Chiropractic Effective for TMJ Pain After Car Crash

Jaw or TMJ pain is a fairly common condition reported by people after a auto injury, and it can be challenging for some doctors to identify the root of the problem. Complicating the issue, very often you won't develop TMJ pain until many weeks or months after a crash.

Dr. Slater has helped many individuals with jaw pain after an injury, and the medical research explains what triggers these types of problems. During a auto injury, the tissues in your spine are oftentimes stretched or torn, causing ligament, muscle, or nerve injury. This can obviously cause pain in the neck and back, but since your nervous system is one functioning unit, inflammation of the nerves can cause problems in other parts of your body.

For example, 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 car accident are very common because of neck injury, and the jaw works the same way. Dr. Slater sees this very often in our Saint Paul office.

Research Supports Chiropractic Treatment Helps TMJ Pain After Car Accident

Research indicates that the root of many jaw or TMJ symptoms originates in the cervical spine and that treatment of the underlying neck problem can resolve the secondary headaches or jaw symptoms. The key to resolving these symptoms is simple: Dr. Slater will work to restore your spine back to health, decreasing the inflammation, treating the injured tissues, and lessening the irritation to the nerves in your spine.

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

If you reside in Saint Paul and you've been hurt in a crash, Dr. Slater 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 (651) 699-3366 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.