Experiencing Shoulder Pain from Car Accident? Everything You Need to Know
A car accident can cause a significant amount of pain. And you might not even realize the extent of your injuries until several days after your accident.
The type of pain after a car wreck you might experience often emanates from the shoulder. In fact, shoulder injuries are common after a car accident. And if your shoulder injury is serious enough, this could result in hospitalization and high medical expenses.
Shoulder injuries and other musculoskeletal injuries are no laughing matter. And as with any accident, soft tissue damage including shoulder pain is a common experience, but one that you’ll want to seek compensation for if you suffer lost wages or any pain and suffering.
Seeking legal advice after a car accident is your best strategy to receive fair compensation for your injuries. And car accident attorneys can help you with your personal injury claim.
If you’re experiencing any pain from an injury to the shoulder, upper arm, bone, or rotator cuff, seeking medical attention first should be your first priority. The following will help illustrate what you’ll need to know after experiencing a shoulder injury in a car accident.
Most Common Shoulder Injuries
When you’re involved in a car accident, your body can be tossed around violently and abruptly. And you may collide with the car’s interior, bearing the brunt of the impact on your shoulder.
As a result of this, a variety of shoulder injuries can occur, and often, they can result in debilitating shoulder pain.
Car accident victims often experience many of the same symptoms with shoulder injuries, and the most common shoulder injuries and symptoms are as follows:
- Rotator cuff tear
- Fractured clavicle
- Slap tear
- Muscle spasms
- Radiating pain
- Shoulder mobility problems
- Broken shoulder blade
- Shoulder joint injuries
- Chronic neck pain
In addition to the list above, your shoulder could also become dislocated during a car accident, and this alone can cause excruciating pain. Regardless of your injury, you should seek proper treatment immediately.
What to do if You’ve Suffered an Injured Shoulder
After a car accident, shoulder pain is quite common. But even though this is a common injury, it shouldn’t be disregarded. In fact, even the most benign shoulder injuries can lead to severe complications in the future.
Rotator cuff tears after a car accident are among the most common. But even if your torn rotator cuff isn’t causing you serious pain, you could still suffer from the loss of strength in your shoulder and be unable to have full range of motion. And this can result in lost wages from you missing work, or from being able to enjoy other activities
If you’re experiencing serious pain after a car crash, you should seek medical attention, attend physical therapy is recommended, then seek out a free consultation for legal advice so you can file a personal injury claim.
Dealing with Serious Shoulder Injury
A serious shoulder injury can affect your life in more ways than you’re probably aware of. And it’s not until you lose the functionality of your shoulder that you’ll fully realize just how debilitating this type of injury can be.
Many car accident victims suffer a range of serious injuries, not all of them concerning the shoulder. In fact, other soft tissue injuries and internal bleeding can also be caused by a car accident and lead to even worse problems and huge medical bills.
In most cases when severe shoulder injury is evident, physical rehabilitation is often a necessary step. And medical care might include diagnostic imaging in order to see the full scope of your shoulder injury.
Any time you have blunt force trauma on the shoulder, this will require the proper diagnosis by a medical professional. And as long as this information is entered into your medical records, you should have no problems seeking fair compensation from the at-fault party or their insurance company. But after you’ve sought medical attention, you should contact a car accident attorney for a free case evaluation.
Recovering from a Shoulder Injury
As mentioned, seeking therapy after a serious shoulder injury should be your first step once you’ve received a comprehensive medical examination. But your rehab may be extensive, so you’ll want to be prepared to spend time ensuring that your shoulder heals properly.
One of the best things that you can do after a serious shoulder injury due to a car accident is to keep your shoulder immobilized as much as possible. And you should avoid using your injured shoulder at all costs. In fact, having your shoulder stabilized in a sling is usually the preferred treatment for shoulder injuries.
You should also adhere to your pain management regimen, and contact your doctor if you begin to experience any increased pain or sensitivity in your shoulder after a car accident.
In addition, once your shoulder has had time to heal, several exercises might be recommended by your physical therapist.
A few therapy exercises you might want to try after a shoulder injury include:
- Pendulum swinging
- Standing rows
- Internal rotations
- Posterior stretching
- Crossover arm stretches
- Rotator cuff exercises
As always, ensure that you’re directed by a doctor prior to engaging in any exercise therapy in order to avoid further injuring your shoulder.
If You Experience Chronic Shoulder Pain
Chronic shoulder pain may become a problem if your injury was serious enough. If this is the case, seeking legal counsel is often recommended in order to fully compensate you for your injury if your accident was the result of a negligent motorist.
Going forward, ensure that you adhere to any pain management regimens and take any medications that you may have been prescribed in order to fully recover in the quickest amount of time possible.
Shoulder injuries can last for months or for years if serious enough, so your best strategy going forward is to tend to your shoulder regularly, and follow all advice given to you by your doctor or by your physical therapy team.
Here at Mitch Grissim & Associates, we’re here to hold responsible parties accountable and get you the compensation you rightfully deserve for your pain and suffering.
