JawSpace integrates Speechify to make TMD self-care more accessible

At JawSpace, our mission is to empower people living with Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) – conditions that cause jaw pain, limited mouth opening, headaches, and facial discomfort – with tools that are evidence-based, accessible, and emotionally supportive. As we developed Version 2 of the app, we wanted to enhance the experience for users during flare-ups, when even reading on a screen can feel like too much.

That’s why we were excited to get early access to Speechify’s API. This opportunity allowed us to provide direct feedback to the Speechify team, helping refine the experience and shape features that would truly serve those living with chronic orofacial pain.

By integrating Speechify’s text-to-speech API, JawSpace now transforms dense educational content and symptom guidance into natural-sounding audio. For people with TMD, this is a game-changer, especially during flare-ups when jaw pain, headaches, or fatigue make it difficult to concentrate, hold a phone, or even read comfortably. Now, users can simply listen. Whether they’re learning about muscular vs joint-based TMD, following a progressive muscle relaxation exercise, or understanding how to complete a jaw exercise, the voice-guided experience makes the content more accessible, digestible, and easier to act on.

For many of our users, voice-guided content isn’t just about accessibility – it’s about relief. When symptoms spike, listening instead of reading can reduce overwhelm. A calm, steady voice explaining how to soothe a clenched jaw or manage a flare-up brings a sense of human connection, which matters deeply when managing a chronic condition.

On the technical side, our engineers recommend using Speechify’s streaming API for best results. This approach allows us to dynamically generate high-quality audio for a range of in-app content while minimizing latency. However, to optimize performance and reduce unnecessary API calls, we cache the generated audio on our own media server instead of regenerating the same content each time. This caching strategy not only reduces load time but also ensures a smoother user experience. Despite these optimizations, our implementation was lightweight – only a few lines of Python code were needed to connect to the Speechify API and manage the audio generation process. One critical security reminder from our team: never store Speechify’s secret API keys in the app or on the client side. All server-side logic must be handled securely to protect your credentials and maintain the integrity of your integration.

As we continue to build JawSpace into the most comprehensive self-management tool for TMD, we’re proud to partner with Speechify to bring our content to life through voice. By combining clinical insight with thoughtful, scalable technology, we’re helping people with TMD feel seen, supported, and in control – one spoken word at a time.

Thank you to the entire team at Speechify for allowing us early access to your API, we know our users already love it!

Learn more about Speechify at speechify.com