subject: Shoulder Injuries And Car Accidents [print this page] Shoulder injuries are best known to happen in sports or certain types of work, but they are also very common in car accidents. The shoulder can be injured in many ways, and I have seen most of them over the last decade of working with car accident victims. This article talks about how auto accidents can cause these injuries, and how doctors treat them.
The shoulder is a ball and socket joint, which makes it especially vulnerable to a variety of injuries that can be caused by auto accidents. These injuries can range anywhere from a minor muscle sprain to something as severe as nerve damage, depending on the accident. Doctors have a variety of ways to treat shoulder injuries, and the recovery process is dependent on the extent of the injury and the procedure used to fix it.
The tremendous amount of force involved in an auto accident can snap the body in all directions. This can cause the ligaments, muscles and tendons in the shoulder to stretch beyond their normal limits, causing them to strain, tear or dislocate. A muscle sprain is the least sever of these injuries, and can heal relatively quickly. While this injury is very uncomfortable, it can be fixed with ice and rest. However, if the force is great enough, it can tear the soft tissues and potentially lead to surgery or permanent damage.
When the accident is more severe, the shoulder can actually dislocate from the socket. Usually it can be popped back into place by someone who is trained and knows what they are doing, but it can also lead to further injury. Some of these injuries include a break in the cartilage that keeps the shoulder in place, and even a chipped or fractured humerus, which can leave the victim prone to further dislocations in the future.
In the most severe car crashes, a nerve problem called brachial plexus neuropathy can develop. This painful injury occurs when a severe shoulder injury inflames the nerves. A victim of this injury will experience sudden pain, and muscle weakness in the arms. This almost always will require surgery to fix, and can cause permanent problems for the victim.
While you may feel that you can treat your shoulder injury on your own, it is crucial to get medical attention from a doctor. Shoulder injuries have a nasty tendency to grow over time, so it is very important to have any injury to the area treated quickly by someone trained to do so. If you have suffered a shoulder injury in an auto accident that was caused by someone else, please do not hesitate to contact an experienced personal injury attorney. Almost every single personal injury lawyer I know, offers free initial consultations for those seeking advice.
