Shoulder Pain and Car Crashes

Shoulder Pain is a common condition after a car crash, and it's something that Dr. Bettencourt sees often in our Napa office. Chiropractic care is an excellent way to treat shoulder pain. Let's look at how shoulder pain is caused by a crash and how Dr. Bettencourt can help you.

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

Direct injury can be caused by hitting 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 usually be aware of the pain soon after the wreck.

More frequently, Dr. Bettencourt finds that shoulder or arm pain doesn't 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 spine can squeeze nerves in your neck, causing tingling, numbness, or soreness in your shoulder, elbow, or wrist.

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

You don't have to suffer from shoulder pain. Dr. Bettencourt is conveniently located in Napa to help you get better, whether you've been in a car crash or not. The first step is to get an accurate diagnosis to determine what's causing your symptoms and then we will determine an appropriate treatment plan of action. Call us today at (707) 257-3600 if you have questions or would like to make an appointment.