Tinnitus, TMD and Your Jaw: Understanding Somatosensory Tinnitus
Tinnitus is often described as hearing a sound that isn’t coming from an external source. People may notice ringing, buzzing, hissing, roaring, humming or whooshing in one or both ears.
One particular type, called somatosensory tinnitus, has a strong link with the musculoskeletal system, especially the jaw (TMJ) and neck. This is where Synchrony’s work in orofacial pain and TMD intersects with tinnitus care.
What is Somatosensory Tinnitus?
Somatosensory tinnitus is tinnitus that can be influenced by movement or position of the body, particularly the head, neck, jaw, face or shoulders.
You might notice that your tinnitus changes when you:
Turn or tilt your head
Clench your teeth or move your jaw
Press or stretch certain muscles around your neck, jaw or face
Unlike tinnitus that arises purely from the inner ear or auditory system, somatosensory tinnitus involves cross-talk between sensory pathways: input from muscles and joints can influence how sound is processed by the brain.
How Common Is This?
Research suggests that a large proportion of people with tinnitus can change the loudness, pitch or quality of their tinnitus by moving or contracting muscles of the head and neck. Some studies report that around two-thirds of people with tinnitus can modulate their symptoms this way (Rocha & Sanchez, 2012).
This doesn’t automatically mean that every person will improve with musculoskeletal treatment, but it does tell us there is a meaningful relationship between the neck/jaw system and the auditory system.
When tinnitus reduces during physical assessment or treatment, this tends to be a positive sign. In some studies, most people who experienced an improvement during treatment maintained those benefits afterwards, often alongside a reduction in muscle tenderness and trigger point pain.
Tinnitus and the TMJ (Jaw Joint)
The link between temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD) and tinnitus is well-established in the literature:
People who have both tinnitus and TMD are often younger, more likely to be female, and generally have better hearing than those with tinnitus alone.
TMD is considered a strong predictor of tinnitus, second only to headaches in some epidemiological research (Ralli et al., 2017).
Several studies report that tinnitus occurs far more frequently in people with TMJ disorders, some estimates suggest up to an eight-fold increase compared with the general population (Buergers et al., 2015).
Encouragingly, treating TMJ disorders has been shown to help some people reduce their tinnitus:
In one follow-up study, about 43% of patients maintained a decrease in tinnitus two years after TMJ treatment (Tullberg & Ernberg, 2006).
Another study using a combination of cognitive approaches, bite splints and home exercises for TMD found significant improvements in tinnitus symptoms (Wright & Bifano, 1997).
Research combining occlusal stabilisation (a type of splint) with physiotherapy, including muscle stretching, massage, thermotherapy, TMJ traction and coordination exercises, reported tinnitus improvement in around 44% of participants (Manfredini et al., 2014).
These results highlight that, for some people, addressing jaw and neck function can play an important role in managing tinnitus.
Could Your Tinnitus Be Somatosensory?
These questions can help you explore whether your tinnitus may have a somatosensory component:
Does your tinnitus worsen when your jaw or neck pain flares up?
Do you have tinnitus without obvious age-related hearing loss or ear disease?
Does your tinnitus seem to spike with stress or muscle tension?
Can you change the pitch, volume or quality of your tinnitus by:
Clenching or moving your jaw?
Pressing on certain muscles in your neck or face?
Turning, bending or rotating your head?
If you answered “yes” to some of these questions, particularly if you also have jaw pain, clicking, neck tension or headaches, it may be worth exploring treatment focusing on your TMJ, neck and surrounding musculature, alongside appropriate medical or audiology assessment.
How Synchrony Approaches Somatosensory Tinnitus & TMD
At Synchrony, we work with people whose tinnitus appears to be linked with jaw, neck and orofacial pain. Our approach is:
Whole-person – considering the jaw, neck, nervous system, stress, sleep, beliefs and daily habits
Evidence-informed – drawing from current research in musculoskeletal pain, TMD and somatosensory tinnitus
Collaborative – happy to liaise with your GP, dentist, ENT, audiologist, neurologist or orofacial pain specialist
We aim to help you understand why your symptoms behave the way they do, and to create a plan that feels realistic, kind and sustainable.
What Treatment at Synchrony May Include
Treatment is tailored to your specific presentation, but may involve:
Detailed Assessment
Of your jaw, neck, posture, movement patterns, muscle tension, habits and symptom behaviour—including how your tinnitus responds to different movements or positions.Manual Therapy
Gentle, targeted techniques for the jaw, neck and upper back to improve mechanics, reduce muscle overactivity and ease local pain.Intra- and Extra-oral Myofascial Release
Hands-on treatment for muscles inside and outside the mouth to address trigger points and tension that may be contributing to both jaw pain and tinnitus.Dry Needling and/or Acupuncture (where appropriate)
To calm overactive muscles, reduce trigger point pain and support nervous-system regulation.Individualised Rehabilitation Exercises
Exercises to restore range of motion, strength, coordination and control in the TMJ and neck, without overloading sensitive structures.Posture & Movement Re-education
Exploring how your working, sleeping and daily movement habits may be feeding into your symptoms, and finding more supportive alternatives.Psychoeducation & Self-Management Strategies
Clear explanations about pain, tinnitus and the nervous system, plus practical tools such as:Cognitive and behavioural strategies (CBT-informed)
Relaxation and nervous system regulation techniques
Home strategies to manage flare-ups and support long-term change
Our goal is not only to reduce pain and tinnitus where possible, but also to help you feel more in control, less fearful and better equipped to manage your symptoms over time.
When to Seek Help
It may be worth booking an appointment at Synchrony (and speaking with your GP or audiologist/ENT) if:
You have tinnitus plus jaw pain, clicking, locking or facial pain
Your tinnitus fluctuates with neck or jaw tension, posture or stress
You notice headaches, dizziness, ear fullness or pressure alongside tinnitus
Medical or audiology assessments have ruled out serious pathology, but you’re still struggling with day-to-day symptoms
You feel unsure whether your jaw and neck might be contributing to what you hear
You don’t need a referral to see us, but we’re happy to work closely with your other health providers.
Next Steps
If you’re living with tinnitus and suspect your jaw or neck may be part of the picture, you’re not imagining it, and you don’t have to navigate it alone.
You can book an assessment at Synchrony to map out how your jaw, neck and nervous system are interacting with your tinnitus.
· Together, we’ll develop a tailored plan that may include hands-on care, exercises, education and collaboration with your broader healthcare team.
While not every case of tinnitus is musculoskeletal or fully reversible, many people notice meaningful improvements in loudness, distress, pain and day-to-day impact when the jaw–neck–nervous system piece is addressed thoughtfully.
