A stinger injury, also known as a burner or nerve pinch injury, is a neurological injury that is common in high-contact sports such as ice hockey, rugby, American football, and wrestling). It is an injury that is caused by restriction of the nerve supply to the upper extremity via the brachial plexus, which is formed by the anterior rami of the nerves at the 5th cervical level of the spinal cord all the way to the nerves at the 1st thoracic level of the spinal cord). The brachial plexus innervates the upper extremity as well as some muscles in the neck and shoulder).

A stinger is characterized by a shooting or stinging pain that travels down one arm, followed by numbness and weakness in the parts of the arms, including the biceps, deltoid, and spinati muscles). The pain from a stinger injury may also travel from the shoulder down to the hand. The severity of the injury can vary, and it can be classified into two different categories of peripheral nerve injury with physiological differences. Grade I is neurapraxia, which involves focal damage of the myelin fibers around the axon, with the axon and the connective tissue sheath remaining intact. The disruption of nerve function involves demyelination. Axonal integrity is preserved, and remyelination occurs within days or weeks. Grade II is axonotmesis, which involves damage to the axon and the connective tissue sheath, but the endoneurium remains intact. Wallerian degeneration occurs distal to the injury, and axonal regeneration occurs at a rate of 1 mm/day).

Stingers are best diagnosed by a medical professional, who will assess the athletes pain, range of head and neck motion, and muscle strength). Imaging tests, such as X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, and nerve studies are not usually needed, but a more extensive examination is needed if the athlete has any of the following symptoms: weakness lasting more than several days, numbness, or tingling in the arms. Treatment depends on how severe the stinger is. Many mild injuries need no treatment because feeling and muscle control return within a few minutes. Someone with a lasting stinger might need ice applied to the affected area, physical therapy, or surgery.