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SIRVA Treatment, SIRVA Symptoms & Diagnosis
What is SIRVA?
A Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine Administration, or SIRVA, is a medical term used to describe any type of a shoulder injury under the VICP.
Is SIRVA permanent?
Our Founder Paul Brazil explains what a shoulder injury related to vaccine administration entails, how common it is, and more. SIRVA is the most common injury in the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.
Hear Cheryl's Vaccine
Injury Story
Cheryl suffered SIRVA (shoulder injury related to vaccine administration) following a flu shot. Her vaccine injury claim was filed in the VICP by vaccine lawyer Max Muller where she obtained a settlement for her injury, lost wages and out of pocket expenses.
What causes Shoulder Injuries Related To Vaccine Administration?
The proper administration of a vaccine in exactly the right spot is crucial.
Vaccines and flu shots should always be placed into the deltoid muscle in the upper arm. If the needle is placed too high, for example, if the flu shot is too high on the arm, it can lead to pain and more significant issues in the shoulder that requires SIRVA treatment.
Risks of a shot too high on arm
The risk of SIRVA injury is small and shouldn’t stop you from receiving a vaccination to prevent the disease. But like you and I, medical health professionals are human and susceptible to error. A seemingly small wrong move in the needle’s placement can damage the sensitive areas surrounding the deltoid.
In many cases of SIRVA injury, the vaccine is injected too high on the arm and hits the shoulder joint’s bursa sac. The bursa sac is a bubble of fluids that allows the muscles, tendons, and bones of the shoulder to move smoothly. This causes swelling of the bursa sac, commonly called the subacromial bursa.
When a vaccine bursts the bursa’s fluid-filled sac, it causes an inflammatory reaction. This inflammation can cause pain and a reduced range of motion. The inflammation affects the bursa, leading to bursitis, or it affects the tendons causing tendonitis.
The following common vaccines can cause injury and lead to SIRVA treatment:
But the flu vaccine is by far the most common vaccine that leads to SIRVA injury – causing 70% of shoulder-related vaccine injuries.
If you believe a flu shot or vaccine may have injured you, seek SIRVA treatment sooner rather than later. In rare cases, side effects like prolonged shoulder weakness can persist indefinitely if not treated.
SIRVA SYMPTOMS AND SIGNS
When you receive a flu shot or other common vaccine, you may experience normal soreness in your shoulder. But if this pain is severe or prolonged, it could be a sign you have a more severe shoulder injury and need SIRVA treatment.
While it causes most SIRVA injuries, the incorrect placement of a needle is not the only way this injury can occur. The length of the needle is another common factor that leads to a shoulder injury related to vaccine administration.
The vaccine must reach the correct arm tissue to trigger the proper immune response and avoid injury. If the vaccine needle is too short, it can lead to more painful injections, a less effective vaccine, or sometimes an increased chance of a skin reaction. If the needle is too long, it could hit a nerve. If a nerve is hit, you’ll likely feel an immediate burning pain, which can result in neuropathy or, worst case, paralysis.
Below are some of the other injuries that are included on the Vaccine Injury Table:
Usually, symptoms begin within 48 hours of vaccination and can range from any of the following:
- Bursitis - your join is achy or stiff
- Tendonitis - pain in the tendon that gets worse when you move
- Adhesive Capsulitis (Frozen Shoulder) - stiffness and pain in the shoulder that prevents you from moving your arm
- Rotator Cuff Injury - dull ache deep in the shoulder
- Ulnar Neuropathy - arm numbness or burning feeling in the hand, arm or finger
Usually, SIRVA symptoms occur within 48 hours of receiving the vaccine injection. If you’re experiencing severe or lingering shoulder pain after a vaccine, don’t hesitate to tell your doctor and seek SIRVA treatment. According to the United States National Library of Medicine, many SIRVA injuries go unreported throughout the United States and other countries.
What does SIRVA feel like?
SIRVA is caused by an injury to the shoulder, usually as a result of the needle being injected too high or too deep into the shoulder.
The symptoms of SIRVA can vary from person to person, but they often include pain, swelling, stiffness, and limited range of motion in the affected shoulder. What does SIRVA feel like? SIRVA can feel like a dull ache or a sharp, shooting pain that radiates from the shoulder down the arm. The pain may be constant or only occur when the shoulder is moved.
SIRVA can also cause other symptoms, such as tingling or numbness in the arm or hand, weakness in the affected shoulder, and even frozen shoulder. In some cases, SIRVA can lead to long-term disability or chronic pain.
I reached out to My Vaccine Lawyer after confirming I suffered from SIRVA. They were so helpful, understanding and thorough throughout the process. They were quick to respond, always answered the phone and I feel they fought to get me what I was entitled to. If you suffered from an injury then please call My Vaccine Lawyer. They will take care of you!
- Melissa Heffley, SIRVA Client