Shoulder Pain and Car Accidents

If you are dealing with shoulder pain after an auto injury, don't despair. Dr. Roxann Bettencourt, DC sees this type of problem often in our Napa, CA office. What causes shoulder pain after a car crash? How can chiropractic care help?

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

Direct injury can be caused by hitting your shoulder on a hard surface 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 trauma, you'll often be aware of the pain soon after the wreck.

More commonly, Dr. Roxann Bettencourt, DC finds that shoulder or arm pain doesn't immediately appear after a crash, but begins a few days or weeks after the trauma. This type of shoulder pain actually starts in the cervical spine. Injured soft tissue in your spine can squeeze nerves in your neck, causing numbness, tingling, or pain in your shoulder, elbow, or wrist.

We've worked with many types of shoulder pain in our Napa, CA office. This approach 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 struggling with shoulder pain, Dr. Roxann Bettencourt, DC is here to help. The first step is to get an accurate diagnosis to determine what's causing your pain and then we will determine an appropriate treatment plan of action. Ready to make an appointment? Give us a call at (707) 257-3600 and we'll get you back on the road to health.