Why Does Your Arm Hurt After a Shot?

Why Does Your Arm Hurt After a Shot?The most common side effect after a vaccine is pain or tenderness in your upper arm, but why?  Although this arm pain is expected and temporary, it can interfere with your daily routine and leave you wondering why this happened in the first place.  The truth about arm pain Pain in the arm is a common side effect of vaccination and is caused by your immune system responding to the vaccine you have received. The pain is usually soreness of the muscle where the injection is given. When a person receives a shot, a small amount of liquid is injected into the muscle, which basically stretches the muscle fibers, causing some inflammation. This causes pain and discomfort to the injected arm.  “It is normal for some vaccine shots to cause more pain than others such as the COVID-19 vaccine and shingles. Overall, symptoms usually last only a few days and are mild,” says Cristina Cicogna, M.D. an infectious disease specialist at Hackensack University Medical Center. How to reduce pain after a vaccination? Make sure to keep your injected arm moving after the shot since…

Sore arm after your vaccine? That's a good thing!

Sore arm after your vaccine? That’s a good thing! This post was written by Andrew Purdy, PharmD candidate, Purdue University, with input from Michele Swihart, PharmD, Parkview Health. The recent release of vaccines to combat COVID-19 has made vaccination a common topic of headlines and conversations. It also has many talking about the side effects they’re experiencing, including, perhaps most commonly, a sore arm following the injection. The truth is, this is very normal after getting a vaccine, whether that be for COVID-19, influenza, shingles or any of the other options available to patients. Let’s explore why we have this reaction and how we can find some relief. How vaccines work In a nutshell, vaccines imitate infections without actually causing an infection. While we’re going to discuss vaccines in general, this video offers a great explanation of the mRNA vaccines used to fight COVID-19, specifically. When your body is exposed to a germ (like a virus or bacteria), your immune system learns how to fight off the…

Why Does My Arm Hurt After the COVID-19 Vaccine Shot?

Why Does My Arm Hurt After the COVID-19 Vaccine Shot? – GoodRxKey takeaways: Arm pain is a common side effect of vaccinations and is caused by your immune system responding to the vaccine you received.Taking over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) after your vaccination can help reduce the pain you experience.Arm pain after a vaccination is usually fast-passing and should resolve within a few days.katleho Seisa/E+ via Getty ImagesIt’s no secret that vaccines have side effects. It’s common to have a low fever or feel like you’re “coming down” with something in the days following a vaccination. Children and infants might be tired or fussy right after receiving childhood immunizations. But one of the most common side effects is pain or tenderness where you received the shot.Even though they are expected, these reactions can be bothersome or interfere with your routine. And while you know it’s likely only a temporary nuisance, you may be wondering why it…

Why Vaccine Shots Can Hurt and How To Prevent It

Why Vaccine Shots Can Hurt and How To Prevent It From chickenpox to COVID-19, many illnesses and diseases are commonly fought with vaccines. And the benefits these vaccines deliver are well worth the needle’s pinch. Yet the symptom of arm pain can be an unwanted side effect after receiving a vaccine injection. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy More often than not, there’s not much to worry about when it comes to a little soreness after a shot. It’s relatively normal for any slight pain to linger for a few days because of how the vaccine is affecting your body. In fact, soreness after a shot is a good sign — showing that the medicine is hard at work in your system. Even so, there are things you can do to help relieve temporary pain from a shot. Family medicine physician Daniel Allan, MD,…

Why Does the COVID-19 Vaccine Cause a Sore Arm?

Why Does the COVID-19 Vaccine Cause a Sore Arm? Key Takeaways A sore arm is a common side effect of the COVID-19 vaccine. There are several reasons why your arm may be sore after getting vaccinated, including your body’s immune response and inflammation in your muscle. Moving your arm and using a cool compress should help soothe the pain. The COVID-19 vaccine can cause some commonly known side effects. One of the most commonly discussed side effects is a sore arm at the injection site. You may have heard people who’ve been vaccinated against COVID-19 say they couldn’t comfortably move their arm for a day or two after their shot. Many people have taken to social media to share their experience with this uncomfortable—yet harmless—symptom. But why does your arm get sore after the COVID-19 vaccine? It’s a little more complicated than most people realize. Read on to learn more about why some people have a sore arm after being vaccinated and what you can do about it. Common COVID-19 Vaccine Side Effects Side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine…

Sore Arm from a Shot? Here's What to Do – Sheltering Arms

Sore Arm from a Shot? Here’s What to Do Posted on: October 24, 2022 By: Meridith Dunford PT, MSPT, OCS, Cert. DN. Arm soreness after a flu shot or COVID vaccine booster is a side effect that is not so pleasant. It usually only lasts for a day or two. The pain in your arm is the immune system’s response to the vaccine, and that reaction includes inflammation. Inflammation involves redness, soreness, and swelling. This occurs at the site of the injection, which is the middle deltoid muscle of your arm. One way to reduce this reaction is to move your arm around to keep the vaccine and its reaction from being concentrated in one location.  Studies exploring muscle activation with EMG show that the best way to get your deltoid muscle moving to reduce soreness includes these five simple exercises listed below. So easy, you can do them in the privacy of your own home! (Refresh your screen if images do not appear.) Lateral deltoid raises  Standing shoulder external rotation in 90 degrees abductionStanding shoulder external rotation with the arm at sideOverhead pressHorizontal abduction with external rotation Lateral Deltoid Raises Stand or sit with your palms…

Why Does My Arm Hurt After a Flu Shot?

Why Does My Arm Hurt After a Flu Shot? by Editorial Staff | October 29, 2018 Getting a shot at the doctor’s office might not be the most enjoyable experience—with the needle and the doctor and that pesky arm pain that can come after for some—but vaccination is necessary to help your body defend itself against dangerous diseases, including seasonal influenza (flu). There’s a reason CDC recommends everyone 6 months of age and older get a flu shot each year: Anyone can get the flu and it can hit hard. The 2017-2018 flu season particularly demonstrated the impact: Around 80,000 Americans lost their lives due to influenza and 900,000 people were hospitalized.The flu shot is safe, and you cannot get the flu from the flu shot. Most people have little or no reaction to the flu shot and the most common side effect is some discomfort in your arm hours after receiving the vaccination, including soreness, redness and/or swelling. A sore arm is much better than catching the actual influenza virus—which can knock you out for days or weeks…