Causes

Diseases that lead to pain in the upper arm can originate from different structures. In general, pain in the upper arm can be caused by the impairment of one or more muscles, the connective tissue structures surrounding the muscles, the nerves, the blood vessels and the bone itself. In most of the patients affected, these impairments are due to purely functional causes.

Organic diseases cause pain in the upper arm relatively rarely. Often, pain in the upper arm is caused by external violent influences that lead to bruising, contusions or bone fractures. In these cases, the affected patients can usually remember the causal trauma.

Trauma-induced pain in the upper arm is typically accompanied by other symptoms such as wounds, swelling or bruising. In addition, impairments of the muscles and nerves are among the most common causes of upper arm pain. The diseases relevant in this context can often be traced back to repeated incorrect strain, incorrect posture or trauma.

Above all, incorrect or excessive strain leads to a significant hardening of the strained muscles. In addition, the muscle tone (degree of tension) can increase permanently. As a result, the tense muscles begin to push off the surrounding connective tissue, blood vessels and nerve tracts.

As a result, those affected usually feel severe pain in the upper arm. Typically, the complaints occur mainly directly above the affected muscles. In addition, pain can also occur in the area supplied by the affected nerve fibers and blood vessels.

Furthermore, regular strength training is a significant risk factor for the development of pain in the upper arm. The possible illnesses can range from uncomplicated muscle strain to muscle fiber or muscle tear. In addition to the pain, those affected suffer from bleeding into the tissue and a significant restriction of the range of movement.

In most cases, excessive strength training causes injuries to the biceps. However, the impairment of the triceps can also be the cause of pain in the upper arm. Extensive pain in the upper arm indicates that a nerve may be pinched.

In most cases, such nerve compression affects the large nerve of the armpit (axillary nerve). Typically, the pain caused by nerve compression is mainly due to certain movements. Furthermore, pain in the upper arm can also be caused by organic diseases.

A classic example of such a disease is myocardial infarction. The affected patients usually feel chest pain in addition to the pain on the left upper arm, they are cold sweaty and are scared to death. With this constellation of symptoms, an emergency doctor should be urgently alerted.