What is a stinger or burner?
A stinger, also called a burner, is an injury to the brachial plexus, the network of nerves running from the side of your neck through the shoulder and down into the arm. Those nerves carry every bit of movement and sensation in your shoulder, arm, and hand. Stretch or compress them in a collision and you get a sudden burning or electric-shock sensation shooting from the neck or shoulder down the arm, sometimes as far as the fingers.
How it happens in rugby
Stingers happen two ways in rugby. Traction is when your head is forced away from your shoulder in a tackle, stretching the brachial plexus on the opposite side, which is what happens when you tackle and the ball carrier's body pushes your head sideways. Compression is the reverse, your head forced towards your shoulder and the nerves on that side squashed. That is the scrum one, where the neck gets loaded sideways, and it also happens in head-on collisions that bend the neck over.
| Mechanism | How It Happens | Which Nerves Affected |
|---|---|---|
| Traction (stretch) | Head forced away from the shoulder, as in a side-on tackle | Upper trunk of the brachial plexus (C5-C6), so shoulder and biceps |
| Compression | Head forced toward the shoulder, as in a scrum collapse or a head-on hit | Nerve roots at the cervical spine, so any level can be affected |
| Direct blow | Impact to the supraclavicular area, Erb's point | The upper trunk, at its most superficial point |
What it feels like
The hallmark is a sudden, sharp burning or electrical sensation shooting down one arm. The arm might feel dead or weak for a few seconds to a few minutes, and you may not be able to lift it or grip properly. Players describe it as being plugged into a socket. It is almost always one arm rather than both. The neck itself is often pain-free and moving normally, and everything you feel is in the arm.
Grading stinger injuries
| Grade | Nerve Injury Type | Symptoms | Typical Recovery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 1 (Neuropraxia) | A temporary block in nerve conduction, with no structural damage | Burning/tingling for seconds to minutes. Full strength returns quickly. | Minutes to hours. Most stingers are Grade 1. |
| Grade 2 (Axonotmesis) | Damage to the axon with the nerve sheath intact | Weakness lasting days to weeks. Muscle wasting may develop. | Weeks to months. Nerve regrows at approximately 1mm per day. |
| Grade 3 (Neurotmesis) | Complete nerve disruption | Severe weakness or paralysis. No spontaneous recovery expected. | Surgical repair may be required. Rare in sport. |
When can you return to play?
For a single Grade 1 stinger where everything clears within minutes, meaning full strength, full sensation, full neck movement, and no pain, the team doctor may consider putting the player back into the same match after a proper sideline assessment. If anything is left over, even slight weakness or tingling, the player stays off.
Preventing stingers
- Neck strengthening. A strong, well-conditioned neck holds up better against the sideways forces that cause traction injuries, and it is the risk factor you can actually change.
- Tackling technique. Keeping the head neutral and not leading with the crown of the head reduces how far the brachial plexus gets stretched. Your coaching team can work on this.
- Neck rolls and collars. Some players with recurrent stingers use padded neck rolls that limit sideways neck bend. They are permitted under most rugby regulations, but talk to your medical team first.
- Scrum technique. Props and hookers should work with coaches on holding a neutral neck position, which is what cuts down the compression-type stingers.