Jaw pain is a fairly typical problem reported by many people after a car wreck, and it can be hard for some health practitioners to diagnose the root of the problem. Complicating the matter, oftentimes you won't develop TMJ symptoms until many weeks or months after the accident.
Dr. Robert Ramsey has helped many people with jaw pain after an injury, and the medical research explains what produces these types of problems. During a crash, the tissues in your neck are oftentimes stretched or torn, causing ligament, muscle, or nerve injury. This can clearly cause pain in the neck and back, but since your central nervous system is one functioning unit, inflammation 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 or hand. Similarly, it can affect parts of your body above the injured tissues, like your head and jaw. Headaches after a collision are very common because of neck injury, and the jaw works the same way. Dr. Robert Ramsey sees this very commonly in our Gresham, OR office.
Studies have shown that the source of many jaw or TMJ symptoms originates in the neck and that treatment of the underlying neck problem can fix the secondary headaches or jaw symptoms. The trick to resolving these symptoms is simple: Dr. Robert Ramsey will work to restore your spine back to health, relieving the inflammatory reaction, treating the injured areas, and eliminating the irritation to the nerves in your spine.
Dr. Robert Ramsey finds that jaw and headache issues often resolve once we return your spine to its healthy condition.
If you reside in Gresham, OR and you've been injured in a crash, Dr. Robert Ramsey can help. We've been treating auto injury patients since 1997, and we can probably help you, too. Give our office a call today at (503) 667-6744 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. Robert Ramsey and the talented team at Gresham Family Chiropractic have been providing the best chiropractic care available to patients in Gresham, OR since 1997. We treat many conditions related to back pain, neck pain, headaches, and sciatica. Dr. Ramsey also specializes in the treatment of auto accident injuries and work injuries sustained on the job.
