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Neck and Shoulder Pain Following a Car Crash

Car accidents are traumatic events, both physically and emotionally, which often result in neck and shoulder pain. Symptoms, such as headaches and stiffness, can appear immediately or later after the incident. Whether you’re experiencing a dull ache or shooting sharp pain, it’s crucial not to ignore neck injuries or self-medicate.

Chiropractic care is a safe, non-invasive solution that alleviates neck and shoulder pain. But first, let’s explore how car accidents affect the neck, symptoms to watch for, and common types of neck injuries to better understand your condition and treatment options.

What Happens to the Neck in a Car Accident

The neck is a very vulnerable part of the body during a car accident. A seatbelt restrains your body, but not your head and neck at the moment of impact. This can cause your neck to jerk suddenly, or even get hit by flying debris, that can seriously injure the muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, and nerves in the cervical spine.

Another consideration is if you anticipate the car crash before it happens, then your neck muscles will tense up as a stress reaction. Tense muscles are less flexible than relaxed muscles, which may add further neck strain during impact.

Neck and Shoulder Pain Symptoms

Symptoms of a neck injury may appear immediately, several hours, or days after a car accident, and range in severity. Typical signs of neck and shoulder trauma after a car accident include the following:

Neck pain and stiffness
Radiating pain to the shoulders, arms, and hands
Numbness, tingling, or weakness in the arms, hands, and fingers
Decreased range of motion
Dizziness
Headaches
Nausea
Vomiting
Confusion
Memory problems
Vision changes
Difficulty breathing

Never ignore pain after an auto accident. It’s vital to seek treatment immediately from a reputable provider because even a “minor” neck injury can develop into long-term complications.

Common Neck Injuries from Car Crashes

Not all neck injuries from a car accident are the same. That’s why it’s important to meet with an experienced treatment provider to identify your injury type and create the best plan for you. Here are common types of neck injuries from car crashes to get an idea of what you have:

Whiplash

Whiplash is when the head and neck are suddenly jerked back and forth. This movement can strain, tear, or damage the muscles, ligaments, nerves, and connective tissues in the neck. While whiplash can resolve within a few weeks with early treatment, it sometimes causes chronic pain, headaches, or memory problems for months or years after the incident.

A tear, sprain, or strain to the neck’s ligaments, muscles, or tendons result in soft tissue damage. Typically, this causes pain, stiffness, and tenderness in the neck and shoulders. A muscle strain may also reduce neck movement and cause muscle spasms.

Facet joints assist in stabilizing the head and neck. A car accident can cause inflammation and irritation of the facet joints. Collisions can also damage surrounding ligament tissue, which could affect the movement or range of motion of the joint.

Upon impact, intervertebral discs in the cervical spine may slip out from between vertebrae. The injured disc then puts pressure on nearby nerves in the spine, resulting in a pinched nerve. This can cause pain, weakness, tingly feelings, and numbness in the neck, shoulders, arms, hands, and fingers.

One of the most serious injuries after car accidents is a neck fracture. It’s critical that you don’t move without professional medical assistance. Just one wrong move could damage your spinal cord and cause paralysis.

An untreated neck injury can lead to chronic, systemic issues later on. Many people who suffer from whiplash injuries don't get proper treatment, so they end up suffering from whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) for months or even years after the accident.

WAD may include a variety of symptoms, such as chronic neck and back pain, headaches, cognitive issues, and mood disorders like depression or anxiety. Furthermore, chronic pain can have negative impacts on all aspects of your life. You may find it difficult concentrating at work, performing vigorous activities, or sleeping well.

Chiropractic Neck Injury Treatment

Choosing the right treatment provider is the first step to living pain-free after a car accident. However, many primary care physicians don't have the training and experience to identify, diagnose, and treat car accident injuries.

Metro Chirowell specializes in providing state-of-the-art chiropractic treatment for the Metro West Orlando community. Unlike other doctor’s offices that focus on the symptoms rather than the problem, our chiropractic care is a natural holistic approach that rehabilitates car accident injuries.

Contact us today to discover a better way to treat your neck and shoulder pain!