Research from the NCAA Injury Surveillance Program reported an injury rate of 2.04 stingers per 10,000 exposures in American football players between 2009 and 2015, making stingers one of the most common nerve-related neck injuries seen in collision sports.
Nearly 23% of incoming Division I football players already report a prior history of stingers before starting their collegiate careers, while more than half of collegiate football athletes experience recurrent episodes over time.
One reason these injuries are often underestimated is because symptoms can disappear quickly.
Research shows nearly 85% of collision athletes return to play immediately after a stinger because the burning sensation, numbness, or weakness may resolve within minutes or hours.
However, that does not always mean the nerve fully recovered.
At The Disc Chiropractic, Dr. Al Simeone focuses on identifying why the cervical nerves continue becoming stressed during athletic activity instead of simply masking symptoms temporarily.
What are Stingers and Burners?
The terms stinger and burner both describe a traction or compression injury involving the brachial plexus or cervical nerve roots after contact to the neck and shoulder region.
The brachial plexus is a complex network of nerves formed by the C5 through T1 nerve roots in the neck. These nerves branch out from the cervical spine, travel between the neck and shoulder, pass underneath the collarbone, and continue into the arm and hand.
You can think of these nerves like electrical cables running from the spinal cord into the arm. When enough force is placed on the neck or shoulder during a collision, the nerve tissue can become stretched, compressed, or irritated.
Once that happens, the nerve temporarily loses its ability to transmit signals normally. That is why athletes often describe:
- A sudden burning sensation shooting down one arm
- An electric shock feeling into the hand
- Temporary weakness or loss of grip strength
- Tingling or numbness in the shoulder, arm, or fingers
Unlike muscular injuries, stingers are neurological injuries. The symptoms usually occur almost immediately after impact because the nerve itself is being stressed.
The severity of a stinger depends on how much damage occurs to the nerve tissue itself.
A mild Grade I injury, called neuropraxia, temporarily blocks the nerve signal without physically damaging the nerve structure. These injuries often resolve relatively quickly.
Grade II injuries involve damage to the axon, the part of the nerve responsible for transmitting signals. Recovery takes longer because the nerve must repair itself before normal function returns.
Grade III injuries are the most severe and involve complete disruption of the nerve. These injuries may lead to long-term weakness, persistent neurological symptoms, and in rare cases permanent dysfunction.
That is why repeated stingers should never be ignored simply because the symptoms “went away.”
Common Causes of Stingers
Brachial Plexus Traction Injuries
Common Symptoms
- Sudden burning pain down one arm
- Electric shock sensation into the shoulder or hand
- Temporary arm weakness
- Tingling or numbness
- Loss of grip strength
Cervical Nerve Root Compression
This often occurs when the neck rapidly extends, rotates, or gets compressed downward during contact. Instead of the nerve being stretched, the nerve becomes pinched as it exits the spine.
The cervical nerve roots exit through small openings called the foramina. If the neck is forced into extension and rotation under load, these openings temporarily narrow and compress the nerve.
Athletes with disc injuries, joint degeneration, or naturally narrow foramina are more vulnerable to this type of stinger.
The surrounding structures commonly involved include:
- Cervical facet joints
- Intervertebral discs
- Deep cervical stabilizers
- Upper thoracic spine joints
Common Symptoms
- Sharp neck pain or stiffness
- Pain radiating into the shoulder or arm
- Muscle weakness
- Reduced grip strength
- Symptoms reproduced with neck movement
Cervical Foraminal Stenosis
The cervical foramina are the openings where the spinal nerves leave the neck.
Over time, repeated impact, disc degeneration, bone spurs, or congenital narrowing can reduce the amount of space available for the nerve.
Athletes with recurrent stingers often have a higher prevalence of cervical foraminal stenosis, meaning the nerve has less room to tolerate impact before becoming irritated.
This is why some athletes continue getting stingers from relatively minor contact later in their career.
Common Symptoms
- Recurrent stingers during contact sports
- Neck tightness after collisions
- Persistent nerve irritation
- Weakness lasting longer after impact
- Symptoms occurring more frequently over time
Sports Commonly Associated With Stingers
Stingers are most common in collision and contact sports involving repeated impact to the head, neck, and shoulders.
These include:
- Football
- Rugby
- Wrestling
- MMA and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
- Hockey
- Lacrosse
Athletes in boxing, gymnastics, and weightlifting may also experience stingers due to cervical loading and traction forces.
Treatment Options for Stingers and Burners at The Disc Chiropractic
Dr. Al Simeone performs a thorough evaluation to determine exactly why the cervical nerves are becoming irritated during athletic activity.
Based on these findings, he creates a treatment plan focused on reducing nerve irritation, restoring proper neck mechanics, and lowering the risk of recurrent stingers.
Chiropractic Adjustments
Stingers are commonly associated with restricted motion in the cervical and upper thoracic spine. When these joints stop moving properly, stress increases on the surrounding nerve roots, discs, muscles, and connective tissues during contact.
Dr. Al Simeone uses precise chiropractic adjustments to improve movement in the cervical spine, upper thoracic spine, and rib cage.
Depending on the athlete and injury presentation, adjustments may be performed manually or with instrument-assisted techniques.
The goal is to restore proper joint mechanics, reduce abnormal stress on the cervical nerves, and improve the body’s ability to absorb force during contact sports.
Many athletes also notice improvements in neck stiffness, shoulder tension, and range of motion after treatment.
Shockwave Therapy
After repeated impacts or traction injuries, the muscles surrounding the neck and shoulder often develop chronic tightness, trigger points, and scar tissue buildup.
Shockwave therapy helps stimulate healing in these irritated soft tissues using acoustic pressure waves. At The Disc Chiropractic, we use the Intelect® RPW 2 Shockwave System to target areas commonly involved in stinger injuries, including the:
- Upper trapezius
- Scalenes
- Levator scapulae
- Cervical paraspinal muscles
- Pectoral muscles
The treatment helps improve blood circulation, reduce muscular guarding, and break down chronic tissue restriction that may continue placing stress on the cervical nerves.
This becomes especially important in athletes with recurrent stingers, where chronic muscular tension often contributes to poor neck mechanics and reduced force absorption.
Soft Tissue Therapy
Many athletes continue to feel neck tightness long after the initial burning symptoms disappear.
Dr. Al Simeone uses soft tissue therapy to address muscular tension, fascial restriction, and protective muscle guarding that develops after repeated collisions or nerve irritation.
Treatment may involve manual therapy techniques along with the Rapid Release™ Pro 3+, which helps reduce tissue tension and improve mobility in the neck, shoulders, and upper back.
Soft tissue therapy is commonly focused on muscles that become overloaded during contact sports, including the upper trapezius, levator scapulae, scalenes, sternocleidomastoid, and rotator cuff muscles.
Reducing tension in these areas helps decrease stress placed on the cervical spine during athletic activity.
Therapeutic Exercises
One of the biggest problems after a stinger injury is that athletes often return to play before restoring proper neck stability.
The cervical spine relies heavily on muscular control to absorb force during collisions. If the deep stabilizing muscles are weak or poorly coordinated, more force transfers directly into the joints and nerves.
Dr. Al Simeone builds individualized rehab programs focused on improving cervical stability, scapular control, and upper thoracic mobility.
The goal is improving the athlete’s ability to stabilize the neck during contact, reduce excessive strain on the brachial plexus, and lower the risk of recurrent nerve traction injuries.
FAQs About Stingers and Burners
What is a stinger or burner injury?
A stinger, also called a burner, is a temporary nerve injury involving the brachial plexus or cervical nerve roots. It commonly causes a sudden burning sensation, numbness, tingling, or weakness that radiates down one arm after contact or collision.
What sports commonly cause stingers?
Stingers are most commonly seen in football, rugby, wrestling, hockey, and MMA because these sports involve repeated impact to the neck and shoulders. They can also occur in boxing, gymnastics, and weightlifting due to cervical loading and traction forces.
Why do football players get stingers so often?
Football athletes experience repeated high-speed collisions that place significant stress on the cervical spine and brachial plexus. Research shows stingers occur nearly four times more often during games than practice because of the intensity of contact.
Are stingers and burners serious injuries?
Some stingers resolve quickly, but recurrent episodes can become more concerning over time. Studies show repeated stingers are associated with cervical foraminal narrowing, chronic nerve irritation, and increased risk of future cervical spine injury.
How long do stinger symptoms usually last?
Most athletes recover within seconds to 24 hours. However, research shows some athletes experience muscle weakness or neurological symptoms lasting several days or even weeks depending on the severity of nerve irritation.
Can a stinger cause permanent nerve damage?
Repeated nerve traction or compression may increase the risk of long-term nerve irritation and weakness. Persistent symptoms, prolonged weakness, or recurrent episodes should always be medically evaluated.
What symptoms suggest a stinger is more serious?
Symptoms become more concerning when weakness persists, grip strength decreases, neck pain does not improve, symptoms affect both arms, or neurological symptoms last longer than 24 hours. Recurrent stingers during the same season also require further evaluation.
Can chiropractic care help stingers and burners?
Chiropractic care helps improve cervical and upper thoracic spine mobility, reduce abnormal stress on irritated nerves, improve neck mechanics, and decrease muscular tension surrounding the cervical spine and shoulders.
Why do some athletes keep getting recurrent stingers?
Recurrent stingers are often linked to cervical foraminal narrowing, poor neck stability, muscular imbalance, restricted thoracic mobility, or incomplete rehabilitation after the initial injury.
When can an athlete safely return to play after a stinger?
An athlete should only return to play once symptoms fully resolve, strength returns to normal, neurological testing is normal, and cervical spine evaluation shows no significant instability or ongoing nerve compromise.
Get Evaluated Before the Next Hit Makes It Worse
Repeated stingers are not something athletes should ignore. Even when symptoms disappear quickly, the underlying stress on the cervical nerves may still be there.
At The Disc Chiropractic, Dr. Al Simeone focuses on identifying the true cause of recurrent stingers and building a plan that helps athletes recover properly and reduce future injury risk.
For a limited time, we are offering a $97 New Patient Special, which includes:
- Consultation
- Spinal and neurological examination
- Doctor’s report of findings
(Regularly $150)
If you are dealing with burning pain, numbness, or repeated stingers during sports, now is the time to get evaluated before the problem becomes more serious.
Book an Appointment Today
Call: 720-573-4910