Most of what this wire writes about the post-crash headache points at the neck. This reading points a few inches forward and up, to a joint most people never think about until it hurts: the one in front of each ear, where the jaw hinges to the skull.
We are not going to tell you your headache comes from your jaw. We are going to tell you why the jaw is worth mentioning, and what to say about it.
What the jaw does in a crash
Three things, mostly.
- It clenches. People see the brake lights or hear the tires and bite down hard. That bite can last the whole second of the crash.
- It gets hit. A chin or a cheek can meet the steering wheel, the side window, or a deployed airbag.
- It moves with the head. When the head snaps forward and back, the lower jaw is a separate weight hanging from it. It swings.
Afterward, many people keep clenching. Stress does that. So does a sore neck, which tightens the muscles along the side of the face and the temple.
How a jaw can join a headache
One of the big chewing muscles fans out over the temple. When it is tight and sore, the ache can sit exactly where people feel a tension headache or a migraine: at the side of the head, around the ear, behind the eye.
The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research describes problems of this joint and its muscles as temporomandibular disorders, and lists headache among the symptoms people report with them. That is all we need to say about the connection. It is real, and it has a name.
Signs worth noticing
Notice gently. Do not work the jaw hard to see what happens.
- An ache in front of the ear, on one side or both.
- A jaw that feels tired or sore after chewing something tough.
- A click or pop when you open wide, if that is new.
- Trouble opening all the way, or a jaw that seems to catch.
- Waking with sore teeth, a tight face, or a headache at the temples.
- A headache that gets worse after a long talk, a meal, or a day of clenching at a desk.
Write any of those in your headache log, with a date. One more column is not a burden: jaw, yes or no.
When it is not a quiet reading
Some jaw problems after a crash need to be seen today.
- A bite that no longer lines up, or teeth that seem to meet in the wrong place.
- A jaw you cannot open or close.
- Broken or loose teeth, or a cut inside the mouth that will not stop bleeding.
- Numbness in the chin or lip after a hit to the face.
Those go to an emergency department or an urgent dental visit today, not to a clinic later in the week. And the wire's standing line: chest pain, a sudden severe headache, weakness or numbness on one side, trouble speaking, a loss of bowel or bladder control, or a head injury with vomiting or worsening confusion is an emergency room trip right now, not a call to a clinic.
Who to tell
Tell the person who examines you after the crash. A sore jaw belongs in the history even if the neck is the main complaint, because the two share muscles and the headache may involve both. Ask plainly whether the jaw is something they examine, or whether a dentist should look too. A good answer to that question is part of a good visit.
Tell your dentist as well, especially if a tooth or your bite feels different. Dentists look at the jaw joint every day.
If your face struck the wheel or the airbag, say so, and say whether you felt dazed. A blow to the face is also a blow to the head, and the dazed, not knocked out reading explains why that matters even without a blackout.
What to say on the phone
Keep it to four things. The date of the crash. That headaches have been part of it since. That your jaw aches or clicks. And whether your face or head struck anything. The getting seen reading has the rest of the call.
The practical step
Missouri Injury Clinic publishes its auto injury lane as diagnosis and a treatment plan after a crash, and lists recurring headaches among the problems it treats after one. Joseph L. Hollingsworth, DC, is a chiropractor. For most readers of this wire the nearest office is Hazelwood, at 14 Village Square Shop Ctr, (314) 627-1411, open Monday through Thursday 9am to 6pm and Friday 9am to 12pm. Every office closes from 12 to 2, so call in the morning or after two.