TMJ and Jaw Pain Relief in Surprise, AZ
Jaw pain, clicking, a jaw that catches or will not open all the way, and the headaches that come with them are usually grouped under TMJ disorders, or TMD. At Legg Chiropractic and Acupuncture in Surprise, AZ, Dr. Derek M. Legg, D.C., M.P.H. takes the non-surgical approach the National Institutes of Health recommends first: an examination of the jaw and the neck together, gentle hands on care, dry needling or acupuncture for the clenched jaw muscles, and the habit changes that let the joint settle, alongside your dentist, never instead of them. New self pay patients start with the $49 first visit.
What is TMD, and what causes jaw pain?
The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research describes temporomandibular disorders as a group of more than 30 conditions that cause pain and dysfunction in the jaw joint and the muscles that control jaw movement. The exact cause is often unclear; research points to a combination of genes, stress, and how a person perceives pain, and the evidence does not support the old idea that a bad bite or braces cause it. The most common symptom is jaw pain, often spreading to the face or neck, with stiffness, limited opening, and clicking, popping or grinding in the joint.
Can a chiropractor help with TMJ pain?
For many patients, yes, as part of conservative care, and we are honest about the limits. The jaw joint sits just in front of the ear and shares muscles and nerves with the upper neck, so neck restriction and jaw clenching feed each other. Dr. Legg examines both. Care may include a gentle adjustment of the jaw joint and the upper neck, dry needling of the chewing muscles that stay clenched, acupuncture for the pain response, and the habit changes below. A 2016 systematic review in Physical Therapy found no high quality evidence for manual therapy and exercise in TMD, with low to moderate effects in the trials that exist, so no honest provider promises a result. Results may vary.
Why conservative care comes first
NIDCR's guidance is plain: experts recommend conservative treatments and avoiding treatments that permanently change the jaw joints, teeth, or bite, or involve surgery. It also notes that signs and symptoms of TMD go away without treatment for many people. That is the frame here. Everything we do is reversible, nothing changes your bite, and if you are not improving we say so and send you on.
What an examination for jaw pain looks like
Dr. Legg starts with your history: when it started, clenching or grinding, a blow to the jaw, dental work, headaches, and what makes it worse. The examination checks how far and how evenly the jaw opens, the joint and the chewing muscles for tenderness and trigger points, and the upper neck, which drives more jaw pain than most people expect. Digital X-rays are taken only when the examination raises a question a film can answer, usually about the neck rather than the jaw. Plan on about 45 minutes for a first visit, and you leave treated, not just evaluated.
What does treatment for TMJ pain include?
Four things, chosen from the examination and never as a routine. A gentle, low force adjustment of the jaw joint and the upper neck where motion is restricted. Dry needling of the masseter and temporalis trigger points that keep the jaw clenched. Acupuncture, sometimes with electrical stimulation, for the pain response and the guarded muscles. And education on the habits that keep reloading the joint. The adjustment and the needle work happen in the same visit; see chiropractic and acupuncture in one visit.
What can I do at home for jaw pain?
NIDCR's self care list is where we start: learn what your specific condition is, cut the habits that load the joint such as clenching, gum chewing and nail biting, use relaxation or breathing to lower jaw tension, and keep doing the activities that matter to you. Dr. Legg adds specifics for your case at the report of findings and puts them in writing.
Do you work with my dentist?
Yes, and we want to. Your dentist rules out tooth and bite causes and manages night guards; we manage the joint, the muscles and the neck. If a dentist or oral surgeon sent you, they get an update by phone whenever they want one. If what we find belongs with a dentist, an ENT, or a physician, we tell you on day one and point you there.
When is jaw pain an emergency?
A jaw that is locked open or closed after an injury, a blow to the face with swelling or a change in how the teeth meet, jaw pain with fever and facial swelling, or jaw pain that comes on with chest pressure, shortness of breath or sweating belongs in urgent or emergency care, not here. That is not a diagnosis, it is the line where you should be seen somewhere else first.
Does Medicare or insurance cover TMJ treatment?
Medicare covers medically necessary chiropractic spinal adjustments only. An adjustment of the jaw joint is an extremity adjustment and is not covered by Medicare; neither are acupuncture and dry needling by a chiropractor, nor X-rays ordered by a chiropractor. Those are self pay and quoted in writing before treatment. Most commercial plans follow similar rules for the jaw; we verify benefits after the first visit and before the second. See the insurance plans we accept and our Medicare page.
How many visits will I need?
It depends on how long the jaw has been irritated and what the examination shows. Some patients notice a change in the first two or three visits; others are on a longer plan with their dentist alongside. Dr. Legg gives you a specific plan and its price at your report of findings on visit two, with a stopping point, and you decide. No plan is sold on the first visit and there are no contracts.
Related care
Jaw pain often travels with headaches and migraines, neck pain, and the posture that comes with desk work; see our posture evaluation. Browse every condition we treat and all of our services, or read what happens at your first visit.
Who you will see
Dr. Derek M. Legg, D.C., M.P.H. earned his Doctor of Chiropractic at Logan University and his Master of Public Health at Grand Canyon University, is Certified in Acupuncture by the Arizona Board of Chiropractic Examiners, and was selected by his peers as a 2026 Top Chiropractor by PHOENIX magazine. You see Dr. Legg himself at every visit. Legg Chiropractic and Acupuncture is at 13757 W Bell Rd #101, Surprise, AZ 85374, located within Sheitelman Physical Medicine on West Bell Road, minutes from Sun City West, Sun City, El Mirage and Peoria. Walk in Monday through Thursday, 9:00 to 5:30, call (623) 214-7600, or schedule online.
Legg Chiropractic and Acupuncture, 13757 W Bell Rd #101, Surprise, AZ 85374. Call (623) 214-7600. Reviewed by Dr. Derek M. Legg, D.C., M.P.H. Last reviewed October 3, 2026. Sources: National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, TMD (nidcr.nih.gov/health-info/tmd); Armijo-Olivo et al., Physical Therapy, 2016.
$49 offer details: the $49 first visit price applies to new self pay patients and includes the consultation, chiropractic examination, digital X-rays if clinically necessary, a first adjustment, and a first acupuncture and dry needling treatment. The offer does not apply to Medicare, private insurance claims, workers' compensation cases, or auto accident and personal injury cases. Limited to one visit per new patient. Results may vary.