Shoulder Pain and Car Accidents

If you suffer from shoulder pain after a car accident, don't worry. Dr. Bettencourt sees this type of condition frequently in our Napa, CA office. Let's look at the root cause of shoulder pain after an auto injury and see how your chiropractor can help.

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

Direct injury can be caused by striking your shoulder on a hard surface in the car during the crash, 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 soon after the crash.

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

We've worked with both kinds of shoulder pain in our Napa, CA office. This approach involves chiropractic adjustments to restore your spine's natural mobility and home exercises that strengthen your neck and shoulder.

Dr. Bettencourt is here in Napa, CA to help you recover from shoulder pain. We've been helping patients since 2006 and we can probably help you, too. Dr. Bettencourt will first determine what's causing your pain and then work to restore your body to its natural functioning. Give our office a call today at (707) 257-3600 to make an appointment.