Introduction
There are various reasons for pain in the left forearm, but the most common cause is incorrect loading or overloading of the muscles. This is particularly common in people who are active in crafts or sports, for example, and in whom the forearm muscles are particularly active, which in turn can restrict them. The pain tends to occur where muscles are more active, i.e. on the left side in left-handed people.
A successful therapy is achieved through correct diagnosis and following the therapy plan, such as consistent protection of the extremity. In some cases, the pain may radiate from the shoulder joint or cervical spine, in rare cases even from internal organs such as the heart. Rheumatic diseases should also be taken into consideration.
Overview of possible diseases
The most frequent illnesses are stress related. These are more likely to be found in left-handed people on the left forearm. Overloading can cause tendovaginitis (tendovaginitis).
The tendon sheath is a sheath that surrounds the tendon like a tube and protects it from mechanical injuries. However, under mechanical overload, such as excessive and unaccustomed practice of certain sports or the constant use of certain tools, this protective system cannot function properly in the long term, so that inflammation of the tendon sheath can occur. Pain in the forearm occurs during movement and local swelling and redness may also occur.
By the way, excessive use of smartphones or console games can also lead to inflammation of the first tendon compartment on the thumb, also known as the SMS thumb. Other possible diseases are tennis and golf elbow and bursitis olecrani. These are discussed in more detail in the section on pain in the elbow (see below).
At an advanced age, another form of disease can occur, arthrosis. It is a wear-related wear of the joint surfaces, which causes pain. This also causes swelling and joint stiffness.
Arthrosis is promoted by excessive intensive stress on one or more joints, poor posture or incompletely healed bone fractures. It can also lead to chronic inflammatory joint diseases, the so-called arthritis, which theoretically can occur in any joint and can also cause pain in the forearm. If the pain in the left forearm is caused by great violence and force, the examination should first rule out a fracture of the ulna or radius.
Since a fracture is accompanied by severe pain, bruising, restricted movement and swelling, it is very likely to occur if the pain is sudden. If a fracture is suspected, an x-ray of the forearm must be taken promptly, on which fractures can be detected relatively quickly. The most common fracture is a fracture of the radius close to the wrist, which is caused by a fall on the outstretched hand.
The fracture of the spoke close to the elbow, on the other hand, is caused by a fall on the elbow. This is where the radial head fractures, hence radius head fracture, which is involved in the formation of the elbow joint. Fractures in the middle part of the forearm, on the other hand, occur much less frequently, since a massive violent impact on the middle part of the forearm is necessary for this.
A fracture in the middle forearm, for example, is the so-called parry fracture, where the ulna and radius are usually involved simultaneously. It is a defensive injury and often occurs when the forearm is hit by a baseball bat, for example. Other injuries that can cause pain in the left forearm are strains of the forearm muscles, contusions, sprains. Due to the course of the accident, the type and occurrence of the pain, a doctor can often already make the correct diagnosis and draw up a suitable therapy plan. If pain radiates from the chest into the left arm, a heart attack should also be considered, especially if other symptoms are associated with it.
