Jaw & Head

What It Is

This sheet covers fractures of the skull (the bones around the brain) and of the face. Both are usually caused by a blow to the head or face, and can happen together.

A facial fracture is when one or more of the bones in your face are broken. This can involve the nose, the cheekbones, the bones around the eyes (the eye socket), or the upper jaw (maxilla) or lower jaw (mandible) (University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, 2025). Facial fractures can also damage the surrounding tissue.

Facial fractures are usually the result of an injury to the face. Common causes include physical assaults; sports injuries, for example in rugby, football or horse riding; falls; and road accidents involving cars, motorbikes or bicycles (University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, 2025; MedlinePlus, 2025a). Jaw and nose fractures can happen if you are hit in the face during an attack.

Skull Fracture

A skull fracture is a break in one of the bones of the skull. The skull gives the brain good protection, but a severe impact or blow can break it, and it may come with concussion or another injury to the brain (MedlinePlus, 2025b). Causes include falls, road accidents, physical assaults and sports injuries (MedlinePlus, 2025b).

Signs of a skull fracture may include (MedlinePlus, 2025b)

Bleeding from a wound, the ears, the nose or around the eyes
Bruising behind the ears or under the eyes
Clear or bloody fluid draining from the ears or nose
Headache, confusion, drowsiness, nausea or vomiting
Problems with balance, slurred speech, problems with vision, or a fit (seizure)
Loss of consciousness

In some cases, the only sign may be a bump on the head, and a bump or bruise can take up to 24 hours to appear (MedlinePlus, 2025b).

A suspected skull fracture is an emergency. Call 911 or go to the emergency room at your nearest hospital if someone has hit their head and (NHS, 2025; MedlinePlus, 2025b):

Has been knocked out, or cannot stay awake or keep their eyes open
Has a fit (seizure)
Has problems with their vision or hearing
Has clear fluid coming from their ears or nose, bleeding from their ears or bruising behind their ears
Has new numbness or weakness in any part of their body, or problems with walking, balance, understanding, speaking or writing
Has a head wound with something inside it, or a dent in their head
Hit their head at high speed, such as in a road accident, or fell from a height of more than 1 metre or 5 stairs
Has changes in their behaviour, such as being more irritable or distracted

If you think someone has a skull fracture, do not move them unless it is absolutely necessary, because head injuries can come with injuries to the neck and spine, and do not remove anything sticking out of the wound (MedlinePlus, 2025b).

After a minor head injury, you may have symptoms for up to 2 weeks. Hold an ice pack wrapped in a tea towel to the area for short periods in the first few days, rest, make sure an adult stays with you for the first 24 hours, and do not play contact sports for at least 3 weeks (NHS, 2025).

Facial Fracture Anatomy

The facial skeleton helps protect the brain, provides a frame for the soft tissues of the face for eating, breathing, speech and expression, and protects and houses the organs of sight, taste and smell. The main bones in the face are the maxilla (upper jaw), mandible (lower jaw), nasal bones, frontal bone (forehead) and zygoma (cheekbone). The anatomy of the bones in the face is quite complex, albeit elegant, and serves many functions.

Signs of a Facial Fracture

Signs may include (University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, 2025; MedlinePlus, 2025a):

Swelling, tenderness and bruising, including around the eyes
Difficulty moving parts of your face
A face or facial bones that look uneven or out of shape
Difficulty breathing through your nose
Changes in feeling, such as numbness in the face
Double vision
Teeth that do not meet properly when you close your mouth, or missing teeth

Not a diagnosis — for more information, contact me or another trusted healthcare provider.

Treatment

Self-Care & Treatment

How to Treat a Facial Fracture

If you have a facial fracture, you will usually be referred to a specialist team, such as the Oral and Maxillofacial (face and jaw) Surgery team or the Ear, Nose and Throat team (University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, 2025). In most cases no surgery is needed: the bones are in the correct position and heal on their own within 3 to 6 weeks. Swelling and bruising usually improve within 2 to 3 weeks (University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, 2025).

Once your medical team is happy, I can help with your recovery, including tight neck and jaw muscles, swelling and scars. See the My Approach tab for how I work.

Medication: for a broken nose, the NHS advises taking paracetamol to relieve pain (NHS, 2023). For headaches after a minor head injury, the NHS also advises painkillers such as paracetamol (NHS, 2025). (This medicine information comes from the NHS, not from me. Always check with a pharmacist or your family doctor or nurse practitioner before taking any medicine.)

Treatments you may want to discuss with your medical team or family doctor or nurse practitioner

Options outside my scope

X-rays or scans: these are used to confirm a fracture; some small fractures may need follow-up scans (University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, 2025).
Closed reduction (manipulation): moving the broken bones back into position without a cut; for a broken nose that has changed shape, a hospital doctor may straighten it under local anaesthetic (NHS, 2023).
Surgery: if the bones are not lined up properly, an operation may be needed to realign them and hold them in place with plates, screws or wires (University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, 2025; Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, 2025).
Antibiotics: you may be prescribed antibiotics, depending on the nature of your injury (University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, 2025).
Teeth and bite: teeth that do not meet properly after an injury can be a sign of a fracture (MedlinePlus, 2025a) and need to be checked by the specialist team. If you have broken or damaged teeth, you may also need to see a dentist.

How I can help (see the My Approach tab)

Easing tight neck, shoulder and upper back muscles while you heal
Gentle swelling care and scar work, once your team is happy
Jaw exercises and hands-on work for the jaw muscles once the bones have healed

Tips

Hold an ice pack (or a bag of frozen peas) wrapped in a tea towel on the injured area for up to 15 minutes, several times a day, to help ease swelling and pain (NHS, 2023). Never put ice directly on the skin.
Keep your head raised by adding extra pillows when lying in bed, to help reduce swelling (NHS, 2023; Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, 2025).
Avoid sleeping on, or putting pressure on, the injured side of your face.
Avoid any bumps or knocks to your face for at least 6 to 8 weeks, as an impact could shift the broken bone (University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, 2025).
Do not blow your nose. After a cheekbone fracture, avoid blowing your nose for 10 days after the injury, to stop air from the sinuses escaping into the skin and causing swelling around the eyes (University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, 2025). After a broken nose, do not pick or blow your nose until it has healed (NHS, 2023).
Numbness or odd feelings in the face are common after a facial injury. Feeling usually returns over weeks or months, but sometimes recovery is only partial (University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, 2025).

Treatment

My Approach

After a skull or facial fracture, your hospital team looks after the broken bones and any head injury first, and decides what is safe and when. I work within their limits. After surgery, a skull fracture, a head injury that needed hospital care, or a fracture that stops your normal daily activities, I need your team's okay before any hands-on treatment.

Please bring any X-ray or scan reports and notes from your medical team to your first visit. They're an important part of planning safe treatment for you.

I start by asking what your team has told you, then assess your neck, shoulders and jaw, and any changes in feeling in your face.

While It's Healing

Easing the neck, shoulders and upper back
No pressure over a broken bone until your team confirms it has healed
Gentle lymphatic drainage for swelling, once your team is happy
I'll show you how to use ice safely at home

Once Your Team Allows More

Hands-on work for the jaw muscles from the outside, slow jaw-opening exercises and self-massage
Scar work once wounds have fully healed
Work inside the mouth only if clinically relevant, with your informed consent and a signed consent form
A gradual return to exercise and sport on your team's timeline

If you notice clear fluid from your nose, a worsening headache, drowsiness or vision changes, get emergency help (see When to Get Urgent Help).

What to Expect

Typical Course

Typical course: Most people come once or twice a week for shorter visits at first, then weekly, then less often, with a reassessment at about 4 to 6 weeks. Most facial fractures heal within 3 to 6 weeks; after surgery or a skull fracture, the timeline follows your medical team's plan.

What I Focus On

Working Within Your Team's Limits

Neck & Shoulder Relief

Swelling Care

Jaw Mobility

Scar Care

Please read

When to See a Doctor First

When to Get Urgent Help

Call 911 or go to the emergency room at your nearest hospital if you have a severe injury to your face (MedlinePlus, 2025a), or a facial injury with any of the following (NHS, 2023; University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, 2025):

Difficulty breathing or swallowing
Problems with your vision, such as blurred or double vision, or eye pain
A nosebleed that will not stop
A large cut or open wound, or something in the wound, such as glass
Clear, watery fluid trickling from your nose
A severe headache, vomiting, unusual drowsiness, passing out or difficulty speaking
Neck pain or a stiff neck with numbness or tingling in your arms

Do not drive yourself; ask someone to take you or call 911 for an ambulance (NHS, 2023).

Get medical help straight away if you have increasing pain, redness or swelling around a wound, or a fever, as these can be signs of infection (University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, 2025).

Sources

References

University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust (2025) Facial fractures: accident and emergency patient information. Available at: https://www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/925.1-Facial-fractures-AE-2025.pdf (Accessed: 7 October 2026).
MedlinePlus (US National Library of Medicine) (2025a) Facial trauma. Available at: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001062.htm (Accessed: 7 October 2026).
NHS (2023) Broken nose. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/broken-nose/ (Accessed: 7 October 2026).
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (2025) Fractures of the cheek bone (patient information GHPI1120_07_25). Available at: https://www.gloshospitals.nhs.uk/documents/24511/Fractures_of_the_cheekbone_GHPI1120_07_25.pdf (Accessed: 7 October 2026).
MedlinePlus (US National Library of Medicine) (2025b) Skull fracture. Available at: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000060.htm (Accessed: 8 October 2026).
NHS (2025) Head injury and concussion. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/head-injury-and-concussion/ (Accessed: 8 October 2026).

Massage therapy · Kitchener–WaterlooSkull or Facial Fracture

What It Is

Skull Fracture

Facial Fracture Anatomy

Signs of a Facial Fracture

Self-Care & Treatment

How to Treat a Facial Fracture

Treatments you may want to discuss with your medical team or family doctor or nurse practitioner

Tips

My Approach

While It's Healing

Once Your Team Allows More

Typical Course

When to See a Doctor First

When to Get Urgent Help

References

Related Conditions

Book a session

Massage therapy · Kitchener–WaterlooSkull or Facial Fracture

What It Is

Skull Fracture

Facial Fracture Anatomy

Signs of a Facial Fracture

Self-Care & Treatment

How to Treat a Facial Fracture

Treatments you may want to discuss with your medical team or family doctor or nurse practitioner

Tips

My Approach

While It's Healing

Once Your Team Allows More

Typical Course

When to See a Doctor First

When to Get Urgent Help

References

Related Conditions

Maxillofacial Trauma

Bell's Palsy

Concussion

Migraine

Book a session