SIRVA Injury from Vaccine

After a vaccine injection, you may experience arm soreness or stiffness in the shoulder. For most people, the soreness and swelling will only last a day or two and then go away. 

Others, however, will suffer severe and debilitating shoulder pain from a vaccine that lasts weeks, months, or even years. It just doesn’t go away. Although these cases are rare, they have been recognized by medical communities as Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine Administration (SIRVA).

It can happen when a vaccine is given too high on the arm or is injected too deeply into the shoulder. As a result, the vaccine’s needle penetrates the shoulder capsule, rather than the deltoid muscle. Inflammation and pain soon follow in the shoulder joint. 

The inflammation from SIRVA injuries often damages the shoulder joint’s ligaments, tendons, bursae, and muscles. They also can manifest as other conditions, including rotator cuff injuries, bursitis, tendonitis, and frozen shoulder syndrome (adhesive capsulitis).

If you have a SIRVA injury, you’ll experience severe shoulder pain within 48 hours of getting vaccinated. Other common symptoms and signs of SIRVA include reduced range of motion and weakness in the affected arm.

Most people with a vaccine-related shoulder injury have trouble doing everyday tasks, such as getting dressed, doing chores, and doing other projects they used to finish with no problem. If they work in manual labor, patients may not be able to meet their job requirements. 

What to Do If You Have SIRVA

While your shoulder pain may resolve on its own, it often requires treatment to heal properly. After a SIRVA diagnosis, a doctor may prescribe physical therapy, steroid injections, pain medication, and even surgery. Most patients make a full recovery within a year or two, but some experience permanent symptoms, such as shoulder pain, 

Keep reading this article to learn everything you need to know about SIRVA, including:

  • How does SIRVA happen? 
  • What are the most common symptoms of SIRVA? 
  • How do you treat SIRVA? And how long does SIRVA last?
  • Is there SIRVA compensation available for victims? (The answer is yes!) 
  • Should I hire a SIRVA attorney? 

If you believe you have a SIRVA injury, we encourage you to contact us today to schedule a free consultation with one of our vaccine injury attorneys.

Our SIRVA lawyers can help you file a petition for compensation in the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Call us anytime at (312) 578-9501 to schedule a free consultation. You can also fill out the form on this page to get started. 

What is SIRVA?

As mentioned above, SIRVA occurs when a vaccine, like the flu shot, is injected too high on the arm or too deep into the shoulder. This injury happens due to improper placement of the needle or using the wrong needle length. In these cases, the vaccine is often administered into the shoulder capsule rather than the deltoid muscle.

Vaccines that are improperly administered may inflame and injure nearby tendons, ligaments, or the bursae (fluid-filled sacs in your shoulder). Immediately following the vaccination, people with SIRVA experience intense shoulder pain, loss of mobility, and other long-lasting symptoms. They may be diagnosed with serious conditions like rotator cuff injuries, frozen shoulder syndrome, bursitis, or tendonitis.  

How common is SIRVA? 

Shoulder injuries from vaccine administrations are rare but often underreported. For this reason, the exact number of SIRVA cases is unknown at this time. 

That being said, SIRVA is the most common serious vaccine injury compensated by the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Most people develop shoulder injuries from the seasonal flu shot or tetanus vaccine. At our firm alone, we represent hundreds of people with SIRVA from flu shots and other vaccines across the United States. 

What are the most common signs and symptoms of SIRVA?

SIRVA symptoms

SIRVA itself is not one single medical diagnosis. It covers many types of shoulder injuries, signs, and symptoms.

Immediately following the vaccination, you may experience some pain that’s not going away. But you may be asking yourself, “How do I know if I have SIRVA? What does SIRVA feel like?”

Most people with a shoulder injury related to vaccine administration will experience at least three of the following symptoms:

Severe shoulder pain

The most telltale symptom of SIRVA is severe shoulder pain that begins within 48 hours of injection. Pain can be intermittent or persistent, and often becomes worse when you use the affected arm. The pain may keep you up at night and not go away with over-the-counter medication. 

Decreased range of motion

If you have a shoulder injury from a vaccine, you will likely lose some mobility in your injured arm. Tasks that were once easy to do, such as dressing yourself or unloading the dishwasher, become almost impossible.

Weakness or loss of strength

Along with a limited range of motion, your arm will start to lose its strength. Lifting groceries out of the car or pushing yourself off the ground may now be impossible for you. 

Inflammation or swelling near the injection site

SIRVA also causes inflammation in the shoulder joint itself. You may experience swelling, and your shoulder may hurt when you touch it.

Arm pain

Some people with SIRVA injuries experience radiating pain that travels from their shoulder to their arm. It can be throbbing and sometimes intense.

If you’re experiencing any of the signs of SIRVA listed above, we recommend contacting your doctor immediately to discuss your treatment options. If left untreated, this condition can progressively get worse.

5 Shoulder Injury Diagnoses Related to SIRVA

SIRVA diagnosis

 

When you go to your doctor with SIRVA symptoms, you may be surprised when he or she does not give you an official SIRVA diagnosis. After a physical examination and MRI, they may diagnose you with one of several common shoulder injuries, such as a rotator cuff injury, bursitis, or frozen shoulder syndrome. But they won’t directly give you a SIRVA diagnosis. Why? 

That’s because SIRVA isn’t is not a diagnosis. It is a catch-all term used to describe how a shoulder injury was caused by an improperly administered vaccine. The shoulder injury diagnosis itself, however, varies based on the extent of your injury. 

People who have a vaccine-related shoulder injury are often diagnosed with one (or two) of the following medical conditions: 

Frozen Shoulder Syndrome (Adhesive Capsulitis)

Also known as adhesive capsulitis, frozen shoulder is a medical condition that causes pain and stiffness in your shoulder joint. People often get frozen shoulder syndrome when they’re unable to move their arms for a long time.

Symptoms of a frozen shoulder after a vaccine start gradually and progressively get worse. Frozen shoulder typically resolves between one and three years, according to the Mayo Clinic.  

Treatment for frozen shoulder often includes range-of-motion exercises and steroid injections. In rare cases, you may undergo surgery to loosen the joint capsule. 

You can learn more about frozen shoulder from vaccines here. 

Shoulder Bursitis

Shoulder bursitis is inflammation of one or more bursa. According to John Hopkins Medicine, the bursa is a fluid-filled sac that lubricates the shoulder joint and allows the muscles and tissues to move with ease. Most bursae are found near tendons of large joints, including shoulder joints. 

Shoulder bursitis is sometimes a temporary condition, but symptoms may last for several months. 

If a vaccine is injected into a bursa, you may have painful inflammation in the shoulder within 48 hours following vaccination. You may also notice localized tenderness, reduced range of motion, and swelling. 

The treatment for shoulder bursitis often includes steroid injections, anti-inflammatory pain medications, and immobilization with a splint. Surgery is recommended in rare cases. 

Shoulder Tendonitis

Vaccines are typically administered in the deltoid muscle. If given too high, the injection can injure the tendons in your shoulder. This improper vaccine administration can cause shoulder tendonitis, which is inflammation of the rotator cuff or biceps tendon. Your rotator cuff is comprised of several muscles and tendons in your shoulder. 

Signs of shoulder tendonitis are pain or tenderness in your shoulder and the inability to hold your arm in certain positions. You may also have trouble sleeping and experience loss of strength in your arm. 

Doctors can prescribe several treatments for shoulder tendonitis, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications, physical therapy, steroid injections, ultrasound therapy, and surgery. 

Rotator Cuff Tear or Injury 

The rotator cuff keeps your shoulder together, securing the head of the upper arm bone firmly within the shoulder socket. This large group of muscles and tendons can be injured due to SIRVA.

When a misplaced injection caused inflammation in the shoulder joint, the rotator cuff may be damaged–or even torn.  A rotator cuff tear happens when there is a tear in the tissues connecting the muscle to the bone around the shoulder joint.

According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of rotator cuff injuries include a dull ache in your shoulder, disturbed sleep, arm weakness, and limited range of motion. 

Oftentimes, people with rotator cuff tears from vaccines also have shoulder bursitis or tendonitis.

When treating rotator cuff injuries, doctors often recommend physical therapy, steroid injections, and surgery. 

Click here to learn more about rotator cuff injuries caused by vaccines. 

Impingement Syndrome (Swimmer’s Shoulder)

Impingement syndrome happens when an inflamed tendon in your shoulder rubs against your shoulder blade, resulting in pain. Many swimmers get this condition, but it can also happen after a vaccine is injected too high into your shoulder. The tendons in your shoulder will become inflamed and swollen, pressing on bones, muscles, and other tendons in your shoulder. 

Signs of swimmer’s shoulder include muscle weakness, shoulder pain, limited range of motion, and shoulder instability. Treatment for impingement syndrome is often straightforward: steroid injections and physical therapy. In rare cases, patients may need to undergo surgery. 

If you’d like to learn more about swimmers’ shoulder due to an improper vaccination, click here. 

 

If you have any of these shoulder injuries due to SIRVA, your life is no longer what it used to be. These injuries often require ongoing medical care. You may lose your job or have to file for long-term disability.

We want you to know that you are not alone. There is compensation available to you under the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. To learn more, call us today at (312) 578-9501 or fill out the form at the bottom of this page to schedule your free SIRVA consultation.

Can You Get a Rotator Cuff Injury from a Flu Shot?

The short answer is yes. The seasonal flu shot can cause SIRVA injuries like rotator cuff injuries. You can even get tendonitis or bursitis from a flu shot. As we discussed above, a Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine Administration is often caused by vaccines being injected too high up on the arm. 

Any vaccine injected into the shoulder can cause shoulder pain and injury, but not all vaccinations are covered under the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. These covered vaccines are recommended by the CDC for children and pregnant women. 

Fortunately, the seasonal influenza vaccine is covered by the VICP. 

There are more cases of people getting a shoulder injury from the flu shot because folks get them annually. If you’re experiencing severe shoulder pain from a flu shot, our expert vaccine lawyers can help. Reach out to us to schedule your free consultation today.

How Do You Treat SIRVA?

SIRVA treatment options

 

If you believe you have a shoulder injury from a vaccine, you should consult with your doctor to discuss the best treatment options for you. 

Overall, SIRVA patients may be instructed by their doctor to consider the following treatment: 

Rest

Taking a break and resting from your usual activities can help your shoulder injury heal. Stop doing any activities that cause immediate pain if possible. If your SIRVA symptoms don’t resolve, talk to your doctor about other treatment options available to you.

Pain medication

Your physician may recommend you take medications, such as pain relievers and anti-inflammatories. Some people experience relief from taking over-the-counter pain medications, while others need a prescription for pain relievers to get them through the day.

Steroid injections 

Steroid injections are given to reduce the inflammation in your shoulder joint. These injections also preserve joint function and structure.

Physical Therapy 

You may need physical therapy to regain any loss of function and motion in the shoulder.

Surgery 

If no other treatment is effective, you may need surgery to repair the affected ligaments and tendons in the shoulder. This is especially true for rotator cuff tears and frozen shoulder syndrome. 

What Are The Best Exercises For SIRVA?

When you have any shoulder injury, it’s best to consult with a doctor or physical therapist before starting any treatment. 

If your pain has persisted for 2-3 weeks, it’s time to book an appointment with your primary care physician. That being said, there are exercises you can do at home to help relieve shoulder pain temporarily.

Here are some of the most effective at-home exercises for SIRVA injuries: 

  • Pendulum. To do this exercise, lean forward and support yourself against a chair or table with your non-injured arm. Dangle your injured arm straight down and draw small circles in the air. Gradually increase the circumference and reverse the direction sometimes. 
  • Arm across the chest. Hold your injured arm out in front of your body near the waist. Put your other hand behind your injured arm’s elbow. Pull your injured arm across your chest using your hand. Hold in this position for 30-50 seconds and then release.
  • Neck release. Sit up straight. Slowly tilt your chin toward the chest until you can feel the stretch in the back of your neck. Next, lean your head to the right or left to stretch either shoulder. Hold the stretch for a minute. 

Does SIRVA Go Away? Is It Permanent?

If you have this condition, you may be wondering, “Is SIRVA permanent? Will I have to deal with this for the rest of my life?”

For some, their shoulder injury will heal after months of treatment. They don’t experience any lasting side effects or shoulder pain. 

However, other patients experience chronic pain for more than six months, even after seeking treatment. They have to take pain medications or receive steroid injections to manage their shoulder injury. Others may have to continue physical therapy so their injury doesn’t regress. 

Can I File A SIRVA Lawsuit?

SIRVA compensation

Yes, you may be able to file a lawsuit to get damages for your SIRVA injury—but there’s a special court system for vaccine injuries in the United States you may not know about. It’s called the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP).

If you are suffering from SIRVA, you may be eligible for compensation from the VICP. This program is managed by the U.S. Federal Court of Claims in Washington, D.C.

The VICP offers an alternative path to a traditional lawsuit. It allows you to pursue compensation for a vaccine injury without having to sue your doctor or the pharmaceutical companies. You can learn more about how the VICP works by downloading a free copy of vaccine injury attorney Jonathan Svitak’s book, Understanding the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program

Vaccine Injuries Book

Download your free copy of Vaccine Injuries: Understanding the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program by attorney Jonathan Svitak.

In this publication, Jonathan explains the history of this unique federal program and answers some of your most frequently asked questions about vaccine injury cases.

How To Get Compensation For A SIRVA Injury

In the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, you can petition for SIRVA vaccine injury compensation. The VICP itself offers compensation to people injured by vaccinations listed on the Vaccine Injury Table. All of these vaccines are on the childhood vaccine schedule, including: 

Examples of vaccines NOT eligible for compensation through the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program include: 

In 2017, the VICP revised the Vaccine Injury Table to include Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine Administration as a covered injury for every vaccine listed on the table.

What does this mean? Essentially, you can be afforded presumption by the court that a vaccine did, in fact, cause your shoulder injury. 

However, you must file your SIRVA claim within three (3) years of the onset of your SIRVA symptoms. Oftentimes, SIRVA symptoms begin within 48 hours of the vaccination.

Compensation is awarded based on the specific facts of your SIRVA injury claim. The Court will examine your medical records and history. If the Court agrees that the vaccine caused your SIRVA injury, it will then award you damages for your injury.

We highly recommend hiring a vaccine injury lawyer like the ones at Shannon Law Group to file your SIRVA claim. It comes at no cost to you because the U.S. Federal Court of Claims pays your lawyer for their attorney’s fees.

Our SIRVA Injury Lawyers Are Ready To Help You

If you or someone you love has suffered a vaccine shoulder injury, we can help you get the justice you deserve. At Shannon Law Group, P.C., we help people like you every day recover financially and emotionally following a SIRVA injury. We do this by filing a petition for them in the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. 

Contact us today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our SIRVA attorneys. We’re available 24/7 to take your call. You can also fill out the contact form on this page, and we’ll get back to you within 1 business day. 

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