HiI experience bad pain my my jaw on a frequent basis and it is something I have put up with for a long time now. It can get to the point when I am unable to open my mouth wide / chew food etc. It pretty much locks.I am also experiencing a tension in my neck. Almost as though someone is grabbing me by the neck and I have had this now for a few months. I was wondering whether the pain from my jaw could in anyway be connected to my neck problem?
Hello and welcome.  Thanks for writing your query.  Pain and difficulty in opening the mouth are the sings of Temporomandibular joint problems. TMJ problems may arise due to altered biting habits may lead to pain in front of ears. This makes mouth opening, biting and swallowing difficult.  Teeth grinding habit often alters the biting habit and leads to causal disharmony.  Exact diagnosis can be made only after clinical examination. So please visit a dentist and get the evaluation done.  You may need an OPG radiograph done for you, which will help in ruling out the problem. Accordingly, treatment can be planned.  I hope this helps, take care.