If you’ve been treating your neck pain for months but it always creeps back, there may be more going on beneath the surface. Many people focus only on the neck, but the jaw often plays a much bigger role than they realize — especially when it comes to chronic neck pain that doesn’t seem to improve with traditional care.
Most people try massage, chiropractic adjustments, or stretching when their neck feels tight. The relief feels good — but it rarely lasts.
That’s because the root cause isn’t always in the neck itself. If your jaw is tight, misaligned, or overworked, it can constantly pull on the muscles that support your head and neck. Over time, that imbalance creates chronic neck pain, headaches, and stiffness that keep coming back no matter how many times you stretch or adjust. This is one of the most common neck pain causes our team sees at Therapy X.
Our chiropractors are trained to look beyond the surface and assess whether jaw dysfunction — also known as TMJ disorder — may be contributing to your ongoing pain.
Your temporomandibular joint (TMJ) connects directly to muscles that stabilize your neck and shoulders. When your TMJ is misaligned or irritated, it sends tension through the surrounding areas — including your upper neck, head, and even your shoulder blades.
The result? What feels like neck pain that won’t go away could actually be a problem that starts in your jaw alignment. This is especially common in people who clench or grind their teeth, or spend hours in front of a screen with their head tilted forward.
Because the TMJ shares muscle, fascia, and nerve connections with the neck, TMJ symptoms often show up as neck stiffness, shoulder tightness, or headaches rather than direct jaw pain. Recognizing this overlap is key to long-term neck pain relief.
You might not even realize your jaw is part of the issue. Look for these subtle signs:
If any of these sound familiar, your jaw misalignment and neck stiffness are likely connected — and could be signs of TMJ disorder.
At Therapy X, we look beyond the surface symptoms. Our integrated approach means your chiropractor, physiotherapist, registered massage therapist, and/or acupuncturist work together to treat the full picture — not just the pain.
By combining these treatments, we reduce strain from every angle — helping you move and feel better for the long term.
Many of our clients in Vancouver come in for chronic neck pain and are surprised to learn how much their jaw contributes. After integrated care, they often report:
If you’ve been wondering why your neck pain won’t go away, it might be time to look at your jaw.
Ready to uncover the missing link? Book an appointment with one of our expert chiropractors in South Granville, Vancouver, at Therapy X. Our team will assess your jaw, neck, and posture to find — and fix — what’s really behind your pain.
With care,
Therapy X Collective