Shoulder Pain After Car Accident

Shoulder Pain After a Car Accident: Causes, Treatment & Recovery

If you’ve been in a car accident and now feel pain in your shoulder, you’re not alone. Shoulder pain after a car accident is more common than most people realize. You might feel pain right away, or it might show up days later as soreness, stiffness, or weakness. Either way, it’s important to get help as soon as possible so the pain doesn’t get worse. At Suffolk Physical Therapy & Chiropractic, we focus on treating auto accident injuries—especially those involving the neck, spine, and shoulders. In this article, we’ll explain the following 5 topics:

1. Why shoulder pain happens after a crash
2. The most common shoulder injuries
3. How we treat shoulder pain naturally
4. What to expect during recovery
5. And how you can start feeling better today

Why Does Shoulder Pain Happen After a Car Crash?

Your shoulder is a very mobile joint, which makes it useful—but also easy to injure. Even if you didn’t hit your shoulder directly in the crash, the whiplash motion, seatbelt pressure, or bracing your arms during impact can strain muscles, tendons, and joints in the area.

Car accidents often cause the following types of shoulder damage:

• • Rotator cuff tears or strains
  • Dislocations or instability
  • Inflammation from overuse or trauma
  • Pinched nerves or nerve irritation
  • Stiffness and limited range of motion
  • Chronic tightness or muscle knots in the upper back

Sometimes, shoulder pain doesn’t come from the shoulder itself. It may actually start in the neck or spine and radiate down into the shoulder and arm. That’s why getting a professional evaluation is so important.

Symptoms of Shoulder Pain After a Car Accident

After a car accident, it’s common to feel the following symptoms:

1. Aching or burning in the shoulder or shoulder blade
2. Difficulty lifting your arm
3. Sharp pain with certain movements
4. A “catching” or “locking” feeling
5. Numbness or tingling in the arm
6. Muscle tightness or spasms
7. Swelling or bruising around the shoulder joint

You might feel these symptoms constantly, or only when doing certain activities. Left untreated, shoulder injuries can lead to chronic pain, frozen shoulder, or permanent stiffness.

Common Car Accident Shoulder Pain We Treat

At Suffolk Physical Therapy & Chiropractic, we see a wide range of shoulder injuries caused by car accidents. Some of the most common include:

Bursitis

This happens when a small fluid-filled sac (bursa) near the joint becomes inflamed. It makes lifting your arm painful and may feel worse at night.

Rotator Cuff Injury

The rotator cuff is made up of four muscles and tendons that hold your shoulder in place. If it’s torn or strained, you might feel weakness and sharp pain when trying to move your arm overhead.

Frozen Shoulder (Adhesive Capsulitis)

This condition causes severe stiffness and limited movement. It often begins with inflammation and worsens over time. Recovery without treatment can take months—or even years.

Calcific Tendonitis

This condition involves a build-up of calcium in your tendons, causing stiffness and pressure that limits movement.

Shoulder Instability or Dislocation

An accident can force your arm out of the socket, leaving the joint feeling loose or painful when reaching or lifting.

Shoulder Blade Pain from Nerve Compression

Sometimes the pain behind your shoulder is actually nerve pain. A herniated disc or pinched nerve in the C4/C5 or C5/C6 area of the neck can radiate pain to the shoulder blade.

Real Patient Story: Shoulder Pain Relief After a Car Crash

“The damage to my shoulders started after I was injured in a car accident. As I got older, the shoulder pain caused me to change my lifestyle in a negative way. I couldn’t enjoy sports or my family without having severe shoulder pain. Receiving physical therapy treatments from Suffolk Physical Therapy & Chiropractic put me back on the road to good health.”
— John A., Central Islip, NY

How We Treat Shoulder Pain at Suffolk PT & Chiropractic

We believe in natural, hands-on treatment that addresses the root cause—not just the symptoms. Our experienced team uses a combination of chiropractic care, physical therapy, and soft tissue treatments to restore movement and relieve pain.

Chiropractic Adjustments

Chiropractors check to see if spinal misalignments or neck tension are contributing to your shoulder pain. Gentle adjustments can:

• • Improve posture
  • Reduce nerve pressure
  • Restore proper motion in the spine and joints
  • Help reduce referred pain from the neck or upper back

Physical Therapy for the Shoulder

Our physical therapy programs are custom-built to fit your needs. They usually include:

• • Stretching and strengthening exercises
  • Range-of-motion drills
  • Soft tissue therapy or trigger point release
  • Ultrasound or electrical stimulation for pain relief
  • Postural and ergonomic training

By targeting the muscles, ligaments, and fascia around the joint, we help your body heal naturally and safely.

Frozen Shoulder Treatment

For patients with adhesive capsulitis, we focus on gentle stretching and mobilization of the shoulder joint. In severe cases, we may coordinate care with your primary doctor for anti-inflammatory injections, but our goal is to avoid surgery whenever possible.

Why Choose Suffolk Physical Therapy & Chiropractic If You Have Soulder Pain After Car Accident?

We’ve helped hundreds of car accident patients recover from neck, back, and shoulder injuries. What makes us different is our personalized approach—we take the time to understand your condition, your goals, and your insurance situation.

✅ We accept no-fault auto insurance
✅ We offer non-invasive treatment options
✅ We have offices in Islandia, Commack, and Port Jefferson Station
✅ We use the latest in rehabilitative care
✅ Our patients love the care they receive—just check our reviews!

Don’t Wait: Shoulder Pain Can Get Worse! You might be tempted to “wait and see” if your shoulder pain goes away. But the longer you wait, the more likely the injury will lead to long-term problems like chronic stiffness or joint damage, muscle atrophy from disuse, frozen shoulder, or nerve damage and weakness in the shoulder. Early treatment is the key to faster recovery and long-term relief.

If you’re struggling with shoulder pain after a car accident, don’t ignore it. Let us help you get back to doing the things you love—pain-free. Call us or request an appointment here to get started with your personalized treatment plan.