Car accident injuries can include broken bones, cuts, scrapes, concussions and even nerve damage. Immediately following an accident, your body is full of adrenaline, and you might not notice the physical impacts. However, over the next few days and weeks, you may experience pain in your hands, wrists or shoulders.
It’s important to have a doctor assess your physical condition after a car accident. Although some injuries may resolve with time, most heal faster with appropriate treatment. Learn more about the common causes of hand and shoulder pain and when you should see a doctor right away.
People may injure their wrists, hands and shoulders during an accident by bracing themselves for impact. Here are several other common causes of arm and shoulder injuries:
The speed at the time of the accident, whether you are wearing a seat belt and your body position at the time of impact can affect the severity of injuries.
Damage to your skin, muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones and nerves can cause hand and wrist pain after a car accident. Thankfully, there are many treatment options to reduce pain and help your body heal. Learn more about wrist and hand injuries and what you can do to recover.
The skin on your hands and wrists can be injured with cuts and bruising after a car accident. These wounds are often the result of direct impact and can lead to tenderness during the healing period. Thankfully, shallow cuts and bruises will heal with enough time and rest. Deep cuts may require medical attention.
Sometimes, the same impact that causes bruising can lead to internal damage. That’s why it’s so important to see an injury doctor after an accident — they can determine the full extent of your injuries and create a personalized plan of care to help you recover.
During impact, the soft tissues in your hands and wrists can be stretched farther than normal. If your muscles, tendons and ligaments get overextended, they may feel painful for a while. Soft tissues often react to injury with inflammation and a limited range of motion while they heal.
Mild soft tissue trauma often heals on its own, while more severe injuries may require intervention, such as physiotherapy, for a better recovery outcome. Your physician can help you navigate treatment options like ice for inflammation, chiropractic care, physiotherapy and more.
Damaged or broken bones in your hands and wrists can also cause pain after an accident. With the right care, your wrists and hands can heal and regain healthy function. Here are some signs that you may have broken a bone:
If you also experience numbness and tingling, you may have dislocated a bone in your hand or wrist. Dislocated bones are extremely painful, limit your movement and often press on nearby nerves. If you suspect you have broken or dislocated bones, you need to see a doctor for diagnosis and treatment.
The nerves in your hands and wrists impact mobility and sensation. If you’re experiencing pain, numbness, tingling and weakness, you may have nerve damage. There could be a few underlying causes for this, including:
Sometimes, nerve damage in your hands and wrists will resolve on its own with time and rest. However, nerve pain that increases, begins suddenly or persists for a long time should be treated by a medical professional. It’s important to seek care immediately because nerves can become permanently damaged without treatment.
If you injure your neck or shoulders during an accident, that injury can radiate down to your hands and wrists. In these cases, treating the muscles, ligaments, tendons, bones, and nerves in your neck and shoulders is key to healing your wrist and hand pain after a car accident.
When you visit an injury care doctor, they can assess your symptoms and determine the root cause of your pain. Appropriate treatment can reduce discomfort and heal your body, whether you’ve injured your wrists, hands, shoulders or other body parts.
Your shoulders can withstand similar injuries to your hands and wrists after an accident. You may experience pain, swelling and stiffness in your shoulders. While some shoulder damage may resolve on its own, other injuries require medical care to heal properly.
Damage to your rotator cuff is common after a car accident. Your rotator cuff is a group of tendons and muscles that keep your arm securely in its shoulder socket. Symptoms of a rotator cuff injury include:
Unfortunately, most rotator cuff tears don’t heal on their own. However, the other muscles in your shoulder can be strengthened to reduce pain and improve mobility. In severe cases, you may need surgery to reattach the tendon in your shoulder. A medical professional can help you navigate treatment options for good recovery outcomes.
You should always see a doctor after a car accident. Not every injury presents symptoms right away, and a medical professional can help you understand the full extent of your injuries. They can also create a personalized treatment plan to help you recover mobility and reduce pain after an accident.
Some car accident injuries do heal on their own with time and rest. However, others may get worse or cause permanent damage if not properly treated. If you have pain in your hands, wrists or shoulders that occurs suddenly or gets worse with time, you should see a doctor. Sharp pain, numbness and tingling are signs of nerve damage and also mean you should visit a doctor.
Do you have shoulder or arm pain after a car accident? At Complete Care, we offer imaging and recovery services across Central Florida. Our integrative clinics offer diagnostics, neurology, chiropractic care and more, so you can access the services you need without switching locations.
You can visit our affordable injury care clinics with walk-in, same-day and telehealth appointments. We’re passionate about helping people heal from injuries and recover their mobility. Request a patient appointment today at one of our Florida locations!
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