Jaw or TMJ pain is a fairly common problem reported by people after a car crash, and it can be confusing for some health practitioners to identify the root of the problem. Complicating the issue, oftentimes you won't develop TMJ pain until many weeks or months after a crash.
Northside Chiropractic has treated many men and women with jaw pain after an injury, and the scientific research explains what causes these types of symptoms. During a collision, the tissues in your spine are frequently stretched or torn, causing ligament, muscle, or nerve injury. This can clearly cause pain in the neck and back, but since your nervous system is one functioning unit, inflammation 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 or hand. Similarly, it can affect parts of your body above the injured tissues, like your head and jaw. Headaches after a collision are very common because of neck injury, and the TMJ works the same way. Northside Chiropractic sees this very frequently in our Port Coquitlam office.
Research shows that the source of many jaw or TMJ problems begins in the cervical spine and that treatment of the underlying neck injury can resolve the secondary headaches or jaw symptoms. The trick to dealing with these symptoms is simple: Northside Chiropractic will work to restore your spinal column back to health, alleviating the inflammation, treating the injured areas, and removing the irritation to the nerves in your spine.
Northside Chiropractic has found that jaw and headache issues often resolve once we restore your spine to its healthy condition.
If you reside in Port Coquitlam and you've been hurt in a crash, Northside Chiropractic can help. We've been working with auto injury patients since 1987, and we can probably help you, too. Give our office a call today at (604) 941-4596 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. Olson
Dr. Eric Olson provides quality chiropractic care to patients in Port Coquitlam, B.C. If you suffer from back pain, neck pain, headache, sciatica or have been in an auto collision, Northside Chiropractic can get you back on the road to health.