SHOULDER INJURIES AFTER A CAR, TRUCK, OR SEMI-TRUCK CRASH
The shoulder absorbs a significant amount of force during a car, truck, or semi-truck crash whether you are the driver or passenger in the vehicle. Shoulder injuries after a car, truck, or semi-truck crash are common but are not always commonly diagnosed in a timely matter. The shoulder is a complex joint in the body which makes it sometimes difficult to determine the exact cause of the shoulder pain. At P.I. HELP Chiropractic and Injury Clinics, the experienced chiropractic physicians are trained to look for shoulder injuries even when it is not the primary concern of the patient. They know that the patient’s severe neck pain might just be coming from the shoulder.
SHOULDER ANATOMY
Before we talk about specific shoulder injuries after a car, truck, or semi-truck crash let’s first discuss the basic anatomy of the shoulder. The shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint that is made up of three bones. These bones are the humerus (arm bone), scapula (shoulder blade), and the clavicle (collar bone). All three of these bones are held together by soft tissues such as muscles, tendons, joint capsules, and ligaments. Due to the unique structure of the shoulder joint, it has the greatest range of motion of any joint in the body but it is also the most unstable joint in the body due to this large range of motion making it more susceptible to injury.
COMMON SHOULDER INJURIES AND SYMPTOMS AFTER A CAR, TRUCK, OR SEMI-TRUCK CRASH
Shoulder pain can develop immediately, a few hours, or days after a crash. It is extremely important to have your shoulder pain checked out right away by a knowledgeable medical professional like the chiropractic physicians at P.I. HELP Chiropractic and Injury Clinics because the recovery time can be prolonged without the appropriate diagnosis and treatment.
ROTATOR CUFF TEARS
Rotator cuff tears and SLAP tears are soft tissue injuries, which are more common than bony injuries after a car, truck, or semi-truck crash. The rotator cuff is a group of tendons and muscles that keeps the upper arm bone in the shoulder socket. A rotator cuff tear occurs when any of these tendons or muscles are torn. A patient with a rotator cuff tear may experience weakness in the arm, difficulty moving the arm, and a dull ache in the shoulder.
SLAP TEARS
SLAP stands for Superior Labrum Anterior and Posterior. A SLAP tear occurs when the top part of the ring of cartilage (labrum) that surrounds the socket of the shoulder joint is torn. Patients with a SLAP tear will usually complain of decreased shoulder strength and range of motion along with pain with shoulder movement.
Nonsurgical treatments and surgical treatments are available for these types of injuries. The chiropractors and physical rehabilitation therapy team at P.I. HELP Injury Clinics- The Car Accident Chiropractors can assist you with increasing shoulder range of motion and rebuilding strength in your shoulder.
SPRAINS AND STRAINS
Unnatural forces and positions in a car, truck, or semi-truck crash can cause the muscles and tendons surrounding the shoulder to be sprained or strained. Common symptoms that a patient may experience due to sprain or strain are swelling, pain, and limitations of movement in the shoulder.
A shoulder injury, minor or severe, after a car, truck or semi-truck accident can affect a patient physically, financially, and emotionally. Please contact our clinics for more information about chiropractic care or physical rehabilitation therapy for shoulder pain caused by a car, truck, or semi-truck accident or to be referred to a TOP trusted and experienced personal injury attorney in the San Antonio, TX area or Salt Lake City, UT area including Murray, West Valley City, South Jordan, West Jordan, Draper, Midvale, Taylorsville and Kearns, UT.
P.I. HELP Injury Clinics- The Car Accident Chiropractor San Antonio, TX
4423 NW Loop 410 Suite 203, San Antonio, TX 78229
Call us or send us a text at (210) 249-4949
P.I. HELP Injury Clinics- The Car Accident Chiropractor Salt Lake City (Murray), UT
154 E. Myrtle Ave. Suite 100, Murray, UT 84107
Call us or send us a text at (801) 210-5050