Shoulder Pain and Car Crashes

If you have shoulder pain after a car accident, don't despair. Dr. Ernst sees this type of problem often in our Arlington office. Why is shoulder pain such a common condition after an auto collision? How can your chiropractor help you get better?

There are at least two ways that you can develop shoulder pain after a car crash: 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 injury, you'll usually be aware of the pain soon after the crash.

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 accident. This type of shoulder pain actually starts in the cervical spine. Injured muscles or ligaments in your neck can pinch nerves in your neck, causing numbness, tingling, or pain in your shoulder, elbow, or wrist.

We've worked with both kinds 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.

Dr. Ernst is here in Arlington to help you recover from shoulder pain. We've been helping patients since 1990 and we can probably help you, too. First, we'll do a careful assessment to determine the root cause of your pain, 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.