This article is one of a series covering neck pain — causes, symptoms, and the treatments we use at Back and Body Medical in Midtown Manhattan. For the complete overview, see the full guide:
→ Neck Pain Treatment in New York City — The Complete Guide
While neck pain is most commonly associated with whiplash associated disorder (WAD), patients often report jaw or temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain following a car accident, sport injury, or slip and fall.
Common symptoms associated with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) include pain in the jaw joint area (in front of the ear), neck and shoulder pain, ear area pain with chewing or yawning, a “stuck” or locked feeling, and clicking, popping, or grating sounds with jaw movements. Patients with TMD may also feel like their teeth don’t fit well together, or report toothaches, headaches, dizziness, and tinnitus (ringing in the ear).
An MRI (magnetic resonant imaging) study of TMD following a WAD injury revealed joint effusion or swelling and/or disk displacement in more than half of the participants, along with alterations in the thickness of the lateral pterygoid muscle (LPM) that helps open the mouth. Studies have shown that rear-end collisions can result in trauma to the muscles in the area of the TMJ, along with its joint capsule and fibroelastic disk. Post-traumatic muscle imbalance can then perpetuate the problem, leading to chronic TMD.
A 2018 study found that patients with TMD following a whiplash injury (wTMD) had higher pain intensity scores, worse exam findings, worse function, and greater muscle atrophy in the LPM than patients whose TMD resulted from another cause. The patients with wTMD were also more likely to be affected by stress and headaches than the other TMD patients.
The authors concluded that TMD is a common WAD-related injury, and MRI findings of disk displacement and LPM alterations are often found together. They also point out that TMD from whiplash appears to involve a different mechanism than TMD from other types of trauma or no trauma.
Doctors of chiropractic are trained in the assessment and treatment of WAD, including TMD, which often involves a multi-faceted approach that includes manipulation, mobilization, and soft tissue techniques (myofascial release, contract-hold, trigger point therapy, muscle energy, and more).
Dr Shan Sivendra MD is the founder and medical director of Back and Body Medical in Midtown Manhattan. A board-certified medical doctor, certified acupuncturist, and Director of House Physicians at St. Barnabas Medical Center, Dr Sivendra has been practicing in New York since 1995.
He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Saint Barnabas Medical Center (affiliated with Mount Sinai School of Medicine) and received the Resident Research Award for three consecutive years.
Dr Sivendra has a background spanning internal medicine, pain management, and conservative spine rehabilitation, and was licensed in both the US and the UK.
At Back and Body Medical, he leads a multidisciplinary team of chiropractors, physical therapists, and acupuncturists dedicated to helping patients recover from pain without surgery or unnecessary medication.