Hand pain after vaccination for COVID-19 is one of the possible mild post-vaccination reactions - harmless, but troublesome. And while it's relatively common, there are methods to deal with it easily. How to avoid hand pain after vaccination, what to do if swelling or redness appears? Here are 6 proven ways.
Why does my arm hurt after vaccination?
Arm pain and swelling at the injection site is one of the possible reactions of the immune system to the vaccine. The vaccine is administered intramuscularly into the largest muscle (deltoid). The needle puncture locally damages the tissue, which may result in the development ofslight inflammationat the injection site, possibly with swelling and redness.
Since hand pain after vaccination is classified as a very common adverse reaction after vaccination, it is worth knowing how to avoid it or reduce annoying symptoms if it occurs.
Remedies for hand pain after vaccination
- The right arm to vaccinate.Before the vaccination, decide in which arm you will receive the injection. Contrary to appearances, this decision is not insignificant: it is better to get the vaccine in the arm that is not dominant (in case of pain or swelling, it will be easier for you to function). It is also worth considering how you sleep before making your decision: if you usually lie on your right side to sleep, the left arm will be a better choice for the vaccine - even if it starts to hurt, you will not put pressure on the injection site while you sleep.
- Relaxed muscles during injection.The vaccination itself takes a few seconds - during this time, do not tense your arm, because the more tense the muscles, the higher the likelihood of swelling and inflammation. Keep your arm relaxed, in a natural position, lowered and resting on your knee, or resting on the back of a chair.
- Simple exercises for arm pain."Moving" the arm just after the injection reduces the feeling of pain and increases blood flow. You can keep your arm moving by performing daily activities, but there are also some exercises to help with this. So let's raise your arm to the side and above your head (e.g. holding a newspaper in your hand), stretch your arms, or slightly lift them and move them backwards by 90 degrees.
- Coolcompress.It is worth doing if your arm starts to ache right after the injection. The cold will reduce the swelling caused by developing inflammation (in a similar way to a knee contusion, for example). But beware - this method is most effective when applied as soon as possible.
- Baking soda wrap.When redness and swelling appear at the vaccination site, it is worth applying a baking soda compress - just dissolve 1 teaspoon of baking soda in 200 ml of water, soak a gauze pad or a clean cloth with this liquid, squeeze the excess and apply it to the skin, and then lightly bandage with a bandage (not elastic). After several dozen minutes, when the compress is dry, it can be removed.
- Pain medications.To reduce pain and swelling, you can also take any of the recommended over-the-counter painkillers - containing paracetamol or ibuprofen - at the dose recommended in the package insert.