# Pain in the jaw joint (TMJ pain)
The jaw joint is one of the most active joints in the human body. It is used by us for speaking, chewing, swallowing, yawning, smiling, and more. The jaw joint continues to be active even in our sleep, when we clench our teeth or swallow the saliva in the oral cavity. The jaw joints are located in a dense area with anatomical structures and sensory and motor nerve fibers. Behind the joint is the ear, in front of it is the temple muscle and the eye, above it is the base of the skull and the brain, and below it is the angle of the lower jaw and the neck. Pain in the jaw joint can radiate to any of these structures, so many times the patient complains of ear pain for example when the source of the problem is in the jaw joints.
Below is a list of the main disorders that can cause pain in the jaw joint:
- Locking the jaw joint
- Inflammation of the jaw joint
- Clicks in the jaw joint
- Dislocation of the jaw joint
- Myofascial pain
- Bruxism
- Condylar hyperplasia
- Neural pain
- Tumors in the jaw joint or nearby structures
In order for the doctor to arrive at a correct diagnosis, it is very important to thoroughly gather the details and history of the patient's complaint. The pain must be characterized in terms of its exact location, projection to nearby areas, factors that aggravate and alleviate it, response to previous treatments, the appearance of pain depending on the hours and activities of the day, and more. In addition, one should ask about other pains in the body and the patient's medical background. The second step in the investigation process is the clinical examination, and the third step is the imaging. Common imaging studies for diagnosing joint problems are the panoramic X-ray, cephalometric X-ray, CT, MRI, and technetium bone scan.