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The Source / A field guide to feeling better

Head & Jaw

A headache, a spinning sensation and an aching jaw can share a neighborhood without sharing a cause.

Take a closer look Read the research
02 / Look a little closer

Can you point to it?

Front view of head & jaw
01Temple02Jaw joint & chewing muscles03Back of the head

Select a label to explore its side of the body

One region. Different questions.

Choose the closest area.

Select a point on the close-up, or choose below. You’ll find possible explanations, questions to bring to a visit, and the evidence behind the discussion.

Body areaCloser lookUnderstanding

Location helps you explore. An examination helps explain the cause.

About the anatomy

Still views rendered from the same detailed model used on our homepage. Markers indicate approximate areas, not a diagnosis or an exact pain source. Both sides of the body are covered by each guide. BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science, CC BY 4.0. Model & rendering credits.

Put the symptoms in context

Start with the pattern: when symptoms began, how long they last, what brings them on and whether vision, balance or chewing has changed. A guide can help you prepare questions; an examination determines which questions matter for you.

Follow the question

Explore head & jaw

These guides describe possibilities, not a diagnosis. Each explains what to ask, where the evidence applies and when another kind of care is needed.

Choose the question before the treatment

If your main concern is pain with chewing, start with jaw pain and TMD. If it is an episode of spinning, read vertigo before assuming that the neck is responsible. The headache guide separates neck-related headaches from other patterns and includes urgent warning signs.

A useful symptom record includes timing, duration, associated symptoms and the activities you stopped doing. For a jaw problem, add any recent dental work or injury and whether the jaw locks.

Read the evidence by diagnosis

The TMD review below concerns persistent jaw-related pain. It cannot establish a treatment for migraine or unexplained dizziness. Follow each condition card for research matched to that question. Dental, medical and musculoskeletal assessments answer different questions; more than one may be appropriate.

Follow the evidence

Research, with context.

Published sources behind the discussion. Read the findings alongside the limits; a study is not a diagnosis or a promise of a result.

  1. Systematic review & network meta-analysis 2023

    Management of chronic pain secondary to temporomandibular disorders: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised trials

    Yao et al. BMJ

    153 trials involving 8,713 participants contributed to the network analyses of chronic TMD pain.

    What it foundAmong comparisons with more certain evidence, approaches supporting movement and coping improved pain. These included selected supervised exercises, mobilization and psychological approaches.

    What it cannot tell usCertainty varied by treatment and outcome. Evidence about adverse events was low or very low certainty. This is not evidence for treating every headache or acute jaw injury.

    Publication details & citation

    Yao et al. Management of chronic pain secondary to temporomandibular disorders: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised trials. BMJ. 2023. DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2023-076226.

    Read the publication record
    Find this in the research library

Read our editorial policy for how sources and clinical review are identified.

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