Are Your Concussion Symptoms Caused by the Vagus Nerve?
Are Your Concussion Symptoms Caused by the Vagus Nerve?
The Hidden Link Between Concussions and the Vagus Nerve
If you’re struggling with lingering concussion symptoms, your vagus nerve may be the missing piece of the puzzle. The vagus nerve plays a crucial role in regulating the autonomic nervous system, controlling functions such as heart rate, digestion, and inflammation. Concussions can disrupt vagus nerve function, leading to a wide range of symptoms that many people don’t immediately associate with head injuries. [1]
How Concussions Affect the Vagus Nerve
Concussions impact the brain’s ability to regulate the autonomic nervous system, often leading to sympathetic dominance—an overstimulated “fight-or-flight” response. This imbalance affects:
Brain-Gut Connection – The vagus nerve is a key player in digestion, and a concussion can cause issues such as loss of appetite, nausea, and bloating. [1][2]
Neuroinflammation – Traumatic brain injuries trigger inflammation, which can further impair vagus nerve function and slow recovery.
Autonomic Dysregulation – Many post-concussion symptoms, like dizziness, heart rate irregularities, and trouble swallowing, are linked to vagus nerve dysfunction. [1]
Symptoms of Vagus Nerve Dysfunction Post-Concussion
If your vagus nerve has been affected by a concussion, you might experience:
Hoarse voice or difficulty swallowing
Digestive issues like gastroparesis, nausea, or IBS [2]
Muscle cramping and poor circulation
Irregular heart rate or blood pressure fluctuations
Fatigue and difficulty managing stress
Can You Restore Vagus Nerve Function After a Concussion?
The good news is that the vagus nerve can be stimulated and retrained to restore balance to the nervous system. Some effective approaches include:
Manual Therapy and Brainstem Desensitization
At the Headache Clinic, our treatments target the brainstem’s role in post-concussion recovery. By addressing brainstem sensitivity and vagus nerve dysfunction, we help regulate the autonomic nervous system and speed up recovery.
Natural Ways to Stimulate the Vagus Nerve
You can also support vagus nerve function through:
Deep breathing exercises to activate the parasympathetic nervous system [3]
Cold exposure, such as cold showers or face immersion, to trigger vagus nerve activity [3]
Gentle exercise and stretching to improve circulation
Massage, humming, and singing to stimulate nerve pathways
Take the Next Step Toward Recovery
If you’re experiencing unexplained post-concussion symptoms, your vagus nerve could be a key factor. The Headache Clinic excels in treating brainstem dysfunction and vagus nerve-related complications to help restore nervous system balance and promote full recovery.
References:
Shi C, Flanagan SR, Samadani U. Vagus nerve stimulation to augment recovery from severe traumatic brain injury impeding consciousness: a prospective pilot clinical trial. Neurol Res. 2013 Apr;35(3):263-76. doi: 10.1179/1743132813Y.0000000167. PMID: 23485054; PMCID: PMC4568744. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4568744/.
Kharrazian D. Traumatic brain injury and the effect on the brain-gut axis. Altern Ther Health Med. 2015 Aug;21 Suppl 3:28-32. PMID: 26348611. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26348611/.
For many people, it shows up as a dull ache through the face, tightness around the temples, headaches, clicking when chewing, or a jaw that feels stiff or difficult to open. It may also come with teeth grinding at night, tension through the neck, or the sense that your jaw simply does not move the way it should.
These symptoms are often linked to TMD, also known as temporomandibular disorder. Many people call it “TMJ”, but that is actually the name of the joint itself. The temporomandibular joint, or TMJ, is the joint that connects your jaw to your skull. When that joint, and the muscles and nerves around it, are not functioning well, it can lead to ongoing pain and dysfunction.
At The Headache Clinic, we are experts in complex conditions involving the head, neck and jaw. That means we look deeper than the obvious symptom. If your jaw is painful, tight, clicking, locking, or contributing to headaches, we focus on finding the true driver of the problem and treating it with precision.
What is TMD?
Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) is a condition affecting the jaw joint and the muscles that control jaw movement. It can cause pain, stiffness, restricted movement, and a range of symptoms through the face, head and neck.
Because the jaw is used constantly for talking, chewing, swallowing and yawning, even mild dysfunction can become highly disruptive. For some people, symptoms come and go. For others, they become persistent and start to affect sleep, eating, concentration and quality of life.
Common symptoms of TMD:
TMD can present in different ways, but common symptoms include:
- Jaw pain or tenderness, often around the joint or muscles - Clicking, popping, or grinding sounds with jaw movement - Difficulty opening the mouth fully or reduced range - Jaw locking, catching, or stiffness - Pain when chewing, talking, or prolonged mouth use - Facial pain or a sense of pressure - Headaches, particularly through the temples - Clenching or grinding of the teeth, especially at night - Neck pain and increased muscular tension - Pain around the ear or a feeling of tightness through the side of the face
In many cases, people do not initially realise their headaches or facial pain could be coming from the jaw.
Why does TMD happen?
TMD rarely has one single cause. More often, it develops because several factors combine over time and place ongoing strain on the jaw joint and surrounding muscles.
Common contributors include:
- Stress and tension - Teeth clenching or grinding, also called bruxism - Excessive gum chewing - Previous jaw injury - Joint irritation or arthritic change - Muscle tension through the jaw, face and neck - Poor coordination between the jaw and upper neck
This is why generic advice does not always work. A mouthguard may help protect the teeth. Resting the jaw may ease symptoms briefly. But if the underlying dysfunction is still there, the pain often returns.
Why jaw problems often trigger headaches
The jaw, head and upper neck are closely connected. When the jaw is not moving properly, the surrounding muscles often become tense and overworked. This can refer pain into the temples, cheeks, behind the eyes and into the head.
For some people, this creates a repeating cycle. The jaw becomes tight, headaches become more frequent, the neck stiffens, and clenching increases, especially during sleep or times of stress.
That is why effective treatment needs to look beyond the jaw alone.
Why TMD is often missed or poorly treated
TMD is common, yet it is often not treated in a truly specialised way.
Many people are told to avoid chewy foods, wear a splint, or do a few basic exercises. While those strategies can sometimes help, they may not resolve the deeper issue if the real problem involves joint restriction, muscle dysfunction, neural irritation, or an associated neck problem.
This is where a more skilled and targeted approach can make all the difference.
At The Headache Clinic, treating jaw disorders is not an afterthought. It is part of our niche with complex head, neck and facial conditions.
Our approach to TMJ and TMD treatment
We provide a expert hands-on physiotherapy approach for people experiencing jaw pain, clenching, grinding, restricted movement and jaw-related headaches.
Your treatment is tailored to the structures actually involved in your symptoms. Depending on your presentation, this may include:
- Targeted treatment to the jaw joint - Hands-on therapy for the surrounding muscles - Treatment of associated neck dysfunction - Careful work around facial and neural tension - Restoring normal jaw movement and control - Reducing the cycle of stiffness, overactivity and clenching - Our aim is not simply to help you cope.
Our goal is to improve how the jaw and surrounding system function, so you can get lasting relief and return to eating, speaking and moving comfortably.
Clenching and grinding often place significant load on the jaw joint and the muscles around it. Over time, this can lead to soreness, restricted movement, facial tension, worn teeth and headaches, especially on waking.
For some people, clenching is the main driver. For others, it is part of a broader pattern involving the jaw, neck and nervous system. Either way, it is worth assessing properly rather than simply assuming a night guard will solve it.
When should you seek treatment for jaw pain?
ou should consider an assessment if you have:
- Persistent jaw pain or tightness - Clicking or locking of the jaw - Difficulty opening your mouth fully - Pain when chewing - Frequent headaches with facial or temple tension - Teeth grinding or clenching at night - Ongoing symptoms that are not improving
You do not need to wait until symptoms become severe. Early treatment can often prevent the problem becoming more entrenched.
Why patients choose The Headache Clinic
People come to us because they want more than temporary relief.
They want a clear explanation of what is going on, a clinician who understands the connection between the jaw, head and neck, and a treatment plan that is specific to them.
At The Headache Clinic, we combine clinical expertise with a careful, hands-on approach that is designed to uncover and address the true cause of your symptoms. For patients with TMD, that often means finally feeling understood after months or even years of frustration.
Book a TMJ assessment
If you are dealing with jaw pain, clicking, clenching, grinding, headaches or restricted jaw movement, we are here to help.
Book your assessment today and take the first step towards a more comfortable jaw, fewer headaches, and relief that lasts.
