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

Cazza03

chiarieds said:

Hi @Lynda62 - I'm sorry to read you're another that has suffered with incorrect administration of the vaccine. I'm a physiotherapist, & here are the exercises 

Hi, just to say thank you for sharing the exercises and why is it that professionals like yourself recognise sirva, but doctors don't or won't, it's so frustrating, and just prolongs suffering for us sufferers not to mention what it does for people's mental health when they are told the injury is nothing to do with injection.   My GP just got someone in the office to call me to tell me I'd done it to myself    I haven't.

Thank you for caring and sharing.

chiarieds

You're very welcome @Cazza03 - I freely admit I knew nothing about SIRVA until so many of our members posted. I'm a very long retired physio yet still interested in medical research. What so many of you are suffering is so like a frozen shoulder. I know a little about this as I've had 2 partially frozen shoulders, perhaps the result of long term damage to my shoulder. I know how excruciating the pain can be lifting your arm more than 90 degrees from your body can be. As I often say on the forum, due to my disabilities I now practise the exercises I used to teach.

I'm saddened that some Drs  (especially GPs whom we turn to) seem to have little understanding. I'm so pleased you all realise the importance of the Covid-19 vaccine & that SIRVA is the result of mis-administration of this (& historically found with mis-administration of other vaccines).

The exercises I suggest will cause no harm, & will hopefully tide you all over until you can get appropriate treatment. Gravity does truly help in mobilising your shoulder. I appreciate the frustration; I've been there with knowing more than my Drs.

Aqua72

Hi, I had my 2nd AZ vaccination 3rd of April, and have had constant pain ever since, no previous problem. The vaccination was put high into my shoulder and I felt it ( didn’t feel anything with the 1st) . 

Saw a nurse practitioner, who said it looked like the vaccination had been placed too high, and had had previous cases of this reported, advised it could be bursitis. A further telephone appointment with my doctor prescribed Voltarol diclofenic gel and double dose of co-codamol, gel did nothing, the co- odamol knocked med out. A telephone appointment with a physio, ad iced it was frozen shoulder and emailed me some exercises, that I couldn’t do. 

Blood tests returned fine (according to the receptionist)  xray was fine (according to the receptionist).
So - 3 months on, still in pain with certain movements, have been paying for private physio. Who  think it could be nerve damage. I’m finding this quite expensive and the the deep tissue massage is leaving me bruised.
Has anyone tried acupuncture - I’m so tired of the pain, it is draining. 

dubopp

dubopp

Moderator note:

This post contains unverified claims regarding COVID-19 vaccines. Please refer to official government/NHS information on COVID-19 vaccines.

My photos may be confusing. [Had] my Moderna shot on May 20 in Canada [Removed by moderator - not a recognised side-effect]. Then, on June 11 (after 1st physio in my life) had symptoms of a stroke: left facial numbness, teeth & tongue felt swelled w/slurred speech. It's been a complete wreck of life, a living nightmare. My left shoulder is better (80-90% compared to pre-injection) after 5 weeks, buy from what I've read from hundreds of profiles it ever fully heals. An MRI would catch it faster. My doc did not diagnose it. Vancouver Health and Canada health are aware. I'm a 49 y/o oil worker and Apple picker with no previous health shoulder problems.
Get a hottub going, alternate ice and heat, cold cloths hot cloths, a535, get off pain killers b/c u can't manage what you can't feel, call your gov reps. It sounds like you're all in the UK...I suggest forming a petition amongst yourselves and bringing it to a bailiff or attorney for a ClassAction. 

dubopp

Final insert: Arm abduction is best described as making a snow angel on a flat surface: try a bed or floor or yoga standing up. External Rotation is stretching a long rubber band while keeping your elbows to your side. Those were extremely difficult 2-3 weeks ago. I hope you all get better. Thank you Scope in UK for providing a health forum not available across the pond. SIRVA IS REAL

dubopp

Tori_Scope said:

Hi @LancsRose, I just wanted to note that volunteers administering the vaccine do have to go through quite a robust training programme before they're allowed to administer the vaccine. As the St John's Ambulance website outlines:

All volunteers will meet strict selection criteria, mandated by the NHS, and receive appropriate clinical training. This includes official courses developed in partnership with and approved by NHS England. As well as extensive training, they will be subject to assessments and clinical supervision to ensure their own safety and that of everyone receiving the vaccine.

As you say, it's important to encourage everyone who's able to to have the vaccine. Incidences of SIRVA are fortunately rare, but I'm sorry you and a couple of other users have experienced pain after your vaccines.

I hope that the Neurontin does the trick, but definitely do go back to see your doctor if the pain doesn't improve.

"but I'm sorry you and a couple of other users have experienced pain after your vaccines." Don't dress it down to just 2 people. There's more than a 'couple' people who have had a severe reaction to needle administrations. 

Here's a 'couple' more : https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&t=1866870 

Adrian_Scope

Hello,
While bell's palsy is recognised as a very uncommon side effect of the Moderna vaccine, paralysis of a limb is not a verified side effect. For more information on known side effects, please see these respective patient information leaflets:

• Patient information leaflet for Covid-19 Vaccine Moderna
• Information for UK recipients on Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine
• Information for UK recipients on Covid-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca

While I appreciate you may be attributing this side effect to SIRVA, I've edited your post as to avoid any ambiguity inadvertently misleading others and deterring them from accessing the vaccine. As per our house rules around 'Keeping it safe':

Please be careful about sharing information:
· Always check that information is correct and appropriate.
· Do not present opinions as facts.
· Share reputable sources of information.

corrie59

Subdeltoid burtis caused by incorrect administration of the covid vaccine. Fact still suffering!

corrie59

Subdeltoid burtis caused by incorrect administration of the covid vaccine. Fact still suffering!

Ross_Alumni

Hi @corrie59

Welcome to the community, sorry to hear you are experiencing this after having had the vaccine, is your GP aware of it? 

It's worth noting that this can occur after any vaccine and isn't something exclusive to the Covid one, it's due to poor vaccine administration. You might find this other thread on the community helpful.

corrie59

Yes GP aware, awaiting steroids since 5 feb. Incapable of doing anything, having to pay for private consultation as pain is excruciating with no respite.

Ross_Alumni

I'm sorry to hear that @corrie59

Do you have any idea when you will get the steroids?

corrie59

Been advised by physio team to ring weekly for a cancellation.

Ross_Alumni

I see @corrie59, well I hope you get them soon and things improve for you.

rosiewln

Hi again, it's now 9 weeks since my firs vaccination and I had felt like it was improving, but this week seems to be getting worse again. Extremely stiff in the morning, painful/heavy to move and lift arm, particularly with elbow bent, such as when reaching back when getting dressed.

I saw a doctor a couple of weeks ago who diagnosed it as deltoid tendonitis and gave me some exercises to try, but if anything it has got worse since then. I've stopped cycling and doing other activities that might aggravate it. I had hoped it might be better by the time I have my second jab, which is next week, but that seems unlikely. It's having quite an impact on my mood levels and I feel very frustrated about it.

The doctor also booked me in for an MRI scan, but this isn't until the end of July. Really hope I'll be better by then and won't need it.

The pain now radiates down the arm, so may be tendon related. But I guess just rest, ice and more stretching exercises is all I can do.

I hope some of us on here who've suffered injuries after vaccination are out on the other side by now. Best wishes. Rosie.

chiarieds

Hi @corrie59 - & welcome to the community. I'm sorry to read you have suffered following incorrect administration of the vaccine. I don't know if you've had a look at the link to posts about this that Ross has given. If not, you might find the following helpful that I posted there.

'By way of explanation I'm a (long retired) physio. This is an exercise I found effective in patients with a frozen shoulder, i.e. with limited movement & pain. I also used it following damage to my own shoulder, & when twice I had a partially frozen shoulder.Try this as a first gentle exercise. Stand & put the foot of your unaffected side slightly forwards so you have a comfortable base. Lean forwards, letting your affected arm hang. Now swing your arm backwards & forwards within your pain-free arc. Do this gently for a couple of minutes. Next try moving your hand in a comfortable circle first one way, then the other. Gravity thus helps aid movement, & you can increase the range as you progress, always moving your shoulder within your pain-free arc. Don't push through the pain as this just increases the pain cycle. Try this a little & often throughout your day.'

corrie59

Thanks but the bursa is inflamed and awaiting steroids to bathe or remove.. I am unable to move my arm or shoulder as the pain is excruciating. Thank you though, I will use the techniques  when the bursa is treated.
thanks Luc x

dubopp

Cressida said:

@Adrian_Scope this thread is very worrying to people who may be put off having their covid vaccinations.

I'm in Vancouver, Canada, where I'm in talks with Health Canada and Vancouver Coastal Health. Not only does my own GP recommend my second shot in my thigh, but so does the provincial representative I spoke with on the phone yesterday. The high part of the shoulder has the bursa sack, a rotator cuff, the ulnar and median nerve. Had I been made aware that there was a 1/5000 chance I'd be injured you can bet I'd be put off.  SIRVA is greatly underreported. Thank you, scope, for providing this website (Canada and USA would do well to offer similar). 

chiarieds

Hi @dubopp - welcome to what all I can say is this friendly & supportive community. I think we've all been on a steep learning curve about SIRVA, especially with relevance to the Covid-19 vaccine. I think it's all credit to the Scope community team that they've kept this thread open so members can share their experiences.

I freely admit I knew nothing about SIRVA until this thread; I'm not sure anyone here did. Perhaps members initial concerns were that it might put people off getting their Covid-19 vaccines; thankfully all members suffering from SIRVA still said they would get their 2nd vaccine.

I hope you find this forum open-minded, as do I, in particular with regards to this problem. It's fluid, & takes onboard members concerns, which are always appreciated even without validation (& some slightly older posts may not reflect Scope's community's current thoughts). There is of course as yet little info in the medical literature about SIRVA in relation to the Covid vaccine (I could only find one case reported), however, historically it has been known about with previous vaccines such as that for flu, & again solely due to unintentional injection of the vaccine into the subacromial-subdeltoid bursa (a sac like structure which reduces friction of the shoulder joint) rather than into the deltoid muscle.

Yes, with the enormous push to vaccinate so many people, this is also most likely currently under reported with these vaccination programmes. For all of you, do report your problems, tho it's still likely to only occur in a very comparative minority. Doesn't help if you're one of those affected tho I'm sure. What must frustrate some of you is some Drs not taking it seriously/misdiagnosing etc.

A couple of days ago I had a phone call asking about my experience with my 2 Covid vaccinations.....mentioned I was a physio (just letting everyone here know, as I always say, that I only worked as such a long time ago, tho have maintained an interest in many things medical, including research), so had done gravity-assisted exercises following my first vaccination as my shoulder had been a little painful: no problems with 2nd vaccination. Then went on to say I advised doing such exercises for those experiencing SIRVA on a disability website.....end of phone call. Disappointing isn't the word.