Experiencing Shoulder Pain After Your Car Accident?

Treating only the symptoms of the pain from a shoulder injury can prolong recovery.

Many people often suffer from shoulder pain immediately or shortly after being involved in a car accident. The severe trauma a person may experience from the impact of an accident can result in a number of different types of shoulder injuries.

If you have been involved in a car wreck and are experiencing pain from a shoulder injury, seek medical treatment and contact an experienced St. Louis car accident attorney. You should not bear the financial burden of being injured in an accident that was not your fault.

Types of Shoulder Injuries

After being involved in a car accident, your shoulder could be injured in a number of different ways. The shoulder is a very complex ball-and-socket joint with three main bones: the humerus (upper arm bone), clavicle (collarbone), scapula (shoulder blade).

Each of these bones is held together by muscles, ligaments, and tendons. The shoulder has the greatest range of motion of any joint in the human body. As a result, the shoulder has a greater likelihood of being injured. The most common shoulder injuries from car accidents include:

• Bone Fracture – the force of being involved in a car crash is powerful enough to break, even shatter, bones. The three main bones are susceptible to fractures or breaks from this type of trauma.
• Sprains and Strains – in the event of an accident, arms can be flung around in unnatural ways and can cause severe strains or tears in the muscles and tendons around the shoulder. These types of injuries are generally not too serious and will heal within a few weeks.
• Deep Tissue Bruising – a bruise typically causes a measure of discomfort, but deep tissue bruising is a different story. Because bruising indicates internal bleeding, bruising of the connective tissues and muscles in the shoulder could be very serious.
• Rotator Cuff Tear – the rotator cuffs job is to control the stability and fine motor control of the shoulder. An injury to the rotator cuff can be extremely painful and may take several months to heal completely.
• SLAP Tear – SLAP stands for a superior labral tear from anterior to posterior. A SLAP tear is a tear in the cartilage on the inner part of the shoulder joint. This injury causes severe pain and limited mobility. Treatment for this type of injury is challenging because cartilage heals slowly.

Pain is a warning sign. Treating only the symptoms of pain can prolong recovery. That is why seeking medical attention to address the cause of the pain is so important. Some of the common symptoms you may be experiencing as a result of a shoulder injury from an auto accident include:

• Tingling, numbness, or weakness
• A tender, stiff shoulder that hurts more at night
• Shoulder pain in a specific location
• Difficulty moving the arm
• Sudden, intense pain when trying to move the arm