Shoulder and Upper Back Pain
How do Car Accidents cause Shoulder and Upper Back Pain?
In an automobile accident, the upper half of a person’s body is less secure than the lower half. Even when the rider wears a seat belt, the forces exerted in an accident travel to the upper body and can injure the shoulders or upper back. Although usually thought of as a neck injury, Whiplashcan also strain the tendons and ligaments of the upper back and shoulder.
If you have recently been in an auto accident, visiting a rehabilitation clinic that focuses on treating muscle strains, sprains, fractures, and other soft tissue damage will put you ahead of the curve for recovery. Radius Clinic does precisely that: We focus on musculoskeletal rehabilitation. No matter what kinds of injuries you sustain in an automobile accident, we have the technology and training you need to restore your body to normal function.
What Kinds of Shoulder or Upper-Back Injuries are caused by Automobile Accidents?
Car accidents can result in any number of shoulder or upper back injuries. Some are more severe than others. Here, we describe some such injuries and their complications. In many cases, accident victims need some degree of physical rehabilitation to make a complete recovery.
Torn Rotator Cuff
The shoulder has several muscles and tendons that surround it and connect to other bones. Specific activities that involve repetitive arm motions can cause injury to the rotator cuff muscles and become worn down or damaged. A torn rotator cuff also can occur during a moment of an extreme force; this can happen during an incident at work, a sporting event, or an automobile accident.
Torn or damaged rotator cuffs are more common in people over the age of 60, people who work construction jobs, or those who have a family history of such injuries. If a rotator cuff injury is left untreated, regular use can result in the shoulder wearing down further, resulting in more loss of motion and strength. However, immobilizing the joint can also result in a thickening of the connective tissue, a condition known as frozen shoulder.
Pinched Nerves, Herniated Discs, and other Nerve Damage
A pinched nerve is what it sounds like - a nerve that becomes squeezed between two bones or other tissue. A pinched nerve can happen when a disc becomes herniated or from blunt force trauma or whiplash. When a nerve gets pinched, it can cause intense pain, numbness, or a tingling sensation in the areas serviced by that nerve. In the upper back, that can mean the arm, chest, or internal organs.
Pinched nerves can be severe. In some cases, a pinched nerve will heal on its own with proper rest. Sometimes, however, the inflammation around the area can produce more significant pressure on the nerve, which can damage it or cause additional discomfort. For such patients, further treatment is necessary.
Fractures
A fracture, or broken bone, requires immediate treatment. Once the bone is set, it is immobilized for a number of weeks until fully healed. Once the cast or other protective setting has been removed, the patient may require physical rehabilitation to recover full strength and range of motion.
If the fracture is located in the thoracic spine, the extent of the damage is important in determining treatment. If the bone is already in place and the compression of the spinal cord is insignificant, in many cases, the fracture can heal with a spinal brace, which immobilizes the area. With a more complex fracture or significant spinal cord compression, the patient may require surgery, traction, or both. After the bones heal, the patient should begin a course of physical rehabilitation.
Contusions/Bleeding
In addition to broken bones, blunt force trauma can cause contusions or internal bleeding. Internal bleeding can be quite severe and difficult to detect. After the patient is stable, imaging tests can identify the key areas where additional care is needed.
There are many different ways that an impact can cause an internal hemorrhage. Muscle or connective tissue can be strained or torn. Bruising can occur in muscle, skin, or internal organs. Blood can collect in certain places and form clots. Any of these problems can compromise motion in the affected areas and cause pain. These conditions also result in inflammation, which slows down healing and can result in other damage.
Diagnosis
Recovering from an auto accident injury is critical to your physical health and wellness. That’s why it’s essential to go to a rehabilitation clinic that focuses on treating automobile accident injuries such as Radius. They will conduct a thorough physical evaluation and determine where your biggest challenges will be. They then combine these results with your medical history and other tests to complete your diagnosis and plan for recovery.
Treatment
At Radius Clinic, we provide physical rehabilitation to reduce inflammation and heal bruises and strains. Over time, the body will slowly remove, repair, and replace damaged tissue. Physical rehabilitation improves the efficiency of that process while gradually increasing strength and range of motion. After a car accident, physical rehabilitation is often necessary; without it, a full recovery can take a very long time or may not come at all.
Once the patient’s body reaches a particular stage in recovery, light motion and massage can help increase blood flow to the affected areas, which aids in healing. Our professionals carefully monitor this process to ensure that it produces the desired result. After the soft tissue loosens up and swelling diminishes, the patient can begin more rigorous exercise to recover strength and range of motion.
