Jaw pain is a fairly common condition reported by many people after a car wreck, and it can be challenging for some doctors to find the source of the problem. Complicating the matter, very often you won't develop TMJ pain until many weeks or months after the incident.
Dr. Nowak has treated many people with jaw pain after an injury, and the scientific research explains what causes these types of symptoms. During a crash, the tissues in your neck are often 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, irritation of the nerves can cause pain in other parts of your body.
For example, with radicular pain, irritation of a nerve can cause tingling or pins and needles 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 wreck are very common because of neck injury, and the jaw works the same way. Dr. Nowak sees this very often in our South Buffalo office.
Research Supports Chiropractic Helps TMJ Pain After an Auto Injury
Research indicates 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. Nowak will work to return your spinal column back to health, alleviating the inflammatory reaction, treating the injured areas, and removing the irritation to the nerves in your spine.
Dr. Nowak has found that jaw and headache issues often resolve once we restore your spine to its healthy condition.
If you reside in South Buffalo and you've been injured in a car crash, Dr. Nowak can help. We've been treating auto injury patients since 1981, and we can probably help you, too. Give our office a call today at (716) 825-4121 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.
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