Treating TMJ Disorders - NAT Certification Course (3 CEUs)
Treating TMJ Dysfunction
A practical clinical course for massage and manual therapists working with jaw, facial, and related neck tension
TMJ dysfunction can be complex, frustrating, and highly individual. Clients may present with jaw discomfort, clicking, restricted opening, facial tension, headache patterns, neck involvement, or a general sense of tightness and imbalance around the jaw and surrounding tissues.
Treating TMJ Dysfunction is designed to help massage and manual therapists better understand this important clinical area and apply safe, structured, and practical treatment approaches with greater confidence.
This course brings together practical video tutorials, anatomy-focused learning, an illustrated workbook, and a comprehensive Clinical Companion Course designed to deepen understanding and support clinical reasoning.
A More Complete Learning Experience
Rather than presenting TMJ treatment as a set of isolated techniques, this course helps therapists understand the relationship between jaw function, key muscles, cervical involvement, client sensitivity, assessment, and practical treatment progression.
What’s Included
Practical Video Tutorials
Step-by-step treatment demonstrations presented by Stuart Hinds, showing safe and practical approaches to TMJ-related soft tissue work.
Anatomy Video Tutorials
Focused anatomy teaching covering key muscles and structures involved in jaw movement, dysfunction, and referred symptoms.
Illustrated Course Workbook
A supporting workbook to help reinforce anatomy, treatment concepts, assessment thinking, and clinical application.
Clinical Companion Course
A structured companion course designed to support retention, deepen clinical reasoning, and help therapists apply the material more confidently in practice.
What You’ll Learn
The course explores TMJ dysfunction from a practical manual therapy perspective, helping therapists understand how local jaw structures, facial muscles, masticatory muscles, cervical tissues, posture, movement habits, and sensitivity may all contribute to a client’s presentation.
The practical training supports therapists in developing a more structured approach to treatment — including careful positioning, appropriate pressure, external techniques, intraoral considerations where within scope, and the importance of communication and consent.
Understand the key structures involved in jaw movement, dysfunction, and symptom referral.
Develop a more thoughtful approach to observing jaw movement, tissue sensitivity, and related cervical involvement.
Explore hands-on techniques for TMJ-related soft tissues, including external and carefully scoped intraoral approaches.
Learn the importance of consent, sensitivity, positioning, pressure control, and professional boundaries.
Key Takeaway
Effective TMJ treatment is not about forcing the jaw or applying aggressive pressure. It is about careful assessment, precise technique, client comfort, appropriate scope of practice, and understanding the wider relationship between the jaw, face, neck, and nervous system.
Who This Course Is For
This course is ideal for massage therapists, manual therapists, bodyworkers, physiotherapists, rehabilitation professionals, and other qualified hands-on practitioners who want to better understand and treat TMJ-related presentations within their professional scope of practice.
It is especially useful for therapists who work with clients experiencing jaw tension, facial pain patterns, headaches, neck tension, postural strain, stress-related clenching, or movement restrictions around the jaw and cervical region.
About Stuart Hinds
Stuart Hinds is an internationally respected soft tissue therapist and educator with extensive experience working in clinical, sporting, and performance environments. His teaching is known for being practical, detailed, and strongly grounded in hands-on application.
In this course, Stuart demonstrates clear, structured approaches to TMJ-related treatment, helping therapists understand how to work sensitively and effectively with the jaw, facial tissues, cervical structures, and related soft tissue patterns.
Course Outcome
By the end of this course, you’ll have a stronger understanding of TMJ dysfunction and a clearer, more structured approach to applying safe and effective manual therapy techniques for jaw-related presentations.
NAT Certificates are issued for all courses and can be downloaded and printed online at no additional charge. Presentation frame not included.
