TikTok is not really a place to look for legit information or foolproof facts. But, many people are swearing by a hack born in the land of lip syncs and dance challenges, insisting that their post-COVID vaccine jab days were far less painful because of it.There are a lot of lingering doubts and uncertainties that accompany taking the COVID-19 vaccine, apart from the fear of side-effects including fever, body aches and a sore arm. But while there isn’t much we can do to anticipate and prevent the side-effects, a viral TikTok hack could actually help you avoid soreness in your arm. TikTokers are posting videos of them windmilling their arms in a circular direction after taking the vaccine. This, many claim, can help prevent the achy arm that many have had to deal with post the jab. And unlike some outlandish claims TikTokers have been known to make, this one is actually legit, as reported by those who’ve tried it themselves and health experts alike.“When you get a vaccine your immune system creates a reaction in your body, and it causes inflammation at the site of the vaccination,” Abisola Olulade, a San Diego-based physician, told Refinery29. “That is what leads to the soreness and the pain.” Olulade explained that scientifically, moving your arm around in circular motions could increase the blood flow to that area, pushing inflammatory muscles away from the jab point. However, she warned that too much swinging around could also be detrimental, even potentially leading to hypertension. Also, you might hit your arm against an object and probably make it worse. “About an hour after taking the vaccine, I did the windmill with my arm a couple of times, and it helped take away some of the pain I felt in my arm,” said VICE’s South Asia news editor Sahar Habib Ghazi. “While I didn’t fully watch the TikTok video, I came across it while browsing and then a friend mentioned it to me as well. I guess I was thinking it would help circulate the vaccine better.”Essentially, stretching and moving your arm promotes blood flow to help repair the region of your muscle that gets slightly torn from the needle. It can also help distribute the vaccine so that more muscle cells can start making the antigens that build immunity.According to experts, the ideal time to use this trick is 15 minutes after taking the vaccine. It’s also essential to keep your arm slightly bent to avoid hitting random walls or objects, and move it around in small circles. Of course, as intriguing as this TikTok trick is, there’s no guarantee that it will always work. Those who have tried it also report that it could be a potential placebo effect, or just a good enough distraction from the stiffness. “If you massage the area it probably isn't going to be as good as moving your arm like a windmill,” Alan Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist, told the Connecticut Post. “Because it's just making the vaccine just stay in the muscle area so it’s not increasing blood supply.”Though there are no studies or scientific evidence to support this claim, experts agree that there’s no harm in trying the hack anyway. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist and professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, told Shape Magazine, “There are no studies about this movement, but maybe people have discovered something that we in medicine don’t know about yet.”Follow Shamani on Instagram and Twitter.
Advertisement
Advertisement