Nerve Hit During Blood Draw

Pinching, sharp pain after blood drawn

by Sally
(Chicago)

About two weeks ago I had a routine blood draw.

Now, whenever I straighten my arm or attempt to lift something slightly heavy (i.e. gallon of milk) I get a sharp pinching pain on my inner elbow, to the left of the injection site. Some of your other posts suggested checking for a pea-shaped lump in the area, but i don't feel anything like that.

Is it possible that the nurse hit a tendon with the needle when drawing my blood? What can I do to lesson the pain and regain mobility? I've been icing and taking Advil regularly.

Thank you

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Joshua Answers:

Hi Sally.

It's possible the needle hit a tendon, but incredibly unlikely.

Blood draws happen very shallow. So unless the nurse was stabbing that needle deep into your forearm....

-Probably- your body decided that it was under attack, kicked in a Pain Causing Dynamic which includes firing up a Process of Inflammation.

Needle inserts, pain is felt, nervous system freaks out, muscles tighten up, pain levels increase due to build up of pain enhancing chemical from the inflammation process, etc.

It's not Tendonitis, but that doesn't mean that there's no pain on movement, muscle contraction, etc.

See: What Is Tendonitis?

Were I you I would learn How To Reduce Inflammation, start

doing that a bunch, and then get back to me and give me an update.

Also, see this page: Help Identifying Inner Elbow Pain Can't Straighten Arm

Along those lines, I just looked to see when you submitted this.

I imagine that this has resolved by now....definitely not a timely response.

If it had been, I suspect that an appropriate amount of ice dipping would have reduced the pain levels and gotten the nervous system to settle things out.

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