Shoulder Pain and Auto Injury

Shoulder Pain and Auto Injury

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

There are at least two different ways that you can get shoulder pain after an accident: by direct trauma to the shoulder joint or by radiating pain from the neck.

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

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

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

Dr. Ernst has been helping patients in Arlington since 1990, so we know what you're going through. We're here to help you, too. First, we'll do a careful assessment to establish 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.