Shoulder Pain and Auto Injury

If you are dealing with shoulder pain after an auto injury, don't despair. Dr. Ernst sees this type of condition often in our Arlington office. Why is shoulder pain such a common condition after a car accident? How can your chiropractor help you heal?

There are at least two ways that you can get shoulder pain after a car crash: by direct injury to the shoulder or by referred pain from the neck.

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

More frequently, Dr. Ernst finds that shoulder or arm pain does not immediately appear after a crash, but starts a few days or weeks after the injury. This type of shoulder pain actually starts in the cervical spine. Injured ligaments or muscles in your spine can pinch nerves in your neck, causing numbness, tingling, or soreness in your shoulder, elbow, or wrist.

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

Let us help you recover from shoulder pain. Dr. Ernst has helped many people with the same problem, and we can probably help you, too. The first step is to get an accurate diagnosis to determine what's causing your symptoms and then we will determine an appropriate treatment approach. Call us today at (360) 659-8464 if you have questions or would like to make an appointment.