TMJ problems can often occur as a result of a traumatic injury. One of the primary symptoms is a headache. Headaches often come from the muscles of the head, face and neck. CAT scans and neurological testing sometimes does not locate the reason for the headaches because these tests frequently look for blood vessel disruption or neurological symptoms in the skull rather than problems with the muscles. Generally, if the headache is in the back of the head it is not related to TMJ issues. This is because the TMJ muscles are in the jaw area. Similarly, if the headache appears to be in the forehead, this is likely referred pain from the back of the head and not likely a TMJ problem. On the other hand if the client has a headaches that seems to be dominant in the area of the temples or seems to be all around the face, it is likely that there could be TMJ involvement. Symptoms to be concerned about regarding a TMJ problem diagnosis are: dizziness, light headedness, ringing in ears, ear pain, pain in facial muscles, pain in eyes, sore throat, opening or closing mouth pain, pain in jaw, clicking sounds in joints. TMJ symptoms can also be delayed for a period of time. Some studies have suggested that one in three accident victims often suffer from delayed TMJ symptoms. Read more about the language of medicine and TMJ here.
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