Jaw pain is a fairly typical problem reported by many people after a auto accident, and it can be hard for some doctors to find the root of the issue. Complicating the issue, very often you won't develop TMJ pain until many weeks or months after the original injury.
Dr. Dalton has helped many individuals with jaw pain after an injury, and the medical research explains what causes these types of symptoms. During a auto collision, the tissues in your spine are commonly 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 problems in other parts of your body.
For instance, with radicular pain, irritation of a nerve can cause tingling or numbness in the arm and hand. Similarly, it can affect parts of your body above the injury, like your head and jaw. Headaches after auto injury are very common because of neck injury, and the TMJ works the same way. Dr. Dalton sees this very frequently in our Rochester Hills office.
Research shows that the root of many jaw or TMJ problems starts in the cervical spine and that treatment of the underlying neck problem can fix the secondary headaches or jaw symptoms. The secret to resolving these symptoms is simple: Dr. Dalton will work to restore your spine back to health, alleviating the inflammatory reaction, treating the injured areas, and removing the irritation to the nerves in your spine.
Dr. Dalton finds that jaw and headache issues often resolve once we return your spine to its healthy state.
If you reside in Rochester Hills and you've been injured in a crash, Dr. Dalton 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 (248) 977-7039 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.
Dr. Dalton
Chiropractors, often considered alternative or complementary medicine practitioners, are primary care doctors who focus on good health through proper nutrition, exercise, and other lifestyle factors. The chiropractic philosophy is based on the idea that when nerves emerging from the spinal cord are compromised (known as a subluxation), the affected individual might experience pain, disability and an overall decrease in the quality of life.