Burners, Stingers, and Other Brachial Plexus Injuries in the Contact Athlete

Transient brachial plexopathy, or the stinger syndrome, is a transient neurapraxia resulting from a stretch or compression of the upper roots of the brachial plexus. Contact athletes are most commonly affected; symptoms range from a fleeting radicular pain in the upper extremity to weakness and numbness that may last a few weeks. It is critical for the on-field physician to distinguish this entity from cervical spine injury. Stingers are usually treated successfully with supportive care and rehabilitation focused on range of motion, strengthening, and sport-specific therapy. Severe injuries with lasting effects are rare and may be treated with a variety of surgical approaches depending on the degree of disability and chronicity.