Kettering TMJ Pain and Auto Injury

Jaw or TMJ pain is a fairly typical condition experienced by people after a car accident, and it can be confusing for some health practitioners to find the root of the problem. Complicating the issue, oftentimes you won't experience TMJ symptoms until many weeks or months after a crash.

Dr. Poelking has helped many men and women with jaw pain after an injury, and the scientific literature explains what causes these types of symptoms. During a crash, the tissues in your spine are frequently stretched or torn, causing ligament, muscle, or nerve damage. This can obviously cause pain in the neck and back, but since your central nervous system is one functioning unit, irritation of the nerves can cause pain in other parts of your body.

For instance, with radicular pain, irritation of a nerve can cause tingling or numbness in the arm or 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 TMJ works the same way. Dr. Poelking sees this very frequently in our Kettering office.

Research Proves Chiropractic Helps TMJ Pain After an Auto Accident

Research indicates that the root of many jaw or TMJ symptoms starts in the neck and that treatment of the underlying neck injury can resolve the secondary headaches or jaw symptoms. The key to dealing with these symptoms is simple: Dr. Poelking will work to restore your spine back to health, alleviating the inflammation, treating the injured areas, and eliminating the irritation to the nerves in your spine.

Dr. Poelking finds that jaw and headache symptoms often resolve once we restore your spine to its healthy condition.

If you reside in Kettering and you've been hurt in a crash, Dr. Poelking can help. We've been treating auto injury patients since 1995, and we can most likely help you, too. Give our office a call today at (937) 299-2900 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.