Jaw pain is a fairly typical problem experienced by people after a car crash, and it can be challenging for some health practitioners to diagnose the cause of the problem. Complicating the matter, many times you won't develop TMJ symptoms until many weeks or months after the original injury.
Dr. Holland has helped many men and women with jaw pain after an injury, and the medical literature explains what produces these types of problems. During a crash, 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 issues in other parts of your body.
For example, 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 injured tissues, like your head and jaw. Headaches after a wreck are very common because of neck injury, and the TMJ works the same way. Dr. Holland sees this very often in our North County St. Louis, MO office.
Research shows that the root of many jaw or TMJ problems starts in the neck and that treatment of the underlying neck injury can resolve the secondary headaches or jaw symptoms. The key to resolving these symptoms is simple: Dr. Holland will work to return your spinal column back to health, relieving the inflammation, treating the injured tissues, and eliminating the irritation to the nerves in your spine.
Dr. Holland has found that jaw and headache symptoms often resolve once we return your spine to its healthy state.
If you reside in North County St. Louis, MO and you've been hurt in a car 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) 867-8888 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.
