Arm pain can have a variety of causes. Depending on the underlying disease, other symptoms accompany the discomfort. The course of the disease and treatment also depend on what causes the arm pain.
What is arm pain?
Arm pain, upper arm pain or pain in the shoulder occurs frequently. Only rarely is there a disease behind it, such as shoulder-arm syndrome. Arm pain refers to pain in the upper limb. The pain stimulus occurs when tissues in the arm are damaged or do not have sufficient blood supply. Ascending nerve pathways report to the brain that something is wrong. The person then perceives this as arm pain. The damage can be located directly in the affected limb or a little away from it. This is referred to as pain that radiates into the arm. In medicine, a distinction is made between arm pain that exists at rest and arm pain that occurs when moving the shoulder, elbow, or wrist. There is bone pain and soft tissue pain in muscles and connective tissue. Arm pain can also affect the blood vessels.
Causes
A common cause of arm pain is injury. These can be broken bones, open wounds, bruises, pulled muscles, or dislocations. A herniated disc may be responsible for pain radiating into the arm. However, joint disorders also cause arm pain. A joint may be overworked for a short time or, as in osteoarthritis, already damaged or worn out over a long period of time. Inflammation in the joint itself or in the surrounding bursae can also cause arm pain. However, not only the joints can become inflamed, but also muscles and tendons. A very serious cause of severe arm pain is bone metastases in the context of cancer. But also the occlusion of an artery or a thrombosis in a vein in the arm can lead to severe arm pain. However, severe pain radiating into the arm can also be a sign of a heart attack. In diabetics, the small blood vessels and nerves throughout the body are often damaged. This can cause arm pain in them, among other symptoms.
Diseases with this symptom
- Bone fracture
- Heart attack
- Elbow dislocation (elbow luxation)
- Shoulder-arm syndrome
- Osteoarthritis
- Herniated disc
- Tennis elbow
- Biceps tendon tear
- Joint inflammation (arthritis)
- Tendonitis
- Chassaignac palsy
- Elbow fracture
- Wrist fracture
- Bursitis (inflammation of the bursa)
- Sprain
History
Arm pain caused by acute illness, after an accident or overexertion usually has a good chance of recovery. Inflammation also usually heals without problems with proper treatment. However, if the affected person has other diseases such as diabetes mellitus or a weakened immune system, the healing process may be delayed. It is possible that an acute inflammation will develop into a chronic one and that, as a result, the arm pain will also persist, sometimes stronger, sometimes weaker. Arm pain caused by an obstruction of the arteries or veins usually disappears once the obstruction is removed. However, it may also develop into long-term damage to the blood vessels that continues to cause arm pain.
Complications
The cause of arm pain can vary widely. So it is necessary to determine where the arm pain is actually coming from. Pain in the arm often indicates that there is not enough blood flow to the tissues or that a nerve is pinched. The damage can be directly in the arm, but it can also be further away from it, in which case it is referred to as pain radiating into the arm. It also depends on whether the arm also hurts when at rest or if it only shows the symptoms under stress. If the cause is a fracture or sprain, the diagnosis is relatively simple. However, a herniated disc may also be present, and the pain radiates into the arm. Joint pain can also be responsible; arm pain is not uncommon with osteoarthritis or rheumatism. Perhaps there is also an underlying inflammation in the joint, but muscles and tendons can also become inflamed.Severe pain in the arm can also indicate metastases in the bones if cancer is present, and arm pain can also be caused by a heart attack. If the arm pain is caused by an accident or short-term overuse, it is easy to cure. Even in the case of inflammation, the pain in the arm can disappear quickly with the right treatment. However, if the patient also has other diseases, the cure may be protracted, and some arm pain may remain stronger or weaker forever. Treatment always depends on the cause, but in the case of diabetes or cancer, the underlying disease must be treated. It is only important that the diagnosis is made quickly, so that acute arm pain does not become a chronic disease.
When should you go to the doctor?
Arm pain is one of those types of pain for which there are many different causes. The pain can affect the entire arm or parts of it: the upper arm, forearm and elbow. In the case of arm pain triggered by overexertion, a visit to the doctor is often unnecessary, as the pain usually disappears after a few days. Mild strains – caused, for example, by an awkward movement or during sports – do not always require medical treatment. Otherwise, a visit to the doctor is recommended for arm pain, preferably first to the family doctor.
Known triggers for arm pain include:
- Open wounds
- Inflammations
- Bone fractures
- Bruises
- Muscle strains
- Dislocations
- Osteoarthritis
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
Arm pain can also come from radiating pain from another trigger point in the body, such as a herniated disc or heart attack. Vascular occlusions in the arm can also lead to severe pain. This frequently affects diabetics, in whom even small blood vessels and, in addition, the nerve pathways throughout the body, including the arms, are damaged in advanced stages. It is therefore clear how important a thorough clarification of the cause is for most arm pain. For the therapy of arm pain, depending on the cause, the following specialists come into question: internists, orthopedists, cardiologists, neurologists, gastroenterologists and angiologists.
Treatment and therapy
Treatment of arm pain depends on the cause. Broken bones may be operated on, splinted, or plastered. Dislocated joints are reset after pain medication is administered. Blockage of a vein or artery may be treated with surgery or medication, depending on where the obstruction is located and how extensive the damage is. For inflammation, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medications. Depending on the severity of the inflammation, administration as infusion, injection, tablet or juice is indicated. Naturopathy also knows various ways of using compresses, compresses, teas, homeopathic medicines or acupuncture to stimulate the self-healing powers of the sick person and support the medical measures. If cancer, diabetes mellitus or other diseases affecting the entire body are the cause of the arm pain, these underlying diseases must be treated. In general, it is important that professional treatment is carried out as quickly and specifically as possible, so that an acute illness does not become a chronic one and the arm pain thus continues for a long time.
Outlook and prognosis
Arm pain can occur for many different reasons. Therefore, the success of treatment depends greatly on the cause of the arm pain. If the arm pain occurs after an accident or after a blow to the arm, a doctor must be consulted urgently. This may be a fracture, fractures or a compression in the arm, which must be treated by a doctor in any case. Usually, the treatment of arm pain is successful and does not lead to further medical complications. The arm pain also occurs when the arm is overloaded and thus it is a common symptom. In this case, the arm needs relaxation and should not be strained anymore. Further exertion can cause inflammation and tears in the muscles. Only in rare cases is surgery necessary to correct the arm pain. Physiotherapy or heat therapy often helps as well. In the case of fractures or other severe injuries, orthopedic aids are used to make everyday life easier for the patient.With overexertion and muscle soreness, arm pain usually disappears within a few days and does not require further treatment by a doctor.
Prevention
To prevent arm pain, avoid continuous uniform stress on an arm during sports or at work. Regular exercise keeps joints healthy and ensures that muscles and tendons remain elastic. The bones also need exercise so that they are well supplied with blood and arm pain cannot develop. A healthy diet prevents metabolic diseases such as diabetes mellitus.
What you can do yourself
Affected people who suffer from arm pain can partially treat it themselves. It is important to take regular breaks and perform loosening exercises. For support, the application of a splint, as well as the application of painkilling ointments provides relief. These should contain either ibuprofen or salicylic acid. After the arm pain has subsided, heat applications as well as heat patches or heat baths are recommended. For self-treatment of arm pain, compresses with cool curd are effective. The curd is first applied to a thin towel. Then, sufferers place the poultice on the painful area. The cooling reduces arm pain. As soon as the poultice is warm, the affected person can apply a new one. Alternatively, ice packs have proven effective for pain relief and cooling. However, these should only be applied to the painful region for a short time. To avoid hypothermia, sufferers should place a cloth between the arm and the ice pack. Rubbing with St. John’s wort oil and calendula ointment is also recommended. These have an anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effect. Sometimes an irradiation of the arm pain with red light is meaningful. However, those affected should consult their family doctor or an orthopedist beforehand about the duration of red light irradiation. Furthermore, arm pain can be relieved by holding the affected person’s arm under cool tap water for two minutes. Subsequently, this should be dried in the fresh air and held still for 30 minutes.
