TMJ Specialist Portland: Gentle, Root-Cause TMJ Therapy

TMJ

If you’re dealing with jaw pain, clenching, clicking, headaches, or that stubborn ear pressure that never seems to go away, you’re in good company. TMJ symptoms are incredibly common—and most people spend years trying mouth guards, splints and Botox without ever addressing the actual root cause.

As a TMJ specialist in Portland with 20 years of bodywork experience, I take a gentle and holistic approach to help you experience real, lasting relief.

Let’s dive into what makes this approach different—and why it works.

Tmj specialist in portland becky higginson talking with a client and her child

Why TMJ Pain Happens (and Why So Many Treatments Don’t Work)

Most TMJ symptoms don’t come from “just stress” and they’re rarely solved with a night guard.
The real root cause is often a combination of:

  • chronic muscle tension

  • dysfunctional swallowing or tongue patterns

  • hypermobility

  • past injuries

  • nervous system dysregulation

  • total-body compensation patterns

Your jaw doesn’t exist in isolation—it's directly influenced by your tongue, neck, diaphragm, airway and posture, as well as your stress and trauma history.

A Gentle, Whole-Body Approach to TMJ Treatment

My work integrates:

  • Craniosacral therapy

  • Myofascial release

  • Myofunctional therapy

  • Nervous-system regulation

  • Inside the mouth TMJ work (gentle, effective, trauma-aware)

This approach helps your jaw unlearn painful patterns for lasting pain relief.

Who I Work With

The work mostly with people who are dealing with:

-headaches or migraines
-jaw pain, clicking or popping
-ear fullness or pressure
-hypermobility (diagnosed or undiagnosed)

These patterns are almost always intertwined with nervous system dysregulation. Together, we untangle what’s causing your symptoms and retrain your system so they don’t come back.

What TMJ Treatment Looks Like

Most clients begin with a structured 5-week program that includes:

  • Gentle hands-on TMJ therapy

  • Inside the mouth work (non-forceful, trauma-informed)

  • Nervous system practices

  • Myofunctional exercises to address tongue and swallow patterns

  • Home care that supports long-term change

Most people see substantial improvement within the first 5 sessions.
More chronic cases—especially disc displacement or long-term tension—can require several months of treatment.

But the goal is always the same:
Relief that lasts because the root cause has been addressed.

My Treatment Philosophy

My approach is:

Nervous-system aware
Trauma-informed
Holistic
Gentle and effective
Designed to create sustainable change—not quick fixes

Your jaw is not separate from your story. I work with both.

Ready for Relief?

As a TMJ specialist serving the Portland, Oregon area, I work with clients from Lake Oswego, Southwest Portland, Sellwood, Milwaukie, Tigard, Tualatin, Beaverton, and West Linn. If you’re searching for “TMJ treatment Portland,” “TMJ specialist near me,” or “jaw pain relief Portland,” my practice offers gentle, root-cause therapy designed to help you experience long-term relief.

👉 Book your free initial TMJ consult here.

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Who Is Craniosacral Therapy Good For?

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Why Your Clogged Ears Might Be a Tongue Issue: Understanding the TMJ–Ear Connection