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Arm pain
By Mayo Clinic staffOriginal Article: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/arm-pain/MY00114
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Definition
Arm pain usually refers to pain originating from somewhere between your shoulder and your wrist. However, arm pain doesn't have to originate in your arm; spinal problems or injuries can cause pain that you feel in your arm but that actually arises in your neck and upper back. Pain that radiates into your left arm can even be a sign of a heart attack.
Your arms are made up of three major bones and nerves as well as muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints. All are susceptible to damage or injury that can cause arm pain.
Often, arm pain is fairly minor, but some fractures and nerve problems can cause severe pain and may require extensive medical care. Other types of arm pain usually respond well to home treatments.
Causes
Most arm pain results from an injury in an accident or fall. Older adults with fragile bones, active children and people who participate in contact or adventure sports are especially vulnerable. Repetitive stress injuries can also cause pain in your upper arms and wrists. So can damage to the brachial plexus — the network of nerves in your neck and shoulder that carry signals between your spinal cord and arms.
Common causes of arm pain include:
- Brachial plexus injury
- Broken arm
- Broken wrist/broken hand
- Bursitis
- Cancer (malignancy), primary or metastatic
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- De Quervain's tenosynovitis
- Herniated disk
- Rotator cuff injury
- Sprains and strains
- Tendinitis
- Tennis elbow
- Thoracic outlet syndrome
- Ulnar nerve entrapment
When to see a doctor
Self-care
Even serious arm injuries can be helped initially with home treatment. If you think that you have a broken arm or wrist, apply ice packs to the affected area and use a sling to help hold your arm still until you can get medical care.
If you have a compressed nerve or repetitive strain injury, be consistent about therapy; maintain good posture; and take frequent breaks at work and during repetitive activities, such as playing an instrument or practicing your golf swing.
Most other types of arm pain will get better on their own, especially if you start R.I.C.E. measures within 48 hours of your injury.
- Rest. Take a break from your normal activities.
- Ice. Place an ice pack or bag of frozen peas on the sore area for 15 to 20 minutes three times a day.
- Compression. Use a compression bandage to reduce swelling.
- Elevation. If possible, elevate your arm to help reduce swelling.
Schedule an office visit if you have:
- Arm pain that doesn't improve after several days of home care
- Increasing redness, swelling or pain in the injured area
- A brachial plexus injury that hasn't improved
See your doctor right away if you have:
- Arm, shoulder or back pain that occurs with any sort of exertion and is relieved by rest (this may signal heart disease or angina — chest discomfort caused by reduced blood flow to your heart muscle)
- A sudden injury to your arm, particularly if you hear a snap or cracking sound
- Severe pain and swelling in your arm
- Trouble moving your arm normally or turning your arm from palm up to palm down and vice versa
Seek emergency treatment if you have:
- Arm, shoulder or back pain that comes on suddenly, is unusually severe, or is accompanied by pressure, fullness or squeezing in your chest (this may signal a heart attack)
- An obvious deformity or protruding bone in your arm or wrist, especially if you have bleeding or other injuries
- Tendonitis of the long head of the biceps. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00026. Accessed July 23, 2010.
- Broken arm. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00078. Accessed July 23, 2010.
- Ulnar nerve entrapment. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00069. Accessed July 23, 2010.
- Burners and stingers. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00027. Accessed July 23, 2010.
- Ropper AH, et al. Pain in the back, neck, and extremities. In: Ropper AH, et al. Adams & Victor's Principles of Neurology. 9th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2009. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aid=3631240. Accessed July 23, 2010.
- Sprains and strains. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Sprains_Strains/default.asp. Accessed July 23, 2010.
- McInnis K. Repetitive strain injuries. In: Frontera WR, et al. Essentials of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Musculoskeletal Disorders, Pain, and Rehabilitation. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/211230325-3/0/1678/108.html?tocnode=55149030&fromURL=108.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4007-1..50099-7_1593. Accessed July 23, 2010.
- Thoracic outlet syndrome information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/thoracic/thoracic.htm. Accessed July 23, 2010.
- Brachial plexus injuries information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/brachial_plexus/brachial_plexus.htm. Accessed July 23, 2010.
- Robinson J, et al. Clinical features and diagnosis of cervical radiculopathy. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 23, 2010.
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