Parkland, FL TMJ Pain and Auto Injury

Jaw or TMJ pain is a fairly common condition experienced by many people after a car crash, and it can be tough for some physicians to diagnose the source of the problem. Complicating the issue, oftentimes you won't develop TMJ pain until many weeks or months after the incident.

Dr. Neil Scharf has treated many people with jaw pain after an injury, and the medical literature explains what produces these types of symptoms. During a crash, the tissues in your spine are often 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, inflammation 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 collision are very common because of neck injury, and the TMJ works the same way. Dr. Neil Scharf sees this very often in our Parkland, FL office.

Research Shows Chiropractic Lessens TMJ Pain After an Auto 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 trick to resolving these symptoms is simple: Dr. Neil Scharf will work to return your spinal column back to health, reducing the inflammatory reaction, treating the injured tissues, and eliminating the irritation to the nerves in your spine.

Dr. Neil Scharf has found that jaw and headache symptoms often resolve once we return your spine to its healthy state.

If you live in Parkland, FL and you've been hurt in a crash, Dr. Neil Scharf can help. We've been working with auto injury patients since 2000, and we can probably help you, too. Give our office a call today at (954) 227-0088 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.