Jaw or TMJ pain is a fairly typical problem reported by people after a car crash, and it can be tough for some physicians to diagnose the source of the problem. Complicating the issue, very often you won't experience TMJ symptoms until many weeks or months after the original injury.
Sweeney Chiropractic has treated many individuals with jaw pain after an injury, and the scientific literature explains what causes these types of symptoms. During a collision, the tissues in your neck are oftentimes stretched or torn, causing ligament, muscle, or nerve injury. This can obviously cause pain in the neck and back, but since your central nervous system is one functioning unit, irritation of the nerves can cause issues in other parts of your body.
For example, with radicular pain, irritation of a nerve can cause prickling or numbness in the arm and hand. Similarly, it can affect parts of your body above the injury, like your head and jaw. Headaches after a collision are very common because of neck injury, and the jaw works the same way. Sweeney Chiropractic sees this very commonly in our Nashville office.
Research indicates that the root of many jaw or TMJ symptoms begins in the neck and that treatment of the underlying neck problem can resolve the secondary headaches or jaw symptoms. The secret to dealing with these symptoms is simple: Sweeney Chiropractic will work to return your spine back to health, relieving the inflammatory reaction, treating the injured tissues, and removing the irritation to the nerves in your spine.
Sweeney Chiropractic finds that jaw and headache symptoms often resolve once we return your spine to its healthy state.
If you live in Nashville and you've been injured in a crash, Sweeney Chiropractic can help. We've been treating auto injury patients since 2004, and we can probably help you, too. Give our office a call today at (615) 331-7040 for an appointment.
Ciancaglini R, Testa M, Radaelli G. Association of neck pain with symptoms of temporomandibular dysfunction in the general adult population. Scandinavian Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine 1999;31:17-22.
Brantingham JW, Cassa TK, Bonnefin D, Pribicevic M, Robb A, et al. Manipulative and multimodal therapy for upper extremity and temporomandibular disorders: a system review. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2013;36(3):143-201.
Dr. Jim Sweeney & Dr. Jon Sweeney, your Nashville Chiropractors and Palmer College of Chiropractic West graduates, provide quality chiropractic care to patients in Nashville, TN. If you suffer from back pain, neck pain, headache, sciatica or have been in an auto collision, Sweeney Chiropractic can get you back on the road to health.
