Jaw Nerve Anatomy 101. ~ if migraine is present, check your neck!

Anatomy 101: Jaw Joint and Migraine

Jaw joint – mandibular nerve (v3 of Trigeminal nerve from Pons – inner surface of zygoma / mandible

V1 – Opthalmic nerve of Trigeminal Nerve – temporal area (side of head), and eye ball (back of the eye pain and sometimes pressure = retro-orbital pressure)
V2 – Maxillary nerve of Trigeminal Nerve – upper teeth/gum and sinus
V3 – Mandibular nerve of Trigeminal Nerve – jaw joint (mandibular nerve), external ear (Auriculo-temporal nerve branch of mandibular nerve)

Great Auricular nerve – Spinal nerve C2 (Neck) – Cheek area sensation including pain
Great Occipital Nerve – Spinal nerve C2 (Neck) – back of head headache / migraine

So if the neck is underpressure but not painful, it does not mean neck is not the reason of the pain in the jaw/cheek.

Upper Neck (C0-3) and Jaw/Cheek/Ear/Eye/Back of head/Side of head sensation including pain and often tightness are processed by converging in the brainstem at trigeminocervical system (TCS).
So if upper neck is causing so much trouble and sending lots of pain stress signals, TCS become highly SENSITISED (or called Brainstem Sensitisation)

Once sensation signals converge, it is just a signal.
No name tags stating cheek pain/jaw pain or neck pain etc.
So when the pain is fed back to the body, it causes referral pattern.

That is why, in Physiotherapy, we treat upper neck to treat the Possible root cause to see if it clears all of the jaw / cheek and ear and head and neck pains.
No Medications. Absolutely Nil. Can at least gradually wean off it as your neck improves and brainstem is no longer sensitised to cause referral pattern.

For more information,
www.metrophysiotherapy.com.au
Metro Physiotherapy Youtube Channel
Online or Face-to-Face Consult, www.metrophysiotherapy.com.au

Happy Rehab!

Cheers