Shoulder Pain and Car Crashes

If you are dealing with shoulder pain after a car accident, don't despair. Dr. Olson sees this type of condition frequently in our Port Coquitlam office. The key to recovering from shoulder pain caused by a crash is to understand the root cause of the problem and how chiropractic care can help.

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

Direct trauma can be caused by hitting 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 collision. With this type of trauma, you'll usually be aware of the pain soon after the wreck.

More commonly, Dr. Olson finds that shoulder or arm pain does not immediately appear after a collision, but begins a few days or weeks after the injury. This type of shoulder discomfort actually starts in the neck. Injured soft tissue in your spine can tweak nerves in your neck, causing numbness, tingling, or soreness in your shoulder, elbow, or wrist.

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

If you've been hurt in a car crash and you're experiencing shoulder pain, Dr. Olson is here to help. The first step is to get an accurate diagnosis to determine what's causing your symptoms and then we will determine an appropriate treatment strategy. Give our office a call today at (604) 941-4596 to make an appointment.