Have you experienced an injury around your neck or shoulders that produced a stinging, burning, or shocking sensation? You may have a stinger injury, which is a type of nerve pinch injury. Symptoms typically subside quickly, but in some cases, they can require physical therapy to heal correctly.
So, what is a stinger injury? Is it serious? And how can you prevent it? Exchange Physical Therapy Group, the top injury rehabilitation clinic in Jersey City, answers these questions and more.
All About Stinger Injuries
You may have first heard of “stingers” in reference to football players. These injuries are common in football and other forms of physical activity where the neck and cervical spine are vulnerable. However, anyone can experience a stinger simply by twisting or pulling their neck in the wrong direction.
What Is a Stinger Injury?
A “stinger,” also called a “burner,” is a nerve pinch injury affecting the neck or upper spine. The term “stinger” refers to the prevailing symptom of this type of injury: a stinging sensation in the affected area.
Stingers typically result from one of two scenarios:
- The head is rapidly pulled away from the shoulder, stretching the nerves
- The head is pushed toward the shoulder, pinching the nerves
These injuries are common in contact sports, where an athlete’s head could be forced into an uncomfortable position during a tackle. Divers also experience stingers when their heads smack the water.
Stinger injuries impact a group of nerves called the brachial plexus that start in the neck and upper back and span down the arms and hands. It’s important to note that stinger injuries aren’t spinal cord injuries, even though they can affect the upper spine. They don’t lead to paralysis and often heal on their own.
However, stingers tend to recur. If your stinger injury does not heal correctly, you may be at a greater risk of future injury.
Symptoms of a Stinger Injury
What are the most common symptoms of a stinger injury? Stinger injuries happen quickly, usually only producing symptoms for less than a minute. Symptoms may include:
- Burning or shocking sensations
- Tingling
- Numbness
- Weakness
- A warm sensation
In many cases, these sensations last only 10 seconds or less, but they can be shocking and lead someone to believe they have experienced a serious injury. In other cases, symptoms last for hours, days, or even weeks. Prolonged symptoms may indicate a more serious strain, and you should seek prompt medical attention if your symptoms persist after a day or two.
How Can You Prevent Stingers?
Some people are more at risk of experiencing stinger injuries than others. For example, those who play contact sports may be more likely to find themselves in a position where their neck is uncomfortably forced away from or toward the shoulder. Those with spinal stenosis, meaning they have small spinal canals, are also at risk of stingers.
You can prevent stinger injuries by maintaining proper form during your sport if you’re an athlete. In football, “heads-up tackling” involves keeping one’s head upright and in alignment with the spine during tackles. Football players can also wear butterfly restrictors, which are U-shaped collars that prevent the neck from overextending.
If you’ve experienced a stinger injury in the past, physical therapy can ensure your comprehensive recovery to prevent recurrence. Certain back, neck, and shoulder stretches can help strengthen the areas prone to stingers, helping you resist that forceful pulling movement during unexpected contact.
Dealing With a Stinger Injury? Contact Exchange Physical Therapy Group
Are you experiencing lingering symptoms from a stinger injury? Do you need help preventing sports injuries by ensuring you’ve fully healed from a previous stinger injury? Exchange Physical Therapy Group can help. We’ll create a personalized physical therapy plan to relieve pain, heal the brachial plexus, and help you avoid future injuries. Now that you know “What is a stinger injury?” contact us today at (201) 721-6130 to schedule an appointment.
