Many people suffer injuries after a car accident, and some of the most common affect the shoulder. The shoulder consists of a ball and socket joint made up of three bones: the humerus (or the bone of the upper arm), scapula (or the shoulder blade), and clavicle (or the collar bone).
These bones stay together through the use of ligaments, tendons, and muscles, and this joint has a greater range of motion than other joints of body.
This range of motion makes it highly likely to sustain an injury in a car accident, and if you experience an injury to this area you should contact your Atlanta personal injury chiropractor immediately.
Common Injuries You Might Experience After an Accident
Some of the most common car accident injuries that people experience when they are involved in a car accident include the following:
- Tear of the Rotator Cuff: With this injury, the ligaments and tendons of the shoulder suffer a rip, tear, or stretch. This causes loss of movement and often extreme pain.
- Sprains and Strains
- Bruises
- Fractured Bones
- Frozen Shoulder: Frozen shoulder occurs when an injury inhibits the range of motion of the shoulder. The tissue around the joint shrinks and thickens, and this limits the ability of the muscle to stretch.
Common Shoulder Injury Symptoms
If you experience a shoulder injury, you may exhibit one or more of the following common symptoms:
- Intense and sudden pain of the shoulder area.
- Difficulty with moving the arm without pain.
- Swelling, weakness, numbness, and tingling of the shoulder.
- Stiff or painful shoulder that will hurt more during the night and can interrupt sleeping.
- Blue, pale, or discolored shoulder area.
Treatment Options
Treatment options for shoulder injuries may vary. Remedies may be simple, such as chiropractic care, using a sling to provide your arm with rest, or compression, ice, and elevation. On the other hand, more severe injuries may result in surgery, such as a torn muscle, tendon, or ligament.