Pain in the arm muscles

Muscle pain can have various causes, including injuries, cramps, tension, muscle diseases, nervous disorders and medication. Muscle injuries include sore muscles, muscle bruises, strains, muscle tears or muscle fibre ruptures. Mostly these injuries occur during sports.

Strong, sudden muscle movements can cause them, especially if the muscles have not been warmed up properly beforehand. Sports that often lead to such injuries are for example tennis, handball or weight training. Other causes of muscle injuries can be kicks or punches, i.e. direct violence.

A bruise or strain usually causes movement and pressure pain, while a tear-off is preceded by stabbing pain and bruising may occur. Muscle cramps in the arms occur rather rarely, but can also occur and are usually caused by a magnesium deficiency with increased sweating. They occur very suddenly.

Pain in the arms could also be a radiation of tension in the shoulders, neck or upper back. These are caused by weak muscles, poor posture, a lot of sitting and lack of movement. Pain due to muscle diseases can be caused by inflammation, for example.

This can be caused by viruses (flu), bacteria (tetanus) or parasites, but also by autoimmune diseases such as myasthenia gravis. In this case, the muscle tires very quickly and no longer has full strength. Non-inflammatory muscle diseases are also possible.

This includes muscular dystrophy, for example. But also metabolic disorders, such as hypothyroidism, are conceivable. Furthermore, diseases of the nervous system can lead to muscle pain.

These include Parkinson’s disease, ALS, multiple sclerosis or polio. Some drugs can also trigger muscle pain, including statins (especially during physical activity), penicillins (muscle weakness, cramps, pain) and alcohol (death of muscle cells). Basically, it can be said that the pain is harmless if it lasts only a short time and disappears by itself. If they last for several weeks, a doctor should be consulted.

Stretching of the arm musculature

In the following, various stretching exercises are described that can be done anywhere. The first four exercises are for the shoulder and arm muscles. For the first exercise you stand (or sit) a little wider than hip-wide.

The left arm is stretched upwards and bent behind the head. Now grab the left wrist with the right hand behind the neck and pull it to the right side until it pulls in the left shoulder and upper arm. Then repeat the whole procedure for the right side.

In the next exercise you stand (or sit) exactly the same way as in the previous one. The left arm is stretched upwards again and then bent behind the head again. Now pull the left elbow to the right with your right hand until the shoulder and upper arm are pulled again.

Now repeat for the other side. In the third exercise the starting position is again the same. But now the left arm is stretched to the right in front of the body and the left hand is placed on the right shoulder.

Now put the right hand around the left elbow and pull it to the right until there is a pull in the left shoulder. Then repeat for the right side. In the fourth exercise the legs are again in the same position, the left arm is again stretched upwards as in the beginning and is bent behind the head again.

Now grab the left elbow with your right hand and push it down backwards until it pulls in the left upper arm. Then change sides. In the last exercise the forearm muscles are stretched.

For this the legs again a little more than hip-wide apart. Then stretch the left arm forward, palm down. Then stretch the hand upwards.

Now pull your fingers gently towards your chest with your right hand and then repeat on the other side. The training of the upper arm muscles is especially popular among male gym visitors. While the front (ventral) side of the musculature (biceps, arm flexor, upper arm spoke muscle) is trained in a targeted manner, the back (dorsal) side develops secondarily when bench pressing and neck pressing.

The arm extensor (M. triceps brachii) is particularly important in many sports movements. Probably the best known arm muscle training is the biceps training. For this you can stand upright, with your arms at your sides and a dumbbell in each hand.

Now both arms are bent forward and upwards at the same time until it is no longer possible. This is then repeated as often as desired. This trains the biceps.

Alternatively, you can stand on a Thera-band as wide as your hips and hold the ends of the band in one hand and the other. The band should already be slightly tensed when the arms are stretched sideways and downwards. Now bend both arms again until it is no longer possible and pull the band slowly upwards, then stretch the arm again and repeat.

For the triceps you can sit on a stool, for example, with your knees hip-wide apart and your back straight. Then take a dumbbell with both hands and hold it behind your head. The arms are bent at a right angle and the upper arms are next to the ears.

Now move the dumbbell slowly over the head with the arms stretched. Repeat this as often as you like. Alternatively you can use a Thera-band again to help.

Stand on the Thera-Band, your knees slightly bent. With your hands you take one end of the band and pull it up with both arms at the same time. The arms are first held to the side of the body, then bent to the side.

Now the elbows are pulled up behind both ears and then the arms are stretched upwards behind the head. Thereby the band is always pulled upwards. This can be repeated as often as desired.

For the forearm muscle training you can sit down with the knees hip-wide apart. Now take a barbell or two dumbbells in your hands. The upper body is slightly bent forward, the back remains straight.

The forearms are placed on the knees, the palms of the hands point upwards. Now stretch the hands with the dumbbells and then bend them slowly towards the body. Do this exercise slowly and repeat as often as you like.