Associated symptoms | Pain in the outer upper arm

Associated symptoms

Pain in the outer upper arm rarely manifests as the only symptom. Much more frequently, the pain occurs in combination with other complaints depending on the cause. Muscular damage in the form of muscle tears usually results in bruising and swelling.

Moreover, the pain in such cases is motion-dependent. Depending on the severity of the injury, this can result in restricted movement or disability for those affected, which in turn leads to everyday problems such as getting dressed. When a bursa in the shoulder area becomes inflamed and pain radiates into the upper arm, the entire shoulder joint typically becomes swollen and overheated.

If, on the other hand, the pain in the upper arm is based on damage to nerve tissue, for example in the case of an inflammation of the nerves, those affected also complain of sensations in the form of a tingling sensation. If the serious clinical picture of shingles is responsible for the pain, fever, fatigue and a skin rash with grouped blisters are typical accompanying symptoms. In the case of fractures of the upper arm, accompanying uncertain or certain fracture signs can develop.

• Uncertain symptoms include the pain, swelling, bruising and movement restrictions already mentioned.
• Safe signs are abnormal mobility of the upper arm, visible pieces of bone in an open fracture, crepitations, i.e. rubbing noises and an obvious malposition of the upper arm. In general, the accompanying symptoms are thus individual and depend on the cause of the pain.

Diagnosis

Further diagnostics for pain in the outer upper arm is very important, since a variety of causes can be responsible for the pain. First of all, a detailed doctor-patient consultation should take place in order to obtain information about possible falls, previous illnesses or injury mechanisms and thus be able to narrow down the diagnosis somewhat. This is followed by a thorough clinical examination of the upper arm.

Here, the patient is tested for pressure pain and mobility. In addition, a number of special tests are performed to examine the functionality of each muscle of the upper arm and shoulder. Here, for example, the suspicion of a torn muscle can already be hardened.

In order to rule out a fracture of the upper arm, the physician also examines for fracture signs during the clinical examination. If the suspicion is confirmed, an X-ray can be taken afterwards. In order to assess soft tissue such as muscles, vision or bursae, an ultrasound can be performed first of all.

In the specific case of bursitis, a puncture to obtain the synovial fluid will reveal whether the inflammation is due to a bacterial infection. In most cases, it is already possible to determine the cause of the pain. Very rarely, it may be necessary to carry out more detailed investigations, such as a CT or MRI scan.