Burners and Stingers (Care of the Young Athlete)

Burners and stingers are intense pains that occur when the nerves that run from the neck to the arm are stretched or compressed. This typically occurs in contact or collision sports where the shoulder may be pushed backward or the head and neck is forcibly pushed to the side. Burners are most common in football players but are also common in those who participate in hockey, wrestling, lacrosse, and diving. The term burner will be used in this handout to refer to both burners and stingers.