Arm And Shoulder Pain After Flu Shot

What Should You Do If You Experience Covid Arm

Per Dr. Little, COVID vaccine arm is NOT something to be worried about. “People who experience COVID arm can and should get their second dose of vaccine,” she affirms. However, it may help to get the second dose in the opposite arm, and if the rash is very itchy or tender, it may help to use topical steroids like hydrocortisone or to speak with your doctor.

Shoulder Injury Related To Vaccine Administration

Shoulder injury related to vaccine administration is “shoulder pain and limited range of motion occurring after the administration of a vaccine intended for intramuscular administration in the upper arm . . . thought to occur as a result of unintended injection of vaccine antigen or trauma from the needle into and around the underlying bursa of the shoulder”.

SIRVA has been described as under-reported and preventable, and “caused by incorrect technique or landmarking for intramuscular deltoid injections”. Because the injury is a result of the injection technique rather than the substance injected, SIRVA can occur irrespective of the vaccine being administered. Although the injury is typically associated with vaccination, it can also occur as the result of any other kind of injection into the shoulder area. However, examination of injury reports suggests that this type of injury is of increased severity when administration of a vaccine is involved, which “may be due either to the antigenic or nonantigenic components of the vaccine”. In order to avoid this type of injury, injection administrators are advised to avoid injecting the patient too high, too low, or too far to the side, and to avoid using needles that fail to penetrate deeply into the muscle, or that penetrate too deeply and contact the bone.

Is It Normal For My Arm Muscle In My Shoulder To Hurt 2 Weeks After Flu Shot

I was happy to receive the flu shot this year, as I feel like it’s “doing my part” to stop the spread of the influenza virus. Plus, any inoculation that can either prevent, or lessen the symptoms, of flu is motivation to me!

I’ve received the flu shot annually, for the past 10 years. I have the typical soreness at site, possibly a little tired that evening. But that’s it.

This year…my shoulder muscle is still painful, so much that I can’t move my arm forward at shoulder-level, or lift my arm up over my head, without a sharp pain in that one muscle. If my arm is still, it does not hurt. It is affecting my sleep, as I am confined to sleeping on only my right side .

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How Long Does The Flu Shot Protect You From The Flu

A flu shot should help to protect you for the duration of the current flu season. However, youll need to get another flu shot next fall.

You may be wondering why you need to get a flu shot every year. There are a couple of reasons for this. One is related to the virus itself while another has to do with your level of immunity.

Influenza viruses are continually evolving throughout the year. Because of this, last years vaccine may not be a good match for the viruses that are prevalent this flu season.

The flu vaccine protects against the strains of influenza that research predicts will be the most prevalent in the upcoming flu season.

Your vaccine will typically include four strains , but may sometimes include three .

Additionally, a 2019 research review showed that the immunity provided by the flu shot decreases quickly over time.

This is why you likely wont have enough immunity from this years shot to protect you into the next flu season.

Why Is Your Arm Sore

The flu shot introduces influenza virus components into your body. This can be in the form of an inactivated virus or single viral proteins.

The goal is for your immune system to make antibodies to fight off these viral components. These antibodies can then protect you against an actual influenza infection.

While the flu shot cannot cause you to become sick with the flu, your immune system still recognizes whats been injected into you as foreign.

As a result, it produces an immune response, which leads to the soreness or swelling that occurs near the injection site.

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So Why Does Sirva Happen

Dr. Donohue explains that doctors and nurses are properly trained in landmarking, or determining where a vaccine should be given in the arm and using the proper needle length. When a needle is injected too deep the deltoid muscle can be penetrated and structures within the shoulder can be damaged such as the rotator cuff or joint capsule, he explains. In very rare cases the axillary or radial nerves in the upper arm could be injured.

According to the 2012 case report, SIRVA is due to an inflammatory effect from vaccine administration into the subdeltoid bursa, or a fluid-filled sac located under the deltoid muscle in the shoulder joint.

A 2018 study published in the Canadian Pharmacists Journal, specified that it occurs when an injection is administered too high in the arm, and the vaccine is delivered to the shoulder capsule instead of the deltoid muscle.

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Can You Get A Rotator Cuff Injury From A Flu Shot

The short answer is yes. The seasonal flu shot can cause SIRVA injuries like rotator cuff injuries. You can even get tendonitis or bursitis from a flu shot. As we discussed above, a Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine Administration is often caused by vaccines being injected too high on the arm.

Any vaccine injected into the shoulder can cause shoulder pain and injury, but not all vaccinations are covered under the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. These covered vaccines are recommended by the CDC for children and pregnant women.

Fortunately, the seasonal influenza vaccine is covered by the VICP.

There are more cases of people getting a shoulder injury from the flu shot because folks get them annually. If youre experiencing severe shoulder pain from a flu shot, our expert vaccine lawyers can help. Reach out to us to schedule your free consultation today.

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What If I Have Experienced Shoulder Pain From A Flu Shot

If you have experienced shoulder pain after receiving a flu shot, you may be suffering from Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine Administration, or SIRVA. Vaccine-related shoulder injuries commonly result from administration errors such as injecting the vaccine too high on the shoulder or too low on the arm. These errors lead to painful complications, and in some cases may require surgery.

Fortunately, individuals claiming vaccine-related shoulder injuries can seek compensation for their medical bills and other losses through the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program . The Vaccine Program is a no-fault government compensation program that provides money to individuals suffering from vaccine-related injuries. At the Center for Vaccine Shoulder Pain Recovery, our sole focus is helping clients recover compensation under the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.

Soreness After A Flu Shot

While we admit that a little bit of pain is better than the flu, we also know that pain in your shoulder after a flu shot can be alarming to some. When you receive a flu shot, antigens are being injected into your body. These antigens serve as a signal to our body to start producing antibodies that aid in protecting us from infection, a signal received from the dead virus strains in the vaccine.

Your body, therefore, detects the virus as a threat and begins to fight it, even though the virus in the vaccine cannot hurt you. The soreness in your arm is part of this signal in response to the flu vaccination.

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Why Does It Happen

The symptoms of SIRVA stem from the shot going into the wrong part of your upper arm or due to trauma from the needle. Research suggests that this brings on inflammation, and it could injure body parts inside your shoulder like:

• Ligaments. These tough bands of tissue connect two bones in a joint.
• Tendons. These thick cords connect muscles to bones.
• Bursae. These fluid-filled sacs cushion bones, tendons, and muscles.

Sirva Is Mainly In The Medicolegal Realm But Physicians Acknowledge Its Rare Possibility

byKristina Fiore, Director of Enterprise & Investigative Reporting, MedPage Today September 9, 2021

Within a few hours of getting her first COVID-19 shot, Leah Jackson had severe pain in her left shoulder.

The New York City-based veterinarian said the nurse lodged the shot “extraordinarily high” into her left shoulder, hitting the bursa rather than the deltoid muscle. When the nurse got resistance, she redirected the vaccination into the joint space, Jackson said.

As a veterinarian, Jackson is well versed in giving injections: “This was just poor administration technique,” she told MedPage Today.

For weeks, she had severe pain that didn’t respond to over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications. Her primary care doctor referred her to a physical medicine & rehabilitation specialist who, after confirming bursa and joint inflammation on imaging, prescribed steroid and lidocaine injections along with physical therapy.

The pain largely resolved but returned, albeit to a lesser extent, after 6 weeks, and a follow-up MRI confirmed persistent bursa inflammation.

Jackson can still do her job as a veterinarian, but it can be painful lifting animals during surgery, for instance. Sometimes it hurts while driving.

“I just can’t move my arm in certain motions,” she said.

The condition is also plagued by the lack of a solid evidence base, and causality is difficult to pin down.

What Is SIRVA?

History of SIRVA

Shoulder Injury and Vaccine Court

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Have You Received A Recent Vaccination To Keep Yourself Healthy Only To Feel Pain In Your Arm Or Shoulder

Like any medication, a vaccine can have side effects.

Some people do experience soreness or tenderness in their arm or shoulder near the injection site. Mild soreness at the injection site is considered a routine reaction to many vaccines. The soreness often goes away without further problems.

In rare instances, however, a vaccination can result in severe and longer-lasting shoulder pain and bursitis after vaccination. The pain can be accompanied by weakness and difficulty moving the affected arm. This kind of severe reaction is referred to as Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine Administration, or SIRVA.

Why Give Shots In The Arm

While the gluteus maximus in your butt is a very large muscle, there are some advantages to targeting the deltoid muscle in your shoulder.

First, the deltoid has less fat surrounding it than the gluteus maximus. Most vaccinesincluding the flu shotdont work as well when they are injected into fatty tissue. Second, your sciatic nerve runs down your lower back and into your bottom. A health care provider would risk irritating that nerveand causing you debilitating pain called sciaticaif they administered a flu shot to your butt.

Third, its more convenient to administer a flu shot to a bare shoulder than to a bare butt.

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What The Cdc Does Not Tell You About Flu Shots:

Rarely, if ever, are people told how the influenza vaccine should be administered. The assumption is that whoever gives you the shot has been well trained. That may not always be true.

Years ago, most flu shots were administered by nurses or even doctors. Now, many people get their vaccinations at the pharmacy.

Starting early in the fall, the signs come up promoting influenza vaccines, sometimes even for free. If you take advantage of such an offer, make sure the person who gives you the shot knows how to do it correctly. Read on to find out why thats important!

How To Avoid A Sore Arm After A Flu Shot

Its flu season, which means many of us are heading to our doctor or local clinic for a flu shot . As we continue to battle COVID-19, flu shots are more important than ever before.

No one wants to be hit with both viruses. The good news is that with one flu shot each fall, you can significantly lower your chances by 40% to 60% of contracting the flu .

But are you one of the few who walks away from your shot feeling like youve been punched in the arm? Not everyone gets a sore arm, but it is common, and the reason actually may surprise you.

Some individuals may develop swelling, a mild, low-grade fever and some moderate pain localized to where they received the shot, said Devin Minior, MD, chief medical officer for Banner Urgent Care. This is a natural response, and it means that your body’s immune system is working to build up a defense against the flu virus.

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Can The Flu Shot Cause Tendonitis

A proper vaccine injection technique is critical for intramuscular vaccines such as the flu shot. Specifically, the Center for Disease Control advises that the needle should be inserted at a 90-degree angle to the skin, as close to the deltoid muscle as possible. While this may seem fool-proof, mistakes are common and can lead to tendonitis and other musculoskeletal injuries in the shoulder and arm. Improper vaccine administration can allow for the needle to cause damage to the nerves, muscles and other subcutaneous soft tissue. Moreover, many inactivated vaccines contain an adjuvant. Adjuvants are vaccine components that enhance the immune response to an antigen.

These components can cause a local reaction to an improperly placed needle at the injection site, causing pain, redness and swelling. Tendonitis, specifically, is an inflammatory reaction at the rotator cuff or biceps tendon. Tendons are thick cords of tissue that attach muscle to bone. Tendonitis normally occurs as the result of a tendon being pinched by inflamed surrounding structures. In severe instances, nerve damage or impingement syndrome can also be diagnosed.

What Arm Should I Get My Flu Shot In

Dr. Mora recommends getting the flu shot in the arm you use the least. “That way if you are writing or doing day-to-day activities, you’re not aggravating the muscle even more,” she says.Some other ways to reduce pain include trying not to tense your arm while you’re being vaccinated and moving your arm after vaccination to increase blood flow and help disperse the vaccine throughout the area.

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Shoulder Tendonitis From A Vaccine

Improper vaccine administration either in the pharmacy or at a doctors office can cause adverse reactions such as shoulder injuries. Flu shots and other vaccines can cause shoulder tendonitis, a painful condition in the upper arm caused by inflammation of the tendons connecting the shoulder muscles to the bone. If you suffered tendonitis caused by a flu shot or other vaccine, you can seek compensation from the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. This federal program provides compensation for certain vaccine injuries.

What Are The Symptoms Of Sirvaand How Is It Treated

While dull muscle ache pain after a vaccine injection is common, it usually disappears on its own with days. With SIRVA, on the other hand, an individual will usually start feeling pain within 48 hours of the vaccination, and doesnt improve.

“In patients who experience SIRVA, months may pass by, and patients will still complain of increasing pain, weakness, and impaired mobility in the injected arm. Simple actions like lifting your arm to brush your teeth can cause pain,” said Kelly Grindrod, a professor in the School of Pharmacy at Waterloo and one of the authors of the 2018 study.

People experiencing these symptoms should talk to their doctor. “It’s important that we learn to recognize these signs of SIRVA so that we can access appropriate treatment,” Grindrod points out.

In order to diagnose SIRVA, an ultrasound scan is needed, which can also determine the level and type of damage. Inflammation reducing oral medications and corticosteroid injections to the shoulder are common treatments for SIRVA, and additionally, physiotherapy may be recommended.

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Can I File A Sirva Lawsuit

Yes, you may be able to file a lawsuit to get damages for your SIRVA injurybut theres a special court system for vaccine injuries in the United States you may not know about. Its called the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program .

If you are suffering from SIRVA, you may be eligible for compensation from the VICP. This program is managed by the U.S. Federal Court of Claims in Washington, D.C.

The VICP offers an alternative path to a traditional lawsuit. The VICP allows you to pursue compensation for a vaccine injury without having to sue your doctor or the pharmaceutical companies.

What Can I Do About My Symptoms

To start, get a medical evaluation from your primary care provider. Your provider may include diagnostic imaging tests as part of the evaluation. Discuss a treatment plan based on the findings.

Treatment options and duration of symptoms can vary, but the most common treatments include:

• Physical Therapy to improve range of motion, restore muscle function, and relieve inflammation
• Anti-inflammatory medications to reduce inflammation and relieve pain
• Corticosteroid injections to reduce inflammation and relieve pain
• At-home stretching programs to increase range of motion and,
• Surgery in severe cases, surgery may be required to repair damage.

Improvement in symptoms and recovery times are variable. Some people experience improvement early in treatment, while others may suffer with symptoms for much longer. Unfortunately, some people never fully recover.

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