Being involved in a car accident can knock your back out of place, herniate or dislocate a disc, give you whiplash, and cause any number of additional injuries related to your spinal column. However, the jarring motion can also lead to jaw pain, making it hard to smile, literally and figuratively. Fortunately, a new study has found that regular visits with your Beaverton chiropractor may be what is necessary to heal this particular auto injury.
Auto Injuries and Jaw Pain
Research was conducted on 43 individuals who suffered from headaches created by an auto injury to the cervical (neck) area of their spine and had been diagnosed with temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMD. The goal was to determine what treatments were more capable of improving their jaw movements.
Half of the participants participated in cervical manual therapy twice per month for a course of three months and the other half received cervical and orofacial manual therapy. They were evaluated in regard to their level of movement before they began the study, after three months of therapy, and again at a six month follow-up.
Individuals who received both the cervical and orofacial manual therapy showed a major change in their level of movement, which could not be said for the participants who received only cervical manual therapy alone. This demonstrates the benefits of combining orofacial with cervical manual therapy in the treatment of TMJ pain after auto injury. Dr. Bhasin and her team of chiropractors, massage therapists, and physical therapists, employ both techniques when working with patients suffering from auto injuries.
Make an appointment with your trusted Beaverton chiropractor today and put a smile back on your face!
Reference
Von Piekartz H, Hall, T. Orofacial manual therapy improves cervical movement impairment associated with headache and features of temporomandibular dysfunction: A randomized controlled trial. Manual Therapy 10 (1016)
Dr. Bhasin grew up in Southern California and did her undergraduate work in pre-med at California State University Northridge, as well as Humboldt State University in California. Dr. Bhasin attended the University of Western States in Portland Oregon where she earned her Doctor of Chiropractic Degree. Dr. Bhasin has passed her National boards and her State Boards. Dr. Bhasin loves helping people and finds great joy helping injured people get out of pain and get their life back again. She has helped thousands of patients.
