Shoulder Pain and Auto Injury

Shoulder Pain is a common symptom after a car crash, and it's something that Dr. Ernst sees often in our Arlington office. What causes shoulder pain after a car crash? How can chiropractic help?

There are at least two ways that you can develop shoulder problems after an accident: by direct trauma to the shoulder or by referred pain from the neck.

Direct damage can be caused by striking your shoulder on a hard object in the car during the crash, or can occur if you have a tight grip on the steering wheel during a rear end collision. With this type of trauma, you'll often be aware of the pain soon after the crash.

More frequently, Dr. Ernst finds that shoulder or arm pain doesn't immediately appear after a collision, but starts a few days or weeks after the accident. This type of shoulder discomfort actually starts in the neck. Injured ligaments or muscles in your spine can squeeze nerves in your neck, causing numbness, tingling, or pain in your shoulder, elbow, or wrist.

We've worked with both types of shoulder pain in our Arlington office. This process involves chiropractic adjustments to restore your spine's natural mobility and exercises that strengthen your neck and shoulder.

If you've been injured in a car crash and you're suffering from shoulder pain, Dr. Ernst is here to help. First, we'll do a careful evaluation to establish the root cause of your problem, and then decide how to restore your body's natural functioning. Ready to make an appointment? Give us a call at (360) 659-8464 and we'll get you back on the road to health.