Napa, CA TMJ Pain and Auto Injury

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

Dr. Roxann Bettencourt, DC has treated many people with jaw pain after an injury, and the scientific literature explains what triggers these types of problems. During a crash, the tissues in your spine are oftentimes stretched or torn, causing ligament, muscle, or nerve damage. 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 problems in other parts of your body.

For example, with radicular pain, irritation of a nerve can cause tingling or pins and needles 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 crash are very common because of neck injury, and the TMJ works the same way. Dr. Roxann Bettencourt, DC sees this very often in our Napa, CA office.

Studies have shown that the source of many jaw or TMJ problems starts in the neck and that treatment of the underlying neck injury can resolve the secondary headaches or jaw symptoms. The key to resolving these symptoms is simple: Dr. Roxann Bettencourt, DC will work to restore your spine back to health, reducing the inflammation, treating the injured tissues, and removing the irritation to the nerves in your spine.

Dr. Roxann Bettencourt, DC has found that jaw and headache issues often resolve once we return your spine to its healthy condition.

If you live in Napa, CA and you've been injured in a crash, Dr. Roxann Bettencourt, DC can help. We've been treating auto injury patients since 2006, and we can most likely help you, too. Give our office a call today at (707) 257-3600 for an appointment.

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.