Jaw or TMJ pain is a fairly common condition reported by many people after a car accident, and it can be tough for some health practitioners to diagnose the source of the problem. Complicating the issue, oftentimes you won't develop TMJ pain until many weeks or months after a crash.
Dr. Blake has treated many individuals with jaw pain after an injury, and the medical literature explains what triggers 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 obviously cause pain in the neck and back, but since your central nervous system is one functioning unit, irritation of the nerves can cause problems in other parts of your body.
For instance, 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 area, like your head and jaw. Headaches after a wreck are very common because of neck injury, and the jaw works the same way. Dr. Blake sees this very commonly in our Harrisburg office.
Research shows that the source of many jaw or TMJ problems originates in the neck and that treatment of the underlying neck problem can fix the secondary headaches or jaw symptoms. The secret to dealing with these symptoms is simple: Dr. Blake will work to return your spine back to health, reducing the inflammatory reaction, treating the injured tissues, and removing the irritation to the nerves in your spine.
Dr. Blake has found that jaw and headache symptoms often resolve once we restore your spine to its healthy condition.
If you reside in Harrisburg and you've been injured in a crash, Dr. Blake can help. We've been working with auto injury patients since 1983, and we can probably help you, too. Give our office a call today at (717) 657-2561 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.
Trust the medical professionals at Blake Chiropractic & Rehab for all of your chiropractic needs. We have more than 26 years of experience and work to ensure your complete satisfaction. Our staff is dedicated to providing top-quality chiropractic care, so make an appointment today. We are conveniently located right off Route 22, beside the Colonial Park Fire Department, and accept most major insurance plans.
