Jaw or TMJ pain is a fairly common problem experienced by people after a car accident, and it can be tough for some doctors to identify the root of the problem. Complicating the matter, very often you won't experience TMJ symptoms until many weeks or months after the original injury.
Dr. Robert Ramsey has helped many men and women with jaw pain after an injury, and the scientific research explains what triggers these types of symptoms. During a collision, the tissues in your neck are often 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 pain in other parts of your body.
For example, 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 injured area, like your head and jaw. Headaches after a wreck 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.
Research shows that the source of many jaw or TMJ problems begins in the cervical spine and that treatment of the underlying neck injury can fix the secondary headaches or jaw symptoms. The key to dealing with these symptoms is simple: Dr. Robert Ramsey will work to restore your spine back to health, decreasing the inflammation, treating the injured areas, and removing the irritation to the nerves in your spine.
Dr. Robert Ramsey finds that jaw and headache symptoms often resolve once we return your spine to its healthy state.
If you reside in Gresham, OR and you've been hurt in a crash, Dr. Robert Ramsey can help. We've been treating auto injury patients since 1997, and we can most likely 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.
