Shoulder Pain and Car Crashes

Shoulder Pain is a common symptom after an auto collision, and it's something that Dr. Matthisen sees frequently in our Anchorage 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 different ways that you can get shoulder problems after an accident: by direct injury to the shoulder or by radiating pain from the neck.

Direct trauma 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 impact. With this type of trauma, you'll usually be aware of the pain shortly after the crash.

More commonly, Dr. Matthisen finds that shoulder or arm pain doesn't immediately appear after a collision, but starts a few days or weeks after the accident. This type of shoulder pain actually starts in the cervical spine. Injured ligaments or muscles in your neck can pinch nerves in your neck, causing tingling, numbness, or soreness in your shoulder, elbow, or wrist.

We've treated both types of shoulder pain in our Anchorage office. This approach involves chiropractic adjustments to restore your spine's natural flexibility and exercises that strengthen your neck and shoulder.

You don't have to suffer from shoulder pain. Dr. Matthisen is conveniently located in Anchorage to help you get better, whether you've been in an auto collision or not. The first step is to get an accurate diagnosis to determine what's causing your pain and then we will determine an appropriate treatment strategy. Give our office a call today at (907) 349-4212 to make an appointment.