[Sandol News]
Dr. Choe Gawon publishes a review in the SCI(E) journal “Medicina”
— Temporomandibular disorders, beyond the face
Does your jaw click or ache — yet you also, oddly, have stiff neck and shoulders or headaches? A narrative review co-authored, as first author, by Dr. Choe Gawon of Sandol Korean Medicine Clinic has been published in the SCI(E) journal Medicina. The paper summarizes how temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are not confined to the jaw but can extend to the cervical spine and the wider musculoskeletal system, to headache, and to the central nervous system. When symptoms appear together across several areas, the jaw alone may not be the whole story.
Among people troubled by TMD, it is not uncommon to also report stiff, painful neck and shoulders, recurring headaches, teeth grinding, facial asymmetry, tinnitus, disc problems, knee pain, and a frequently twisted ankle. A long-standing interest in how these symptoms connect has now borne fruit in a single study.
In August 2026, a paper submitted, as first author, by Dr. Choe Gawon of Sandol Korean Medicine Clinic was published in the SCI(E) journal Medicina. The corresponding author is Professor Ji Hye Hwang of Gachon University. It is a narrative review that sees TMD not as a problem of the jaw alone, but in connection with the whole-body musculoskeletal and nervous systems.
Do you have any of these together?
If several of the following apply, the problem may not be the jaw alone.
- You wake in the morning feeling as if your whole body has been beaten
- Your jaw clicks or aches when you open your mouth or chew
- Along with the jaw, your neck and shoulders are often stiff and sore
- You have recurring headaches
- You have facial asymmetry
- You have a habit of sleeping face-down
- Your ears feel blocked or you often get tinnitus
- Without clear reason, your knees often hurt and your ankle twists easily
- Pain does not settle even after visiting several clinics
This is exactly the point the paper makes. TMD is entangled with tension and pain in the cervical spine and the wider musculoskeletal system, is frequently accompanied by tension-type headache and migraine, and when pain persists over a long period it can lead to changes in the central pain-control network (central sensitization), sometimes worsening to a degree that painkillers no longer control. In other words, the root of pain scattered across several areas — and of pain that is hard to control — may unexpectedly lie in one place: the jaw.
If jaw problems keep coming with neck and shoulder pain or headaches, a consultation from the perspective of TMJ balancing medicine may help.
The key that regulates the whole body lies in the jaw
The jaw is a joint that never stops for 24 hours. Not only when we are awake, but even while we sleep, we swallow saliva without pause. It is also the only joint in the body where two joints, left and right, move at the same time. When that symmetry breaks down the jaw shifts, and the force of swallowing gradually shifts the neck bones as well.
The jaw is closely connected to the head and cervical spine, the chewing muscles, and posture. This is precisely why the jaw cannot help but affect the whole body.
This review brings that connection together from the latest literature, showing that TMD should be examined within a whole-body context.
How Sandol sees it — TMJ balancing medicine
In keeping with the paper's perspective, Sandol Korean Medicine Clinic approaches the problem through TMJ balancing medicine, examining not the jaw alone but the balance of the jaw together with the posture of the cervical spine and whole body, and the nervous system. Drawing on clinical experience deep enough to be set out and published in an international journal, we offer consultations that view symptoms across several areas from a single perspective. The full paper is available below.
Frequently asked questions
I have a TMJ disorder along with headaches and neck stiffness. Are they related?
As this review summarizes, TMD is frequently linked with tension and pain in the cervical spine and the wider musculoskeletal system, and with tension-type headache and migraine. If several areas are affected at once, we recommend a consultation that looks at the whole body, not the jaw alone.
Where should I seek care for these symptoms?
A perspective that considers the jaw and the whole body together is needed. From the standpoint of TMJ balancing medicine, Sandol Korean Medicine Clinic assesses the jaw, cervical spine, posture and nervous system together.
How does a consultation proceed?
We review your symptoms and history, assess the balance of the jaw, cervical spine and posture, and then discuss a direction suited to your condition. Details can be confirmed by phone or through a booking consultation.
Could knee pain or a frequently twisted ankle also be related to the jaw?
When the jaw is misaligned, the neck and shoulders shift with it and the body sways more while walking. An unsteady gait places greater load on the pelvis, knees and ankles the further down it goes, and repeated exposure to this unnecessary load makes the knees and ankles more prone to injury. Even when tests are normal but pain persists, or when degenerative change is already present, assessing the jaw — one of the centers that regulate posture — together with the rest often helps, so we encourage you to seek a consultation.
Published paper
Choe G, Hwang JH. Temporomandibular Disorders Beyond Orofacial Pain: A Narrative Review of Musculoskeletal, Headache, and Central Nervous System Implications. Medicina (Kaunas). 2026;62(8):1546. doi:10.3390/medicina62081546
If jaw problems keep coming with neck and shoulder pain, headaches or tinnitus, consider a consultation from the perspective of TMJ balancing medicine.
This news item announces an academic activity of Sandol Korean Medicine Clinic; the symptom self-check above is for reference only and does not replace a medical diagnosis. The cited paper is a narrative review of the links between TMD and the musculoskeletal system, headache and the central nervous system, and does not guarantee a treatment outcome for any individual patient. Please confirm symptoms and treatment plans through consultation with your treating clinician.