Definition
The term “upper arm pain” (pain in the upper arm) summarizes all painful complaints that occur in the area between the shoulder and elbow joint. Pain that is directly observed in the elbow or shoulder joint is not normally considered to be typical upper arm pain. Nevertheless, joint diseases can lead to pain radiation and thus to the development of pain in the upper arm.
Introduction
Pain that occurs directly on the upper arm is basically not uncommon. However, due to their localization, they can become a massive burden for the affected patients. Even with simple everyday tasks, such as brushing teeth or getting dressed, the pain on the upper arm can increase significantly in intensity.
Depending on the cause of the disease and the intensity of the complaints perceived by the affected person, individual activities can be performed only to a limited extent or not at all. The causes for the development of pain in the upper arm can be very diverse. Above all, muscular diseases, overstraining of tendons and joint diseases often lead to severe pain in the upper arm.
The most common cause of pain in the upper arm is an impairment of the deltoid muscle (Musculus deltoideus) or the connective tissue covering the muscle. The main task of the deltoid muscle is to spread and lift the arm sideways. When the arm is moved forward, the front part of the muscle is mainly stressed.
The rear muscle area causes the arm to return when tensed. Although pain in the upper arm is generally very common, certain population groups have a significantly increased risk of developing pain in the upper arm. In particular, people who often put a lot of strain on the muscles of the upper arm tend to suffer from pain.
In this context, extensive muscle training (bodybuilding) and sports such as tennis or squash play a decisive role. In addition, people who regularly carry out work above their head belong to the groups of people who are particularly at risk for upper arm pain. You can find additional information here: Pain in the right arm
