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What is Injection-Related Neuropathy?
Here we will explain how nerve damage from injections can happen, what the symptoms are, and what to do if you experience them. Injection-related neuropathy means nerve damage caused by an injection, like a vaccine. This damage can cause weakness, numbness, and pain in the arm. The most common type is called ulnar neuropathy. The ulnar nerve, which runs through your upper arm, can be hurt if the vaccine is injected too deeply into the shoulder muscle. This can lead to nerve damage.
Ulnar neuropathy as a result of vaccination is relatively rare compared to other vaccine injuries. The condition can arise due to improper injection techniques leading to nerve damage.
Can Vaccines Cause Nerve Damage?
The ulnar nerve runs from your upper arm to your hand and can be injured by vaccines. Here are some ways this can happen:
- The needle can directly hit the nerve.
- The injection can cause a bruise (hematoma) that presses on the nerve.
- The vaccine itself might have a toxic effect on the nerve.
What Does Nerve Damage from an Injection Feel Like?
It may be difficult to identify nerve damage from other symptoms as they can cross over with other injuries. More common symptoms like a tingling arm from a flu shot is usually just site soreness and goes away quickly. Nerve damage from an injection, like a vaccine, can cause various sensations. Here are some common feelings you might experience:
- Weakness
- Numbness
- Pain
The ulnar nerve, which runs from your upper arm to your hand, is especially at risk. If a vaccine is injected too deep into the shoulder muscle, it can hit this nerve and cause damage. This is called ulnar neuropathy.
What Happens When a Vaccine Hits a Nerve?
When a vaccine hits a nerve, it can cause nerve damage, also known as neuropathy. This can lead to different symptoms depending on how severe the damage is and where it happens.
- Immediate Pain: You might feel sharp pain right away when the needle hits the nerve.
- Later Symptoms: Symptoms like numbness, tingling, or weakness can show up later.
If you experience any unusual feelings in your arm after getting a vaccine, like numbness or tingling, it’s important to seek medical attention quickly.
Symptoms of Nerve Damage from a Vaccine
This ulnar nerve impingement typically results in numbness and tingling down the affected arm into the small and ring fingers. It can also affect grip strength and hand/finger coordination. These injuries differ from SIRVA, resulting in shoulder pain, subacromial bursitis, or an axillary nerve injury.
In rare cases, an adverse event from a vaccine can trigger a peripheral neuropathy response located around the brain and spinal cord. The immune response to these events is often weakness and numbness throughout the hands and feet.
More symptoms of neuropathy include:
- Pain: Nerve damage from a vaccine can cause pain in the affected area, which can range from mild to severe. Numbness or tingling: Nerve damage can cause a loss of sensation in the affected area, or a tingling or "pins and needles" sensation.
- Weakness: Nerve damage can cause weakness or loss of strength in the affected muscles or limbs.
- Paralysis: In severe cases, nerve damage can cause paralysis or a loss of movement or function in the affected area.
- Muscle twitching or spasms: Nerve damage can cause muscle twitching or involuntary muscle contractions, which can be uncomfortable or even painful.
- Sensitivity to touch: Nerve damage can cause increased sensitivity to touch or a heightened sense of pain in response to pressure or movement.
