Facial pain for which no finding fits.
Diffuse pain at the cheek, temple or around the eyes. A nerve-like pulling. Dentist, ENT and neurology find nothing. In some of these cases the jaw system is involved – and that can be checked.
The most important point first: genuine trigeminal neuralgia is a separate neurological condition – lightning-like, very severe attacks of pain, often triggered by touch or chewing. It must first be assessed and treated neurologically, not through CMD diagnostics.
You should also have the following assessed by a doctor immediately:
- sudden one-sided facial paralysis
- sudden numbness in the face
- a visual disturbance
This is not a formality, but the point at which order matters.
This page goes deeper into the section Migraine-like headaches in our overview of complaints – for the part that plays out in the face.
Why often nothing is found where it hurts
The trigeminal nerve is the major sensory nerve of the face. It supplies the forehead, eye region, cheek, sinuses, teeth and jaw – and at the same time the chewing muscles and the jaw joint. Because so many structures are connected to the same nerve, irritation can trigger complaints at points that seem far away from the jaw.
That is exactly what explains why an examination where it hurts can remain without findings. This is no criticism of those who have treated you so far. Each specialty carefully examines its own area; the function of the jaw system is rarely measured, because it does not fall within that specialty's remit. Why this is so →
CMD is not the picture of a defective single part, but a reflex, nerve-driven misregulation: overloaded jaw muscles and unfavourable strain on the jaw joint can permanently irritate the nervous system in this region.
Patterns that point to the jaw system being involved
- One-sided, dull or burning facial pain that moves around and changes when chewing.
- Pressure behind the eye or temple, stronger in the morning – typical of clenching at night.
- Nerve-like complaints without findings, where neurology and ENT remain unremarkable.
- Accompanying signs at the jaw: clicking, a stiff jaw in the morning, tender cheek and temple muscles.
- With pressure behind the eyes, check as well: are your glasses or contact lenses up to date and correctly fitted? This question gets lost surprisingly often.
None of these patterns proves a connection on its own. They are a reason to look – no more and no less.
How we proceed
Measure first, then decide. In the CMD System Check we make muscle activity, chewing forces and the movement paths of the lower jaw objectively visible instead of estimating them. If a connection with the jaw system shows up, an individually planned positioning splint can relieve the muscles; physiotherapy, manual therapy and stress management are important and proven building blocks alongside, and we are glad to work with the professionals who provide them.
Our aim here: not just to dampen the pain, but to check the function behind it. Whether and how far the complaints change as a result differs individually and only becomes clear over time – we do not promise you that in advance.
If nothing is found in the jaw system, we tell you just as clearly. Then one possibility has been cleanly ruled out, and the search continues elsewhere.
The first step takes two minutes: the CMD self-test. If you would rather talk: the CMD strategy consultation takes place by phone and is free of charge.
Frequently asked questions
Can the jaw cause facial pain?
That is possible and professionally well understood. The chewing muscles, jaw joint and large parts of the face are connected to the same nerve, the trigeminal nerve. Constant overload in the jaw system can irritate this nerve and trigger complaints at more distant points in the face. Whether this applies to you can only be shown by an examination.
Is this the same as trigeminal neuralgia?
No. Trigeminal neuralgia is a neurological condition with lightning-like, very severe attacks and must first be assessed and treated neurologically. Complaints related to the jaw system have muscular and functional causes. The distinction is important and belongs at the beginning, not at the end.
Why does nobody find anything?
Because the examination takes place where it hurts, and the function of the jaw system is not measured there. That is not a failure on the part of those treating you, but a question of remit: each specialty checks its own area, and hardly anyone looks at the interplay in between as a whole.
When must I see a doctor immediately?
With sudden one-sided facial paralysis, sudden numbness in the face, a visual disturbance, very severe sudden head or facial pain, fever, or complaints after a fall: have it assessed immediately by a doctor or neurologist.
Is it coming from the jaw system? Take the self-test
Without obligation – with an initial assessment straight away.
Other patterns of complaints
CMD rarely shows itself in just one place. Do you recognise yourself here?