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Jaw pain that won't go away usually didn't start at the jaw.
Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ or TMD) affects an estimated one in three Australians at some point in their lives. Most people who go looking for help walk into a dentist's office expecting a splint, or a physiotherapist's office expecting stretches. Those things sometimes help. But when the pain keeps coming back, it usually means something upstream is being missed.
The jaw sits at the crossroads of a lot of systems: the nervous system, the cervical spine, the airway, the muscles of chewing, the sleep cycle, the stress response, and the emotional patterns we hold in our face without realising it. When the pain persists, more than one of those systems is usually involved.
This self-screening looks at the whole picture. In about two minutes it walks you through 23 questions covering symptoms, functional impact, likely drivers, and history. At the end you get a personalised summary showing your score, the sections that are contributing most, the specific drivers that came up for you, and a clear recommendation for what to do next.
What the screening covers
The questions are grouped into four areas your osteopath would explore in an initial consult:
Symptoms. How often the jaw hurts, clicks, locks, or refers pain into the head, neck, or ears.
Functional impact. How the pain is affecting eating, sleep, mood, work, and social life. This tells us how urgent things have become.
Drivers. The upstream factors that keep the pain coming back: clenching and grinding, chronic stress, disrupted sleep, mouth breathing and airway issues, recent trauma or impact, and dental history.
History. How long this has been going on, what you've already tried, and what did or didn't help.
What you get at the end
A personalised results page showing your score, the tier your symptoms fall into, a breakdown of which sections are contributing most, and the likely drivers identified for you specifically. You can print the summary or save it as a PDF to keep, and there's a clear next step based on where your results sit.
If your results suggest an assessment would help, you can book an online appointment directly from the results page. If your score is low, you'll get some guidance on what to be aware of and how to keep things stable.
Who this screening is for
If any of these sound familiar, the results will be useful for you.
You've tried the usual and it hasn't stuck
Splints, physio, dental work, painkillers. Some of it helped for a while, none of it fixed the underlying pattern. The pain keeps circling back.
You suspect your jaw is only part of the story
You've noticed the headaches, the neck stiffness, the disrupted sleep, the way stress lands in your face. You want a screening that looks at the whole picture.
You're neurodivergent and want to be understood
Your nervous system runs a bit differently, and you've been dismissed or misread by practitioners before. This screening is designed with that in mind.
Hi, I'm Simone.
I'm an osteopath and the founder of West Osteopathy in Hoppers Crossing. My clinical focus is TMJ pain, chronic headaches, and the kind of persistent, hard-to-explain symptoms that have often already seen a dozen other practitioners.
I built this screening because I kept seeing the same story: people arriving in pain, having been told the jaw is the problem, when the jaw is really just where the pattern was showing up loudest.
Find out more about my approach →Questions people ask before taking this
What is TMJ, and how is it different to TMD?
TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint, the hinge that connects your jaw to your skull. TMD (temporomandibular disorder) is the term for dysfunction of that joint and the muscles around it. Most people use "TMJ" as shorthand for both. Symptoms include jaw pain, clicking or popping, locking, headaches, neck pain, and ear symptoms like ringing or fullness.
Is this quiz a diagnosis?
No. This is a self-screening tool designed to help you understand your symptoms and the patterns behind them. It gives you a personalised summary and a clear next step, but only a qualified clinician can diagnose TMJ or TMD. If your results suggest something worth investigating, you can book an assessment with Simone directly from the results page.
How long does the screening take?
About two minutes. There are 23 multiple-choice questions and one screen at the start with a brief intro. Most people finish in well under three minutes, even taking their time.
What do I get at the end?
A personalised results page with your score, the tier your symptoms fall into (Minimal, Mild, Moderate, or Significant), a breakdown of which areas are contributing most, and the likely drivers identified for you. You can print the summary or save it as a PDF, and there's a clear recommendation for what to do next based on your results.
Do you treat neurodivergent patients differently?
Yes, and that's central to how I practice. Neurodivergent nervous systems often present with different sensory profiles, higher rates of hypermobility and dysautonomia, different pain thresholds, and different needs for how information is delivered and how a session is paced. My approach adapts to the person, not the other way around. Whether you're autistic, ADHD, AuDHD, or self-identify as neurodivergent without a formal diagnosis, you're welcome here.
Where is your clinic and do you offer online appointments?
West Osteopathy is in Hoppers Crossing, in Melbourne's western suburbs. I see patients in person at the clinic and offer online appointments for consultations, follow-ups, and TMJ assessments where hands-on work isn't the priority. You can book either directly from the results page or through the main contact page.
Splints, stretches, painkillers, injections.
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