Do you have headaches, neck pain, or arm pain after a car crash?
Did the accident affect your daily life? Are you holding back from returning to work, driving, or playing sports because of your injuries?
After such a traumatic experience, you wonder how long you should wait to return to normal. You don’t want to suffer the long-term effects of a car crash or waste money on over-the-counter medications.
Don’t endure chronic pain because you’re afraid of the doctor’s office. Here are key signs you should get a chiropractic shoulder adjustment after a car crash.
1. Persistent Shoulder Pain
One of the most apparent signs that you require a chiropractic shoulder adjustment after a car crash is persistent shoulder pain. If you experience discomfort that doesn’t improve or worsens with time, it may indicate an underlying shoulder misalignment or soft tissue injury. The impact of a car crash can cause sudden jolts and unexpected movements that strain the muscles, tendons, and ligaments supporting the shoulder joint.
Moreover, the force can push the shoulder out of its natural alignment. This can cause additional stress on the surrounding structures. As a result, you may experience persistent and sometimes sharp pain in the shoulder area.
Persistent shoulder pain can be a hindrance in your daily activities. It can affect your work, hobbies, and quality of life. It may also lead to compensatory movements that affect other parts of your body, leading to a chain reaction of discomfort.
Chiropractors specialize in diagnosing and treating musculoskeletal pains. A thorough evaluation can help identify the source of your shoulder pain.
2. Limited Range of Motion
A shoulder injury resulting from a car crash can lead to a reduced range of motion. You may find it challenging to do the following without pain:
- Lift your arm
- Reach overhead
- Perform routine tasks
The loss of range of motion is often a direct result of the injury’s impact on the shoulder joint’s stability and mobility.
Following a car wreck, the shoulder joint may become misaligned. The surrounding soft tissues may become inflamed, causing stiffness and limited movement.
If left untreated, this restriction in range of motion can further exacerbate the problem. It can lead to muscle tightness and decreased flexibility.
Seeking chiropractic care after a car crash can be beneficial. Chiropractors are trained to assess joint alignment. They can address any mobility issues through targeted adjustments. By realigning the shoulder joint and reducing inflammation, chiropractic care can help restore your shoulder’s full range of motion.
3. Muscle Weakness and Imbalance
When the shoulder joint is out of place, it can make the muscles around it weak and throw off the balance. You might feel like some muscles are weaker or get tired more quickly than they did before the accident. These imbalances can make the problem worse and make it take longer to get better.
The muscles around the shoulder joint all work together to keep it stable and help it move. But if the joint is out of place because of a car accident, some muscles may get too much work while others get weak from not being used enough. This imbalance can change the way you move and make it harder for you to do everyday jobs without pain.
Shoulder tweaks from a chiropractor can help fix these muscle imbalances by putting the joint back in place and making the muscles work more evenly. By doing this, chiropractic care improves the stability of the shoulder and the health of the joints as a whole.
4. Tenderness and Swelling
Tenderness and swelling around the shoulder area are common after a car crash-related injury. The impact of the collision can cause micro-tears in the soft tissues surrounding the shoulder joint, leading to inflammation.
Inflammation can hinder the healing process. It may also intensify discomfort, making it challenging to perform even simple movements.
Chiropractic care can help reduce inflammation through gentle adjustments. They can alleviate pressure on the affected tissues, facilitating a speedier recovery. Additionally, chiropractors may recommend exercises and stretches to promote blood flow and healing.
5. Radiating Pain or Numbness
A misaligned shoulder joint can exert pressure on surrounding nerves, causing radiating pain or numbness down the arm. This condition, known as referred pain, can be perplexing, as the source of the pain may not seem directly related to the shoulder.
The nerves in the shoulder region are interconnected with those in the neck and upper back. As a result, when the shoulder joint is misaligned or injured, it can create tension and strain that radiates upwards, leading to headaches and neck pain. Furthermore, nerve compression in the shoulder can cause tingling or numbness down the arm, affecting the hand and fingers.
Chiropractors are skilled at identifying nerve compression. They can perform adjustments to release the pressure and alleviate the associated symptoms.
6. Headaches and Migraines
It may come as a surprise, but shoulder misalignments can contribute to headaches and migraines after a car crash. When the upper back and neck are affected, tension and strain can radiate upwards, leading to headaches. Misalignments in the upper spine can disrupt blood flow and nerve function, resulting in headache symptoms.
A chiropractic adjustment aims to correct misalignments in the spine and shoulders. They alleviate tension and stress on the surrounding muscles and nerves. By addressing the root cause of the headaches, chiropractic care can offer relief from these persistent and sometimes debilitating headaches.
7. Delayed Onset of Symptoms
Sometimes, injuries sustained in a car crash may not manifest symptoms immediately. You might feel perfectly fine for days or even weeks after the accident, only to experience shoulder pain or mobility issues later on. This delayed onset of symptoms is not uncommon and should not be ignored.
After a car accident, your body may release adrenaline and endorphins, masking pain and discomfort temporarily. As these chemicals wear off, you may begin to feel the full extent of your injuries. Moreover, soft tissue injuries, such as strains and sprains, can take time to develop symptoms as inflammation sets in.
Seeking prompt medical attention and chiropractic care, such as those provided by experts at https://axcessac.com/, is essential after an accident. Chiropractors can help detect and treat any hidden injuries before they worsen. Early intervention can prevent long-term complications and enhance your overall well-being.
Chiropractic Shoulder Adjustment After a Car Crash
Getting adjusted can help reduce pain and improve overall health. Pain relief can help improve your quality of life.
If you have been in a car crash and are feeling shoulder pain, get a chiropractic shoulder adjustment. Contact a local chiropractor today and get the help you need to feel better.
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