TMJ pain affects your jaw joint and other areas of your body. Your entire body is impacted, but possibly more significantly, it can rewire your brain so that even slight touches cause pain and make it difficult for you to concentrate on cognitive tasks. Does TMJ dysfunction influence your entire body without your knowledge? Try placing your fingers on either side of your face in front of your ears. Repeatedly open and shut your mouth slowly. Move your jaw now in a lateral motion. Do your fingertips brush up against the bony protrusion as your jaw moves? Your temporomandibular joint, or TMJ for short, allows you to move your jaw in various ways. Moving your jaw might be challenging and even painful when that joint isn't functioning correctly. Additionally, because everything in our bodies is interconnected, having trouble moving your jaw might have repercussions that add to other health problems.