialist Team You Can Trust
At Functionize, we take our role as local wellness providers very seriously, and we have a lot of fun while we are at it.
Our TMJ specialists bring years of physical therapy experience to every session, including more than a decade in the field before Functionize was founded in Dunwoody. That depth shows up in how we assess, how we treat, and how we teach the people who trust us with their care.
If you are concerned about TMJ symptoms and are ready to experience results in a healing, inviting, and engaging environment, we would love to meet you.
Call us at 404.907.4196, email info@functionizehealth.com, or click the button below to schedule your initial Discovery visit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a TMJ specialist do?
A TMJ specialist evaluates and treats the jaw joint along with everything that influences it, including posture, neck mobility, breathing patterns, and soft tissue in the surrounding area. Rather than focusing only on the jaw itself, a specialist looks at the whole system to find and address what is actually driving the dysfunction.
Is jaw clicking always a sign of TMJ dysfunction?
Not always. Occasional jaw clicking without pain or functional limitation is common and often benign. Clicking that comes with pain, locking, limited motion, or that has changed over time is worth having evaluated to understand what is happening beneath the surface.
How long does TMJ physical therapy take to show results?
Most patients notice meaningful improvement within a few sessions. The full course of care depends on how long symptoms have been present and what is contributing to them, and progress is reassessed as we go.
Can TMJ pain really be connected to my neck or posture?
Yes. The jaw, neck, and upper back function as an interconnected system, and dysfunction in one area regularly affects the others. Posture and cervical spine mobility are frequent contributors to TMJ symptoms, which is why a whole-body assessment is central to how we approach care.