The jaw joint or TMJ is a common area of injury with whiplash.  The most common symptoms include popping or cracking in the joint that wasn't there before the car accident, pain in the jaw with chewing, and headaches.

Most people have simple sprains of the ligaments in the joint.  A lot of people have problems with the joint because of problems with posture.  A forward head posture after whiplash is common because of straightening of the neck.  When this happens, the muscles of the jaw that were designed for chewing, start trying to hold the head up!  As you might imagine, this hurts! 

Another common syndrome related to TMJ is weakness in the longus colli.  These muscles help stabilize the neck on a segment by segment basis and are frequently injured in a whiplash injury.  When they're weak, they cause the strap muscles and SCM in front of the neck to overwork and pull on the TMJ joint.

A very small number of patients have injuries to the disc inside the joint. When this occurs, it usually means longer term problems.

Treatment can include: a splint made by a dentist, pain meds, physical therapy focused on the jaw and upper part of the neck, chiropractic, acupuncture, trigger point injections, and posture exercises.  The vast minority of patients require surgery.  Get a second opinion before proceeding with TMJ surgery as the results can be everything from great to disastrous.

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