Shoulder Pain and Auto Injury

Shoulder Pain and Auto Injury

Shoulder Pain is a common condition after a car accident, and it's something that Dr. Zapf sees frequently in our Fairfax office. Your chiropractor can be very helpful for shoulder pain symptoms after a crash. Let's see what causes shoulder pain and why chiropractic works.

There are at least two different ways that you can get shoulder problems after an accident: by direct injury to the shoulder joint or by referred 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 usually be aware of the pain soon after the wreck.

More frequently, Dr. Zapf finds that shoulder or arm pain does not immediately appear after a crash, but begins a few days or weeks after the accident. This type of shoulder discomfort actually starts in the cervical spine. Injured muscles or ligaments in your spine can tweak nerves in your neck, causing numbness, tingling, or soreness in your shoulder, elbow, or wrist.

We've worked with many types of shoulder pain in our Fairfax office. This treatment involves chiropractic adjustments to restore your spine's natural mobility and home exercises that strengthen your neck and shoulder.

Dr. Zapf is here in Fairfax to help you recover from shoulder pain. We've been helping patients since 1986 and we can probably help you, too. Dr. Zapf 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 (703) 455-9555 to make an appointment.