If you've had a concussion and now deal with jaw pain, dizziness, or trouble focusing, the two may be part of the same underlying injury rather than separate problems.
Why the jaw and brain get hurt together
A concussion happens when a blow or sudden jolt causes the brain to move within the skull. That same forceful motion very often affects the jaw joint at the same time — the jaw is directly connected to the skull and absorbs meaningful force during any head impact, whether from a fall, a collision, or a direct hit, similar to what we cover in our sports injury and TMJ post but specifically in the context of concussion.
How common this actually is
Research has found TMD prevalence in athletes ranging from roughly 12% up to 100% depending on the sport and sample studied — substantially higher than the 11-14% typically found in non-athletes. Athletes in contact sports specifically show a higher rate of TMJ-related disorders than those in non-contact sports.
Why this matters for recovery
This connection matters practically: TMJ treatment has been shown to help resolve persistent post-concussion symptoms, including jaw, neck, and facial pain, dizziness, poor balance, sleep problems, and trouble concentrating — some of which overlap heavily with typical concussion symptoms and might otherwise be assumed to be purely neurological. If concussion recovery has stalled and you have any jaw symptoms alongside it, it's worth having the jaw specifically evaluated rather than assuming all lingering symptoms are purely brain-related.
What to do about it
If you have a history of concussion and current jaw symptoms, mention both to whoever is treating you — a sports medicine physician managing concussion recovery may not automatically think to evaluate the jaw joint. Our TMJ and dizziness post covers one of the more common overlapping symptoms in more detail.