TMJ Pain Relief. Without Surgery.
Bite guards and exercises only go so far. We use ultrasound to see your jaw joint, then deliver medication precisely where it's needed. No surgery. No hospital stay.
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Quick Overview
See the Joint. Treat the Joint.
Bite guards protect your teeth but don't treat the inflamed joint itself. We use ultrasound to see your TMJ in real time, then deliver anti-inflammatory medication directly into the joint space. The injection goes exactly where it's needed — not into surrounding tissue.
What That Means for You
- Treats the source — targets joint inflammation, not just symptoms
- Precise, low-risk — ultrasound shows the joint on screen, so medication goes exactly where needed
- Relief that can last months — and repeatable if needed, unlike surgery
- Office-based, 20-30 minutes — no hospital, local anesthesia, same-day recovery
Needle positioned at the TMJ — medication delivered directly into the joint space.
Your Doctor
Dr. Tariq Sinan — Interventional Radiologist
- Specialized fellowship in image-guided procedures — Dublin, Ireland
- 37 years international experience in interventional radiology
- Associate Professor, Kuwait University (16 years)
- Fellow, Royal College of Surgeons (Ireland) and Royal College of Radiologists (London)
- Fluent in English and Arabic — trained and practiced in Ireland and Canada
The Full Story
For those who want to understand the approach in depth
Why Bite Guards Aren't Enough
The bite guard protects your teeth at night. It reduces grinding pressure. That's useful — but it doesn't treat the joint itself.
When your TMJ is inflamed, a guard won't reduce that inflammation. When the muscles around your jaw are locked in spasm, plastic between your teeth won't release them.
Exercises help some people. Relaxation techniques help others. But if you've been doing both for months and you're still waking up with jaw pain, the problem isn't your effort. The problem is inflammation inside the joint that needs direct treatment.
A bite guard manages symptoms. A steroid injection targets the source — the inflamed joint itself.
Why See It to Treat It
The temporomandibular joint is small and sits in a crowded neighborhood — near your ear canal, facial nerves, and blood vessels. Injecting blindly means guessing.
With ultrasound, we see the joint on screen in real time. We watch the needle enter the joint space. Medication goes exactly where it's needed — not into surrounding tissue, not into structures that shouldn't be touched.
You can watch the needle on the ultrasound screen. This isn't "inject and hope." It's precision guidance.
How It Works
Locate the joint
The ultrasound shows your TMJ clearly — the bone surfaces, the joint space, the surrounding structures. We identify exactly where the inflammation is.
Guide the needle
A thin needle enters the joint space while we watch on screen. You'll feel pressure, but the area is numbed first.
Deliver the steroid
A corticosteroid goes directly into the joint space. It reduces inflammation at the source — where the pain is coming from.
Walk out
The procedure takes 20-30 minutes. You go home the same day. Most people return to normal activities immediately.
What It Treats
TMJ problems show up in different ways. This approach may help if you have:
- Jaw pain when chewing or talking
- Clicking, popping, or grinding sounds in the joint
- Limited jaw opening — can't open your mouth fully
- Pain that spreads to your ear, temple, or neck
- Headaches that seem connected to jaw tension
- Morning jaw stiffness from grinding at night
What to Expect
Some patients notice improvement within days as inflammation reduces. Others need a follow-up injection. Results depend on what's causing your TMJ problem and how long it's been going on.
This isn't a permanent fix for everyone. But for many patients, targeted injection provides relief that conservative treatments couldn't achieve — and avoids the risks and recovery time of surgery.
If injection therapy doesn't provide enough relief, surgical options remain open. Nothing has been cut. No bridges have been burned.
Common Questions
Is this just a painkiller injection?
No. We inject a corticosteroid — an anti-inflammatory medication — directly into the joint space. It reduces inflammation, which is causing your pain. A painkiller masks pain; this targets what's causing it.
How long does relief last?
It varies. Some patients get months of relief from a single injection. Others may need repeat treatments. We'll discuss your specific situation during consultation.
Does it hurt?
You'll feel a pinch from the local anesthetic. During the procedure, you may feel some pressure, but it shouldn't be painful. Most patients tolerate it well.
Can I eat afterwards?
Yes, but stick to soft foods for a day or two. Avoid hard chewing while any numbness wears off.
What if it doesn't work?
Some patients need more than one injection. If injection therapy doesn't help, you still have all your surgical options available — this treatment doesn't close any doors.
Should I keep wearing my bite guard?
Usually yes. The injection treats current inflammation; the bite guard prevents further damage from grinding. They work together.
Tired of Living With Jaw Pain?
Find out if ultrasound-guided injection can help.
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