What Are the Causes of Neck & Jaw Pain?

There are numerous causes of neck and jaw pain.

Neck and jaw pain has a wide range of causes such as TMJ dysfunction, toothaches, infections, and compressed nerves. Injury is another common cause of neck pain. In some cases, medical treatment and even surgery may be needed in order to find relief.

TMJ Dysfunction

TMJ dysfunction is a term used to describe a disorder of the jaw and the muscles that control the jaw. It results in headaches, neck and shoulder pain and earaches.

Toothache

Toothaches occur when nerves in the root of a tooth are irritated. This irritation is caused by infection, the loss of a tooth, and tooth decay and can result in jaw pain.

Infection

Infections such as bone, sinus and fungus infections can cause jaw pain.

Nerve Compression

Nerve compression resulting from bone spurs, herniated disks and compressed disks can result in neck pain. In some cases surgery may be required to relieve neck pain caused by nerve compression.

Injury

Injuries such as whiplash that stretch soft neck tissue can result in neck pain.

References

• American Academy of Craniofacial Pain: TMJ
• WrongDiagnosis.com: Causes of Jaw Pain
• Arthritis-Treatment-and-Relief.com: Jaw Pain
• Mayo Clinic: Neck Pain - Causes