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Does anyone have any experience with Shoulder Injury Relating to Vaccine Administration (SIRVA)?

AmyS1992

Note from moderator: this post and the related comments may contain unverified claims regarding side-effects of COVID-19 vaccines. You can find recognised side-effects of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines on the respective gov.uk pages linked.

I've had shoulder pain and limited mobility now since my covid vaccine (10 weeks ago) and recently spoke to my GP who advised it is wholly coincidental and not as a result of the vaccine. The issue for me is that I had zero issues or pain prior to the injection but have been in pain ever since which hasn't improved or subsided as it would with a muscular injury. I am aware that incorrect injection technique can cause this issue and that it can happen with any intramuscular injection. I do have a physio referral so hopefully they can shed more light. I just wondered if anyone had any knowledge/experience of this? Thank you.

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Roomonbroom

I too have suffered with this condition from the vaccine , as I have previously written about on this site . Does anyone know if we are able to claim compensenation from the government for this ?

JanCat

Many thanks everyone for the information and hope.

AnnClaydon31

McShelbo said:

Interesting to see we're not alone with SIRVA.
I attended my Booster Jab appointment just before Christmas '21 to be offered on the spot a free Flu Jab which they were offering at the same time. Had the COVID Booster in my left arm and the Flu jab in my right arm. Naturally, both shoulders were tender for a couple of days, however, the shoulder where the Flu jab was administered progressively got stiffer, very sore, felt very heavy and the range of movement got less and less as the weeks went on. Sleep was a major problem (I am usually a really heavy sleeper) and I was waking up several times per night in pain. For about 2-3 months, I just tried to ignore it and rubbed Ibuprofen Gel around the painful area.
Eventually, I did some internet research and all the SIRVA 'symptoms/circumstances' matched exactly what I was experiencing. In hindsight, the injection was administered crazily quickly by a St Johns volunteer and probably explains how the Deltoid muscle was missed/partially missed.
I finally gave up suffering in June after 6 months of progressively worse pain and went to see my GP for a diagnosis and referral letter (private medical cover) if any treatment was deemed necessary. After examining me, the GP got quite defensive when I (quite politely) asked if there was any chance of Vaccine damage. The question remained unanswered and I was given a referral letter to go see a private physiotherapist to get the movement back in my shoulder and promptly encouraged out of the practice sharpish.
Anyway - roll forward two more months and I'm just about to undertake the last of 10 physiotherapy appointments. The range of motion has massively improved and the constant pain has diminished. I can still feel shoulder stiffness and still have reduced mobility in the shoulder.
Interestingly the Physio said she had heard from contacts in her industry they are seeing more and more instances of SIRVA through the COVID Years of badly administered vaccines. She was 100% confident in diagnosing me with SIRVA given that the timings and symptoms were impossible to put down to chance. Nothing else in my lifestyle changed to have led to the injury.
Hopefully with the Physiotherapy sessions and ongoing exercises, I'll be back to my usual self in time.
Wishing everyone else the best of luck and happy to share my story if it helps others.
M

AnnClaydon31

Hi , I’m new to this site and had my flu jab 4 weeks ago . I believe I have SIRVA and have been researching . My arm aches and I have difficulty sleeping on that side and lifting . I know it’s an injury through administering the flu jab as my shoulder was previously fine . I also had a shoulder injury in 2019 in my other shoulder relating to swimming which took a year to heal . This is certainly not as bad as that . I am waiting to see a doctor to ask for MRI and ultra sound to establish damage . I just wondered who one should report this type of incident to . I understand it’s rare and not caused by the vaccine just the administering of the needle in the wrong place . Interesting to note other people have suffered this .

Bluemoon05

I've suffered with left shoulder problems since my 2nd vaccine, put it down to 'me' getting old !!!

Suffered from lack of strength (not a problem pre injections) and reduced mobility.

Visited Doctors and NHS Physio, who put it down to 'Frozen Shoulder', linked to my Type 2 Diabetes !!

Not convinced this is the case to be honest and no convinced more than ever the problem is associated with either the vaccine or the administration of it !

Interested to know what others have done, as cannot hold anything raised (Phone) at shoulder height for longer than 20 seconds !!

JanCat

I am still suffering from SIRVA, it is now 16 months since the COVID-19 Booster jab was incorrectly administered.
The initial diagnosis of subacromial-subdeltoid bursitis (for which I had a steroid injection) sadly morphed into a frozen shoulder (for which I had another steroid injection).
The intensity of the pain has reduced and I have quite a bit of movement back, I still have nerve pain in my left arm.
I am also unable to told anything in my left hand with supporting my lower arm.
I have purchased a hands free book stand so that I can at least read in comfort.
I experience pain and stiffness in my upper arm when raising it to shoulder height, which is stubbornly not going away.
I am having physiotherapy and the physiotherapist indicated that in most cases a frozen shoulder has to take is course anything from 1 year to 18 months, and even with physiotherapy they cannot "get me there any quicker", but can help with exercises to increase shoulder mobility.
As my shoulder did not become fully 'frozen' until Summer 2022, I may still have a bit of time to go before things resolve.
I have had an X-Ray which ruled out arthritis, something the physiotherapist was concerned as I have plateaued in terms of increased mobility over the last three months.
I have arranged for a private MRI scan of my upper arm for my own peace of mind, but I am fully expecting the scan not to show anything untoward.
In my attempts to make things better, I have aggravated things. The physiotherapist has explained that my expectations were too optimistic, and so I am now resigned to the waiting game.

AnnClaydon31

I can only comment on my situation . I had rotator cuff damage in my left shoulder 2/3 years ago from swimming . With physio and a steroid it took a year to go .

Last year following a flu jab in right shoulder and covid in left , my right shoulder 48 hrs later felt exactly as I had RC damage again . Got steadily worse but helped with naproxen. I had an mri on my shoulder probably 6 months later and it has steadily got better . I’m not sure if it was SIRVA I think it was but may have been also carrying my grandson around and the flu jab didn’t help.

I do believe this takes a long time to heal . Both my shoulders are not great now . Hopefully yours will get better with time and exercises . I’m 67 yes old so recovery I think takes a lot longer at my age .😂

skye68

AmyS1992 said:

Note from moderator: this post and the related comments may contain unverified claims regarding side-effects of COVID-19 vaccines. You can find recognised side-effects of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines on the respective gov.uk pages linked.

I've had shoulder pain and limited mobility now since my covid vaccine (10 weeks ago) and recently spoke to my GP who advised it is wholly coincidental and not as a result of the vaccine. The issue for me is that I had zero issues or pain prior to the injection but have been in pain ever since which hasn't improved or subsided as it would with a muscular injury. I am aware that incorrect injection technique can cause this issue and that it can happen with any intramuscular injection. I do have a physio referral so hopefully they can shed more light. I just wondered if anyone had any knowledge/experience of this? Thank you.

Hi there yes I've had the same problem after the last covid vaccine injection being administratord wrong in my left arm I've been in Excruciating pain for 10 months and had to give up my job I don't sleep well at night I wake up every 15 to 30 minutes in Excruciating pain I've been to the hospital and doctors several times this year and finally going to get physio
I also got a negligence solicitor involved as it was clearly negligence and definitely want compensating for the worse year of my life it only started after the 3rd covid injection 3 months after the injection I had severe pins and needles in my left hand and a round lump the size of a golf ball in my arm from there it's got worse I can't hardly move my arm I can't put my hair up I can't wear a bra unless my husband helps me I can't take my top off its very hard with normal everyday tasks

Grammyof2

I have the same problem, and I too suspect it's SIRVA. I'm elderly, have had many vaccinations for one thing or another, and the pain (if any) always goes away within a day or so. This time it's agony.

I can barely use that arm much of the day, though it's interesting that once I start working at something, whether it's walking a mile or two with my trekking poles or wrangling clippers around flowerbeds jam-packed with plants in need of dead-heading, the pain becomes ignorable.

My primary care said, "They probably just nicked a nerve," but though I don't know for sure what effect that might have, this feels serious. I'll have an x-ray the day after tomorrow (in case this is just more arthritis—but it came on so suddenly!), and plan to ask for a cortisone injection and a referral to physical therapy.

It's good to know I'm not alone.

Chrissy9

I suffered from SIRVA after my first covid jab in 1921. I saw several physiotherapists during the following 12 months but when I mentioned SIRVA they all refused to acknowledge such a thing. I continued to do the exercises recommended by physiotherapists and the pain and restricted mobility final cleared up after two years! As this occurred at my first covid jab it is likely the person administering the jab was not a nurse or someone who was regularly administering vaccines. Since then when I am receiving any vaccine I make a point of telling the person about my previous problem, it seems to focus their mind before they administer the jab and I have had no issues since then.

Grammyof2

My physical therapist called yesterday, and mentioned that she's treated several people who've had SIRVA. She's a fabulous person who's seen me through two total knee replacements and spinal stenosis surgery, so I'm really looking forward to working with her.

Can't start until August 30, because she's quite booked up and will take a vacation. But she said to keep using that arm as I ordinarily do to make sure it doesn't "freeze."