When people are diagnosed with acute shoulder and arm injuries, they often seek out second opinions from chiropractors. This is due to the fact that most injuries stemming from auto accidents are related to neck pain/whiplash or the back. In many cases, the shoulders and arms are the most affected areas which lead to back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and pinched nerves. A shoulder and arm injury also affects the muscles and can lead to numbness from the base of the neck to the tips of one's fingers.

After a vehicular accident, chiropractors will check to make sure that the patient's ribs and/or vertebrae in the neck are moving properly. Oftentimes, a rib will be pushed up, which compresses the nerves, arteries and veins, causing numbness, tingling and even pain in one's arms. A common exercise prescribed by chiropractors is swimming, which is a deep muscle workout that strengthens muscles and aids in the breakdown of scar tissue that forms in the muscles and tendons from injuries and auto accidents.

Many people claim that they have more shoulder pain than they do back pain. The shoulder is a complex area because it is the most mobile joint in one's body. There are four tendons that connect one's shoulder muscles and bones together. The four tendons together are called the rotator cuff. A torn rotator cuff is a common injury for a pitcher in baseball and is one of the more well known sports injuries, along with torn Achilles tendons and pulled hamstrings.

After a car accident one should visit a chiropractor, if he feels shoulder pain at night or while resting, if he is unable to carry objects or cannot use his arms as he did before the accident; if he feels pain that persists for more than three or four days, cannot raise his arms above his head, feels significant bruising near the joint and up and down the arms, feels warmth at the joint or if there is redness at the joint or if he has any other symptoms that he did not have before the accident occurred.

For shoulder and arm injuries, the chiropractor will try to alleviate pain through manipulation and adjustments to the socket area of the arm and shoulder. He will perform exercises that one can eventually do on one's own to help relieve the tension in the arms and shoulders and. Ice and heat techniques may also be used in aiding in the healing process while a stretching and pulling technique may be used to help loosen the stiffness felt at the injured areas.