![Stingers and Burners](https://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/stingers-burners220.jpg)
Stingers and burners is another name for brachial plexopathy. Nerve compression following a neck impact causes stinging or burning sensations in the neck and arm.
Stingers and burners symptoms
Stingers and burners (Brachial plexopathy) occur after a traumatic impact to the neck. Symptoms consist of:
- Burning pain or electric shock sensation in neck, arm and hand
- Sensation usually lasts only seconds or a minute or two
- A warm feeling in the arm
- Weakness or numbness after the initial pain subsides
Stingers and burners can range from mild where the pain lasts for a few minutes, up to very severe injuries. With any neck injury, it is important to rule out more serious conditions such as:
- Neck fractures
- Spinal cord injury
- Blood vessels damage
- Brain injury including concussion
If you suspect any of the above then stop playing immediately.
What is Brachial plexopathy?
Brachial plexopathy is a form of peripheral neuropathy (nerve injury affecting the arms or legs). Specifically it is injury to the Brachial plexus nerves.
Causes & anatomy
The brachial plexus is a bundle of nerves which exit the spinal column between the C5 and T1 vertebrae, and then down into the shoulder, arm and into the hand.
![](https://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/brachial-plexus500.jpg)
The injury usually occurs when the head is forced to the side as the shoulder is moves downwards. For example, during a tackle or a fall onto your shoulder or head. This causes a traction injury to either the nerve routes in the neck, or the brachial plexus.
Another mechanism of injury is from compression from a direct blow to the nerves in the brachial plexus.
Treatment for stingers and burners
Immediate treatment for a brachial plexus injury is to stop playing or training until symptoms of numbness, weakness, stinging or burning sensations have gone. This may be only a few minutes, or it may mean avoiding all physical contact sports for a longer period of time.
If symptoms persist for longer than 2 days, visit a Doctor. Usually, an examination and discussion of the injury are all that is needed for a diagnosis but where symptoms are more long-lasting or severe, MRI, CT scans or nerve conduction studies may be required.
For those with recurrent stingers or burners, elevated shoulder pads or a neck roll may be recommended to prevent over-stretching and impact to the area.
For patients with recurrent stingers and burners, a gentle exercise program can begin as soon as symptoms allow, but all activities which trigger symptoms should be avoided. Be patient! Nerve injuries sometimes just need a period of rest in order to recover and no amount of exercise will speed up the healing process.
References
- Liu JX, Thornell LE, Pedrosa-Domellöf F. Muscle spindles in the deep muscles of the human neck: a morphological and immunocytochemical study. J Histochem Cytochem 2003;51: 175–86.
- Hoy D, March L, Woolf A et al. The global burden of neck pain: estimates from the global burden of disease 2010 study. Ann Rheum Dis 2014;73(7):1309–15.
- Safran MR. Nerve injury about the shoulder in athletes, part 2: long thoracic nerve, spinal accessory nerve, burners/ stingers, thoracic outlet syndrome. Am J Sports Med 2004;32(4):1063–76.