Chiropractic Effective for TMJ Pain After Car Crash

Jaw or TMJ pain is a fairly typical condition experienced by many people after a auto injury, and it can be difficult for some doctors to find the root of the problem. Complicating the issue, very often you won't experience TMJ symptoms until many weeks or months after the accident.

Sweeney Chiropractic has helped many people with jaw pain after an injury, and the scientific literature explains what triggers these types of problems. During a car accident, the tissues in your spine are often stretched or torn, causing ligament, muscle, or nerve damage. This can clearly cause pain in the neck and back, but since your nervous system is one functioning unit, irritation of the nerves can cause pain in other parts of your body.

For example, with radicular pain, irritation of a nerve can cause tingling or pins and needles in the arm and hand. Similarly, it can affect parts of your body above the injured tissues, like your head and jaw. Headaches after car accident are very common because of neck injury, and the TMJ works the same way. Sweeney Chiropractic sees this very often in our Nashville office.

Research Shows Chiropractic Care Lessens TMJ Pain After Car Accident

Studies have shown that the root of many jaw or TMJ problems starts in the neck and that treatment of the underlying neck injury can fix the secondary headaches or jaw symptoms. The trick to dealing with these symptoms is simple: Sweeney Chiropractic will work to return your spinal column back to health, decreasing the inflammatory reaction, treating the injured tissues, and lessening the irritation to the nerves in your spine.

Sweeney Chiropractic has found that jaw and headache symptoms often resolve once we restore your spine to its healthy condition.

If you reside in Nashville and you've been injured in a crash, Sweeney Chiropractic can help. We've been working with auto injury patients for many years and we can probably help you, too. Give our office a call today at (615) 331-7040 for an appointment or consultation.

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.