Chiropractic Treatment Can Ease Jaw Pain Related to TMJ After Auto Injury

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

Dr. Conlee has treated many men and women with jaw pain after an injury, and the medical literature explains what causes these types of problems. During a auto accident, 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 pain in other parts of your body.

For instance, with radicular pain, irritation of a nerve can cause prickling or pins and needles in the arm and hand. Similarly, it can affect parts of your body above the injury, like your head and jaw. Headaches after car accident are very common because of neck injury, and the jaw works the same way. Dr. Conlee sees this very frequently in our Tucson office.

Research Shows Chiropractic Adjustments Helps TMJ Pain After Car Crash

Research indicates 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 trick to dealing with these symptoms is simple: Dr. Conlee will work to restore your spinal column back to health, decreasing the inflammation, treating the injured areas, and lessening the irritation to the nerves in your spine.

Dr. Conlee has found that jaw and headache symptoms often resolve once we return your spine to its healthy state.

If you reside in Tucson and you've been hurt in a car crash, Dr. Conlee 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 (520) 322-6161 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.