Joint Trauma Injuries After a Car Accident

Integrated Recovery Care in El Paso

Abstract

A motor vehicle accident (MVA) can place extreme force on the joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons, cartilage, and spine. A knee may hit the dashboard. A shoulder may be pulled by a seat belt. The hips, wrists, neck, and lower back can twist or compress within a fraction of a second. These forces can lead to ligament tears, cartilage damage, tendon injuries, joint dislocations, spinal disc problems, and other painful conditions.

At ChiroMed – Integrated Medicine in El Paso, Texas, accident recovery can involve more than one type of treatment. The care model may combine chiropractic care, rehabilitation, medical assessment and oversight, functional medicine, pain-management coordination, laser or shockwave therapy, and regenerative options when clinically appropriate. The goal is to identify the injured tissues, reduce pain, restore healthy movement, improve strength, and help the patient return to daily activities as safely as possible.

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What Is a Joint Trauma Injury From an MVA?

A joint trauma injury occurs when the force of a motor vehicle accident suddenly twists, stretches, compresses, strikes, or dislocates a joint.

Joints are the places where two or more bones meet. However, a joint is much more than bone. Healthy movement depends on several tissues working together.

These include:

• Ligaments that connect bone to bone
• Tendons that attach muscles to bones
• Cartilage that cushions joint surfaces
• Muscles that control movement
• Joint capsules that provide support
• Menisci that help cushion the knees
• Labral tissue in the shoulder and hip
• Spinal discs between the vertebrae
• Nerves surrounding the joints and spine

During a collision, these tissues may experience forces that are much greater than they normally handle.

For example, the body may suddenly stop when a vehicle crashes, but the head, arms, legs, and other body parts may continue moving. This difference in movement can stretch, twist, or compress tissues.

That is why someone can suffer a significant joint injury even when there is no broken bone.

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Dashboard Knee: A Common MVA Joint Injury

One well-known example of joint trauma is a dashboard knee injury.

During a front-end collision, a person’s bent knee may strike the dashboard. The force may push the upper shinbone, called the tibia, backward in relation to the thighbone.

One structure that helps prevent this movement is the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL).

If the impact is strong enough, the PCL can become stretched or torn. Dashboard impact is a recognized mechanism for this type of PCL injury (Jimenez, 2026a).

The same accident may also injure other parts of the knee, including:

• Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)
• Medial collateral ligament (MCL)
• Lateral collateral ligament (LCL)
• Meniscus
• Patellar tendon
• Joint cartilage
• Kneecap
• Surrounding muscles and tendons

Symptoms may include knee pain, swelling, stiffness, weakness, difficulty walking, or a feeling that the knee is unstable.

Because several tissues can be injured at the same time, identifying the exact source of the pain is important before treatment begins.

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Shoulder Injuries After a Car Accident

The shoulder is another joint that can be injured during an MVA.

The shoulder has a large range of motion. This allows the arm to move in many directions, but it also means the joint depends heavily on muscles, tendons, ligaments, and other soft tissues for stability.

During a collision, the shoulder may be injured by:

• Seat belt forces
• Direct impact against the door
• Contact with the steering wheel
• Bracing before impact
• Sudden twisting of the upper body
• Rapid neck and shoulder movement

Possible injuries include:

• Rotator cuff strains or tears
• Shoulder sprains
• Labral injuries
• Tendon injuries
• AC joint injuries
• Muscle strains
• Joint dislocations
• Partial dislocations

Pain may also spread between the neck, shoulder, shoulder blade, and arm. This is one reason a complete neck and shoulder examination may be important after a collision.

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Hip, Wrist, and Other Joint Injuries

Hip Trauma

The hips may absorb considerable force during an accident.

A side-impact collision can directly load the hip and pelvis. A front-end crash may also send force upward through the legs into the hips.

Hip trauma may involve the:

• Joint cartilage
• Labrum
• Tendons
• Ligaments
• Muscles
• Joint capsule
• Pelvis or hip bones

Changes in hip movement can also affect the lower back and the way a person walks.

Wrist and Hand Trauma

The hands and wrists may be injured when a driver tightly grips the steering wheel or tries to brace during impact.

Possible injuries include:

• Wrist sprains
• Tendon injuries
• Ligament injuries
• Joint irritation
• Fractures
• Nerve irritation

Even a relatively small wrist injury can make normal tasks such as typing, driving, lifting, and opening containers difficult.

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MVA Joint Trauma Can Also Affect the Spine

The spine contains many joints as well as discs, ligaments, muscles, and nerves.

During a collision, rapid acceleration and deceleration may force the spine to bend forward, backward, sideways, or rotate very quickly.

Possible spinal injuries include:

• Neck sprains and strains
• Lower back sprains
• Facet joint irritation
• Disc bulges
• Disc protrusions or herniations
• Annular tears
• Muscle injuries
• Ligament injuries
• Nerve irritation

When a spinal nerve becomes irritated, pain may travel away from the spine.

For example, cervical nerve irritation can produce symptoms in the shoulder, arm, or hand. Lumbar nerve irritation may cause pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness that travels into the buttock or leg.

This is why ChiroMed’s integrated injury model considers more than the location where the patient feels pain. The clinic describes a coordinated approach that may include medical assessment, chiropractic spine and joint care, nurse practitioner support, physical rehabilitation, soft-tissue treatment, functional medicine, advanced technologies, and pain-management coordination.

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Why a Detailed Accident Examination Matters

After an accident, pain does not always tell the whole story.

Knee pain could involve cartilage, ligaments, tendons, bone, or a meniscus.

Shoulder pain could come from the shoulder itself, the neck, surrounding muscles, or an irritated nerve.

For this reason, an MVA evaluation may include:

• Review of how the accident happened
• Pain and symptom history
• Orthopedic testing
• Neurological testing
• Range-of-motion testing
• Muscle strength testing
• Joint stability testing
• Posture and movement assessment
• Walking or gait evaluation
• X-rays when medically indicated
• MRI or other advanced imaging when indicated
• Specialist referral when necessary

Serious problems such as fractures, major dislocations, significant weakness, progressive neurological symptoms, or unstable joints may require medical or surgical evaluation before more active rehabilitation begins.

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The ChiroMed Approach to Integrated Injury Recovery

At ChiroMed – Integrated Medicine, the goal is not simply to use one treatment for every accident patient.

ChiroMed describes its El Paso model as bringing several areas of care together. Available services can include medical assessment and oversight, chiropractic care, nurse practitioner support, physical rehabilitation, soft-tissue treatment, functional medicine support, nutritional guidance, spinal decompression, laser therapy, shockwave therapy, pain-management coordination, and regenerative options when appropriate.

This type of approach is important because different parts of an injury may require different forms of care.

The treatment plan should match the diagnosis.

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PRP for Accident-Related Joint and Soft-Tissue Problems

Platelet-rich plasma, or PRP, is prepared from a patient’s own blood.

The blood is processed to increase the concentration of platelets. Platelets contain signaling proteins involved in the body’s natural repair process.

PRP has been studied for several musculoskeletal problems, especially knee osteoarthritis and some tendon conditions. Research suggests that some patients with knee osteoarthritis experience improvements in pain and function following PRP, although results vary (Patel et al., 2013).

After an MVA, PRP may be considered in selected cases involving persistent tendon, ligament, or joint problems.

However, PRP should not be described as a treatment that automatically rebuilds all damaged cartilage or repairs every torn ligament.

Large tears, fractures, unstable joints, and other serious structural injuries may still require orthopedic or surgical care.

At ChiroMed, regenerative medicine is described as one possible part of a larger recovery plan rather than a replacement for proper diagnosis, rehabilitation, or necessary specialist care.

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What Are Platelet-Fibrin Products?

Platelet-fibrin products, or PFP, combine platelets with a fibrin framework.

Fibrin normally plays an important role in blood clotting and tissue healing. Platelet-fibrin preparations are designed to keep platelets and their signaling substances near the treatment area.

These products may be considered for selected soft-tissue or joint conditions.

However, platelet-fibrin products vary in preparation and are not as standardized as many traditional medical treatments.

They should therefore be selected according to the patient’s injury, examination, imaging, medical history, and treatment goals.

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MFAT for More Complex Joint Problems

Micro-fragmented adipose tissue, or MFAT, uses a small amount of the patient’s own adipose (fat) tissue.

The tissue is collected and mechanically processed before being used in a selected treatment area.

MFAT has received attention mainly for conditions involving joint degeneration, especially knee osteoarthritis.

In a randomized controlled trial comparing MFAT with PRP for knee osteoarthritis, both groups experienced meaningful improvement at six months, but MFAT was not significantly superior to PRP (Baria et al., 2022).

For accident patients, this means MFAT should not be viewed as an automatic way to “regrow” a damaged joint.

Instead, it may be considered as one option for carefully selected patients, depending on the condition of the joint and the overall treatment plan.

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Epidural and Trigger-Point Injections Serve Different Purposes

Not every injection used after an accident is regenerative.

Epidural Injections

An epidural spinal injection may be considered when inflammation around an irritated spinal nerve contributes to radiating symptoms.

For example, a traumatic lumbar disc problem may contribute to sciatica.

A cervical disc problem may produce symptoms traveling into the shoulder, arm, or hand.

Epidural corticosteroid injections are mainly used to help control inflammation and symptoms. They are not designed to rebuild a damaged disc or joint.

Trigger-Point Injections

Trigger points are painful, tight areas within muscles.

After an accident, muscles may tighten to protect an injured joint or spine. When these tight areas remain painful, trigger-point treatment may sometimes be considered.

A trigger-point injection treats the muscular component of pain. It does not repair a torn ACL, fractured bone, or dislocated joint.

Each treatment has a different job.

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Shockwave Therapy and Accident Rehabilitation

Extracorporeal shockwave therapy, or ESWT, delivers acoustic energy into selected musculoskeletal tissues.

Shockwave therapy has been studied most often for tendon problems and other chronic musculoskeletal conditions.

At ChiroMed, shockwave therapy is one of the advanced technologies incorporated into its broader integrated treatment model.

For an MVA patient, shockwave therapy may be considered when a diagnosed tendon or soft-tissue problem remains during rehabilitation.

It is not a replacement for stabilizing a fracture, treating a dislocation, or evaluating a serious ligament tear.

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Laser Therapy for Pain and Rehabilitation

Laser therapy, sometimes called photobiomodulation, uses selected wavelengths of light to interact with tissues.

Research has examined photobiomodulation for several musculoskeletal conditions, including knee osteoarthritis.

A 2025 randomized controlled study reported improvements in pain and function in patients receiving photobiomodulation for knee osteoarthritis compared with control groups (Maciel et al., 2025).

At ChiroMed, technologies such as MLS laser may be included in a broader rehabilitation strategy.

Laser treatment should generally be viewed as an additional rehabilitation tool rather than a stand-alone way to repair major structural trauma.

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How Integrative Chiropractic Care Fits Into MVA Recovery

Chiropractic care can address an important part of accident recovery: movement and biomechanics.

After an injury, the body often begins protecting the painful area.

For example:

• An injured knee can change the way a patient walks.
• A painful hip can alter pelvic movement.
• A shoulder injury can cause upper-back muscles to tighten.
• Neck pain can limit normal head movement.
• Lower-back pain can change posture and lifting patterns.

Over time, these changes can create additional stress elsewhere.

Depending on the injury and the patient’s condition, integrative chiropractic care may include:

• Gentle joint mobilization
• Chiropractic adjustments when appropriate
• Soft-tissue therapy
• Mobility exercises
• Corrective exercises
• Strengthening
• Stabilization exercises
• Postural training
• Gait correction
• Home exercises
• Progressive return to activity

Research suggests spinal manipulation or mobilization can help some patients with musculoskeletal neck pain, although treatment must be selected according to the individual patient and diagnosis (Chaibi et al., 2021).

ChiroMed describes chiropractic care and rehabilitation as the movement and mechanical side of its integrated care model, while regenerative and medical treatments may address other parts of the patient’s condition.

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Dr. Alex Jimenez and Integrated MVA Care in El Paso

Dr. Alexander Jimenez, DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CCST, CFMP, IFMCP, ATN, leads ChiroMed’s integrated approach to musculoskeletal and injury care in El Paso.

His professional background combines chiropractic care with advanced practice nursing and functional medicine. ChiroMed describes this multidisciplinary model as bringing chiropractic, nurse practitioner care, rehabilitation, nutrition, functional medicine, and other services together rather than treating each problem in isolation.

Dr. Jimenez’s clinical observations emphasize several important parts of accident recovery:

• Understanding how the collision occurred
• Identifying which tissues were damaged
• Evaluating spinal and joint movement
• Checking neurological function
• Reviewing imaging when appropriate
• Restoring mobility
• Rebuilding strength and stability
• Reducing unnecessary stress on injured tissues
• Supporting overall metabolic health
• Tracking the patient’s functional progress

The goal is not simply to make an area hurt less.

The larger goal is to help the patient move, function, and recover more effectively.

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Medical Oversight With Dr. Maria Guadalupe Cardenas, MD

ChiroMed’s multidisciplinary model also includes medical direction and collaborative oversight.

Clinic materials identify Dr. Maria Guadalupe Cardenas, MD, an internal medicine physician, as working alongside Dr. Jimenez within this integrated structure. ChiroMed specifically describes its model as combining chiropractic care with medical oversight, functional medicine, rehabilitation, personal injury care, and regenerative options.

This type of structure allows different aspects of a patient’s condition to be considered together.

Dr. Jimenez can focus on chiropractic, neuromusculoskeletal, functional, and rehabilitative aspects of care, while medical oversight helps support evaluation of broader health concerns and medically appropriate treatment decisions within each provider’s professional scope.

For an accident patient with several injuries or health concerns, coordinated care may make the treatment plan easier to follow.

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A Step-by-Step Recovery Plan for MVA Joint Trauma

A practical recovery process may look like this:

1. Identify the injury

Determine whether the accident injured the ligament, tendon, cartilage, muscle, bone, spinal disc, nerve, or multiple structures.

2. Rule out serious problems

Fractures, dislocations, unstable joints, major neurological symptoms, and severe structural damage may require urgent medical or specialist care.

3. Reduce pain and irritation

The early phase may include activity changes, conservative treatment, rehabilitation, or medically appropriate pain-management options.

4. Restore healthy movement

Chiropractic care and rehabilitation can gradually address restricted movement, poor mechanics, weakness, and guarding when clinically appropriate.

5. Consider advanced therapies when indicated

PRP, PFP, MFAT, shockwave therapy, laser therapy, epidural injections, or trigger-point treatment may be considered when they match a specific diagnosis.

6. Rebuild strength

Exercises can progressively restore stability, coordination, endurance, and confidence.

7. Return to daily life

The long-term goal is improved function—not simply temporary symptom relief.

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Treat the Injury, Not Just the Pain

Joint trauma after a motor vehicle accident can involve much more than soreness.

A crash may damage the knees, shoulders, hips, wrists, spine, ligaments, tendons, cartilage, discs, muscles, and nerves.

That is why identifying the actual injury is so important.

At ChiroMed – Integrated Medicine in El Paso, the approach is designed around coordinated care rather than a single treatment. Chiropractic care, rehabilitation, medical oversight, functional medicine, pain-management coordination, advanced physical therapies, and selected regenerative options can each serve different purposes in the recovery process.

For the right patient, this integrated approach may help create a clearer path from injury to improved movement and function.

The most appropriate plan depends on the severity of the accident, the tissues involved, the patient’s overall health, examination findings, imaging when needed, and response to treatment.

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References

Baria, M., Pedroza, A., Kaeding, C., Durgam, S., Duerr, R., Flanigan, D., Borchers, J., & Magnussen, R. (2022). Platelet-rich plasma versus microfragmented adipose tissue for knee osteoarthritis: A randomized controlled trial. Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine, 10(9).

Chaibi, A., et al. (2021). Spinal manipulative therapy for acute neck pain.

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Jimenez, A. (n.d.). Dr. Alexander Jimenez professional profile.

Maciel, T. D. S., Chamy, N. C. L., Maciel, M. D. S., & Marques, A. P. (2025). Effect of photobiomodulation (low-level laser therapy) in patients with knee osteoarthritis: A randomized controlled trial. Lasers in Medical Science, 40(1), 293.

Patel, S., et al. (2013). Treatment with platelet-rich plasma is more effective than placebo for knee osteoarthritis: A prospective, double-blind, randomized trial.

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