Reasons You May Have Shoulder Blade Pain After a Car Accident

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Car accidents frequently cause injuries that can affect many parts of your body. Many people who’ve been in an accident suffer from neck and back pain, but another common injury is shoulder pain.

Shoulder injuries are common in car accidents because of the positioning of the seatbelt and the positioning of your arms when bracing for impact. The symptoms of some shoulder injuries can take a few days to develop, so if you’ve been in an accident, you should always visit a medical professional for an examination.

Types of injuries that cause shoulder blade pain after a car accident

• Whiplash — Whiplash is primarily a neck injury that occurs when your head jerks back and forth in an accident but it can also affect your shoulders. A common symptom of whiplash is pain that spreads into your shoulders and between your shoulder blades.
• Rotator cuff tear — An impact to the shoulder or strain can cause the soft tissue in your rotator cuff to tear. This will make it painful and difficult for you to move your shoulder and the rest of your arm.
• Labral tear — The labrum is a tough band of tissue that helps hold the ball of your joint in the socket. Strain and trauma can cause this tissue to tear, which can lead to pain, a limited range of motion, and joint dislocation.
• Fracture — The physical trauma of a car accident can exert so much force onto your shoulder that one or more of its bones break. This is more likely to happen if you slam into the side of the vehicle during an accident.
• Dislocation — The ball of your shoulder joint can pop out of the socket, which is known as dislocation. Sometimes, the joint can pop back in by itself before you even know what happened. Other times, the shoulder remains dislocated with you being unable to use it. Dislocations often cause tears that require further treatment.
• Bursitis — Bursitis is usually an injury that develops from repetitive motions, but it can develop in a car accident if the impact strains the bursae in your shoulder. The bursae are meant to cushion the soft tissue in your joints from rubbing against the bones. When the bursae are inflamed, it’s painful and difficult to move the injured joint.

Visit the iRISE Spine and Joint Institute for shoulder pain treatment

Are you suffering from shoulder blade pain after an automobile accident? You should talk to our team at the Florida Spine and Joint Institute about how we can provide a range of treatments to help you overcome your injury. Contact our team today for more information about shoulder pain treatment or to schedule an initial appointment.