Parkland, FL TMJ Pain and Auto Injury

Jaw or TMJ pain is a fairly typical condition reported by many people after a car wreck, and it can be challenging for some doctors to find the root of the problem. Complicating the matter, many times you won't develop TMJ pain until many weeks or months after the original injury.

Dr. Neil Scharf has helped 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 neck are frequently 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, irritation of the nerves can cause pain in other parts of your body.

For example, with radicular pain, irritation of a nerve can cause prickling or pins and needles 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. Neil Scharf sees this very frequently in our Parkland, FL office.

Research Supports Chiropractic Lessens TMJ Pain After an Auto Injury

Research indicates that the root of many jaw or TMJ symptoms starts in the cervical spine and that treatment of the underlying neck injury can resolve the secondary headaches or jaw symptoms. The secret to dealing with these symptoms is simple: Dr. Neil Scharf will work to return your spine back to health, relieving the inflammation, treating the injured tissues, and eliminating the irritation to the nerves in your spine.

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

If you reside in Parkland, FL and you've been hurt in a car crash, Dr. Neil Scharf can help. We've been working with auto injury patients since 2000, and we can most likely 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.