Jaw pain is a fairly common condition reported by many people after a car wreck, and it can be hard for some health practitioners to diagnose the root of the problem. Complicating the issue, oftentimes you won't experience TMJ pain until many weeks or months after a crash.
Dr. Holland has helped many people with jaw pain after an injury, and the medical literature explains what causes these types of problems. During a collision, the tissues in your spine are often stretched or torn, causing ligament, muscle, or nerve injury. This can clearly cause pain in the neck and back, but since your central nervous system is one functioning unit, inflammation of the nerves can cause pain in other parts of your body.
For instance, 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 injured tissues, like your head and jaw. Headaches after a crash are very common because of neck injury, and the jaw works the same way. Dr. Holland sees this very frequently in our North St. Louis, MO office.
Studies have shown that the source of many jaw or TMJ symptoms starts in the neck and that treatment of the underlying neck injury can fix the secondary headaches or jaw symptoms. The trick to resolving these symptoms is simple: Dr. Holland will work to restore your spine back to health, decreasing the inflammatory reaction, treating the injured tissues, and removing the irritation to the nerves in your spine.
Dr. Holland has found that jaw and headache symptoms often resolve once we restore your spine to its healthy state.
If you reside in North St. Louis, MO and you've been hurt in a crash, Dr. Holland can help. We've been treating auto injury patients since 2000, and we can most likely help you, too. Give our office a call today at (314) 588-9100 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.
We have a long-standing track record or helping people get out of pain with chiropractic care. Whether you were injured last week, or have been suffering from chronic pain for years - It might only take one visit to our office in Downtown Saint Louis, MO to get you back on the path to everyday health.
