Upper Extremity Symptoms After Car Accident Charlotte NC | Radiculopathy | Dr. Justin Dick

Arm pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness following a car accident are not muscle soreness extending into the arm. They are neurological symptoms — evidence that the collision has produced cervical nerve root involvement through disc herniation, foraminal encroachment, or ligamentous instability loading the exiting nerve root. The pattern of these symptoms — which fingers, which arm, which movements provoke them — maps directly to the affected cervical level and guides both the diagnostic evaluation and the treatment approach.

Dr. Justin M. Dick, DC at Clear Life Scoliosis and Chiropractic Center in Charlotte, NC evaluates upper extremity post-collision symptoms through dermatomal sensory testing, myotomal motor assessment, deep tendon reflex examination, and cervical radiographic evaluation including stress radiography for ligamentous instability. His published research on cervical segmental mechanics — PMID 41018459, IRAPS 2026 recognition — directly informs the evaluation framework. No referral required. Call 980-368-0766.

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Which Cervical Level Is Involved — Reading the Dermatomal Pattern

The cervical level identified by the dermatomal pattern determines which disc and which facet joints are involved. For the disc injury picture see Herniated Disc After Car Accident Charlotte NC. For the facet joint picture see Facet Joint Injury After Car Accident Charlotte NC. Serial neurological documentation on multiple visits is the specific requirement for defensible impairment documentation — see Impairment Rating After Car Accident Charlotte NC.

The Three Structural Sources of Post-Collision Upper Extremity Symptoms

• Disc herniation — the nucleus pulposus extruding into the spinal canal or neural foramen and directly compressing the exiting nerve root. Identified on MRI when the herniation is of sufficient size. See MRI After Car Accident Charlotte NC.
• Foraminal encroachment — osteophyte or disc material narrowing the neural foramen and irritating the nerve root without frank disc herniation. May not appear dramatic on standard MRI.
• Ligamentous instability loading the nerve root — excessive segmental motion at an unstable cervical level intermittently compressing the exiting nerve root. This mechanism produces positional upper extremity symptoms that may be absent at rest and is only identified through stress radiography — not MRI. See Cervical Instability After Car Accident Charlotte NC.

Frequently Asked Questions — Upper Extremity Symptoms After Car Accident Charlotte NC

Why do I have arm pain and numbness after a car accident?

Arm pain, numbness, and tingling after a car accident signal cervical nerve root involvement — disc herniation, foraminal encroachment, or ligamentous instability loading the exiting nerve root. The pattern of symptoms maps to the affected cervical level. Dr. Justin Dick at Clear Life Scoliosis Charlotte NC evaluates upper extremity post-collision symptoms with dermatomal testing and cervical imaging. Call 980-368-0766.

What is cervical radiculopathy after a car accident?

Cervical radiculopathy is neurological dysfunction along a specific nerve root distribution — pain, sensory loss, motor weakness, or reflex change — caused by nerve root compression or irritation. After a car accident, radiculopathy most commonly results from disc herniation or foraminal encroachment produced by collision-force cervical loading. Dr. Justin Dick at Clear Life Scoliosis Charlotte NC, 8814 Rachel Freeman Way Suite 103. Call 980-368-0766.

How is upper extremity pain after a car accident evaluated in Charlotte?

Evaluation includes dermatomal sensory testing, myotomal motor assessment, deep tendon reflex examination, and cervical radiographic evaluation including stress radiography for ligamentous instability that may be loading the nerve root without frank disc herniation. Dr. Justin Dick at Clear Life Scoliosis Charlotte NC holds CNMT and ARRT(N)(CT) dual imaging credentials. Call 980-368-0766.

Can arm numbness after a car accident be treated without surgery in Charlotte?

Yes. Most post-collision cervical radiculopathy responds to conservative treatment including cervical decompression, CBP structural correction, and nerve root-specific rehabilitation. Surgical consultation is indicated when neurological deficit is progressive or when conservative care fails after an adequate trial. Dr. Justin Dick at Clear Life Scoliosis Charlotte NC provides conservative treatment for post-collision radiculopathy. Call 980-368-0766.

Is arm pain after a car accident compensable in a personal injury claim?

Yes. Upper extremity radiculopathy with objective clinical findings — documented dermatomal sensory loss, motor weakness, reflex change, and radiographic correlate — is compensable. Serial neurological documentation on multiple visits is the specific requirement for defensible impairment documentation. See Impairment Rating After Car Accident Charlotte NC for what AMA Guides methodology requires. Dr. Justin Dick at Clear Life Scoliosis Charlotte NC documents neurological findings formatted for attorney use. Call 980-368-0766.

What if my arm numbness comes and goes depending on head position?

Positional upper extremity symptoms — worsened by specific head positions and relieved by others — are characteristic of ligamentous instability loading the nerve root intermittently rather than frank disc herniation. This presentation requires stress radiography to evaluate, not MRI alone. Dr. Justin Dick at Clear Life Scoliosis Charlotte NC performs stress radiography as a standard component of every post-collision evaluation. Call 980-368-0766.

Where can I get evaluated for arm pain and numbness after a car accident in Charlotte NC?

Dr. Justin M. Dick, DC at Clear Life Scoliosis and Chiropractic Center — 8814 Rachel Freeman Way Suite 103, Charlotte NC 28278 — evaluates post-collision upper extremity symptoms with dermatomal sensory testing, myotomal motor assessment, and cervical radiographic evaluation including stress radiography. CNMT and ARRT(N)(CT). Published research PMID 41018459. No referral required. Call 980-368-0766.

Service Area

Clear Life Scoliosis and Chiropractic Center serves post-collision patients from Charlotte, Huntersville, Ballantyne, Matthews, Concord, Mooresville, Rock Hill SC, and Fort Mill SC. Same-day evaluations available. No referral required.