Upper Arm Pain - What Do I Have?
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 observed directly in the elbow or shoulder joint is usually not a typical upper arm pain. Nevertheless, joint diseases can lead to a radiation of pain and thus to the development of pain in the upper arm.
introduction
Pain that occurs directly on the upper arm is basically not uncommon. Nevertheless, due to the localization, it can become a massive burden for the affected patient. Even with simple everyday tasks, for example when brushing your teeth or getting dressed, the pain in the upper arm can increase significantly in intensity. Depending on the causative illness and the intensity of the symptoms perceived by the person concerned, individual activities can only be carried out to a limited extent or not at all.
The causes for the development of pain in the upper arm can be very diverse. Muscular diseases, overloading of the tendons and joint diseases in particular often lead to severe pain in the upper arm.
The most common cause of upper arm pain is impairment of the deltoid muscle (Deltoid muscle) or the connective tissue covering the muscle. The main task of the deltoid muscle is to spread the arm and raise it to the side. When moving the arm forward, the front part of the muscle is mainly stressed. The rear muscle area causes the arm to be pulled back when tensed.
Although pain in the upper arm is generally very common, there is a significantly increased risk of developing pain in the upper arm for certain population groups. Above all, people who often put a lot of strain on the muscles of the upper arm tend to suffer pain. In this context, extensive muscle training (bodybuilding) and sports such as tennis or squash play a decisive role. In addition, people who regularly work overhead belong to the groups of people who are particularly at risk for the occurrence of pain in the upper arm.
You can find additional information here: Pain in the right arm
Figure pain in the upper arm
Pain in the upper arm
- Collarbone - Clavicle
- Upper bone muscle -
Muscle supraspinatus
(second layer) - Bursa -
Subacromial bursa - Shoulder joint
- Deltoid -
Deltoid muscle - Two-headed upper arm muscle
(Biceps), long head -
Biceps brachii muscle,
Caput longum - Two-headed upper arm muscle
(Biceps), short head -
Biceps brachii muscle,
Caput breve - Upper arm shaft -
Corpus humeri - Upper arm muscle (arm flexor) -
Brachialis muscle - Upper arm spoke muscle -
Brachioradialis muscle - Elbow joint -
Articulatio cubiti - Spoke shaft -
Corpus radii - Ellschaft -
Corpus ulnae
Causes:
A - shoulder joint arthrosis
B - torn muscle fiber
C - break
D - Impingement Syndrome
You can find an overview of all Dr-Gumpert images at: medical illustrations
Symptoms
Depending on the causal disease, pain in the upper arm can also occur other symptoms accompanied. It is precisely these accompanying symptoms that often enable the possible underlying diseases to be narrowed down. In addition, the pain in the upper arm can vary greatly depending on the underlying disease. In this context, the most important quality (stabbing, burning, dull),the intensity and the exact localization the pain in the upper arm plays a crucial role. Even the presence of one Radiation of pain in neighboring body regions can often help rule out possible causes.
In most cases, upper arm pain is considered to be pulling pain along individual muscles, fascia or Nerve tracts perceived.
In addition, the pain in the upper arm felt by the affected patient can often be provoked by certain movements. Often times, the complaints are with Overhead work (for example putting on a sweater) perceived as particularly pronounced. In addition, many of those affected report that unilateral burdenscarrying a shopping bag, for example, leads to an increase in pain in the upper arm.
Although pain in the upper arm is typically felt during exercise, there are also cases in which the symptoms are already present at rest. Some patients even report that their night's sleep is so impaired by the severe pain in the upper arm that they are under Lack of sleep and chronic fatigue Suffer.
In addition to the sharp pain in the upper arm that is often observed, the symptoms can also take on a pulling, flat or punctiform character. While it typically increases especially on the front of the upper arm extensive complaints punctual pain often occurs on the back of the upper arm.
In addition to the muscular impairments, nerve damage is one of the most common causes of pain in the upper arm. In these cases, they are not just individual muscles, but rather whole muscle groups impaired in the supply area of the affected nerve. Pain in the upper arm caused by nerve damage is usually accompanied by a tingling sensation. In addition, the affected patients report that they repeatedly had the feeling that their hands had fallen asleep.
Pain in the upper arm can also go hand in hand with discomfort shoulder, of Neck and des Neck accompanied.
Shoulder pain when lifting
Pain in the upper arm is often caused by injuries to the shoulder. The pain that occurs in the shoulder and shoulder joint area often radiates further along the upper arm. In addition to harmless causes such as sore muscles or temporary muscle tension, serious injuries and diseases of the shoulder can also be the reason for pain in the upper arm.
First, a division into acute pain and long-term pain makes sense:
- Acute events that lead to shoulder and upper arm pain can be caused by accidents and injuries. It does not always have to be an externally visible injury. A rupture of a muscle or a tendon of the so-called rotator cuff can be responsible for the symptoms after an accident. Typical symptoms often arise from the complete or partial failure of a muscle. In particular, the tendon des Supraspinatus muscle, which forms the upper part of the rotator cuff, is often affected. An orthopedic surgeon can usually make a suspected diagnosis through the physical examination. Injury to the joint itself or a bone involved in the shoulder can also cause acute symptoms.
- Chronic complaints that do not correlate with a specific event are just as diverse. Both degenerative diseases such as osteoarthritis of the shoulder and systemic diseases such as rheumatism can be involved in the development of pain. Inflammatory diseases of the shoulder are also particularly common. Bursitis is particularly common here. Impingement syndrome can also occur if certain structures are trapped in the shoulder. Calcifications of the tendons are also possible causes of the complaints.
In many cases, the pain in the upper arm and shoulder occurs when the arm is raised. Depending on whether the arm can no longer be lifted at all and from what moment the pain begins, different clinical pictures can be possible causes. Especially in the case of impingement syndrome, complaints when lifting the arm are in the foreground. Even if there is a problem with the rotator cuff, it may be that lifting the arm is painful or even impossible.
Pain in the muscles
Pain in the muscles (myalgia) is usually described as "pulling" or "spasmodic" and often manifests itself in everyday life in the form of sore muscles. Classic muscle soreness disappears after a few days, which is why persistent muscle pain has other causes. If the pain appeared for the first time after exercising, it is often a minor muscle strain, i.e. an overstretching of the muscles.
A very strong stretch can also cause muscle injuries from tears. These are called depending on the size of the crack Torn hamstring, Muscle torn or Muscle tear In addition to the typical muscle pain, they are often expressed in the form of bruises, swellings or dents.
If the pain was caused by an accident or some other external impact, muscle contusion or bleeding may have occurred. The blood presses against the muscles, which, however, can hardly be displaced because they are in so-called Fascia is embedded. Since muscles are innervated very sensitively and are therefore very sensitive to pain, Even small amounts of blood are enough to produce classic muscle pain.
Other, less common causes of muscle pain are Inflammation (myositis), or Muscle diseases, like for example Fibromyalgia, Dystrophies or metabolic diseases.
Pain after a fall
Upper arm pain that occurs after a fall can be caused by a variety of different causes. A fall directly on the upper arm is relatively rare. But falls on the elbow or shoulder can also lead to discomfort in the upper arm.
If muscle injuries or tendon ruptures occur as a result of the incident, severe pain usually occurs. In the shoulder area, falls often lead to rotator cuff ruptures, which can explain the pain. Injury to bone or articular cartilage can also lead to severe pain in the area of the affected bone and the upper arm. After a fall and the following pain symptoms, the aching arm and, depending on the location of the pain, the elbow joint and shoulder joint should be X-rayed.Fractures of the upper arm (humerus), collarbone (clavicle) or acromion as well as the forearm bones and the olecranon can be diagnosed with the help of an X-ray. Injuries to soft tissues such as muscles, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels and nerves can be shown with an MRI scan.
Pain on the inside of the upper arm
Pain on the inside of the upper arm is usually of a muscular origin. Pain at this point may be due to sore muscles. If the symptoms occur as part of a sporting activity or sudden movement, it can also be a muscle strain. The muscles on the inside of the upper arm are primarily responsible for bringing the arm closer to the body. Powerful movement of this type can overuse a muscle. A muscle strain is an overstretching of the muscle. Individual muscle fibers are also damaged here. Especially when the pain is acute, the painful area should be spared, cooled and stored up. The creation of a pressure bandage can also make sense. In rare cases, other causes can also lead to the symptoms. A heart attack can cause sudden, very severe, so-called annihilation pain in the upper arm. The skin in the area should also be examined in order to be able to rule out dermatological diseases as the cause.
Pain in the back of the upper arm
Muscles are mainly found in the back of the upper arm. If there are complaints in this area, the focus is therefore on the muscular cause.
A so-called extensor of the arm is located in the rear area of the upper arm: the so-called triceps brachii muscle. Overloading this muscle through excessive training or careless movement can lead to muscle soreness or muscle strain (muscle stretching) and thus to pain. Torn muscle fibers with the development of a bruise, fractures of the humerus or the development of systemic diseases such as osteoporosis are known to be causes of pain on the back of the upper arm. Last but not least, the muscles of the shoulder should also be examined, as the pain there often radiates to the back of the upper arm. Possible diseases include impingement syndrome or a tear in the rotator cuff.
Read a lot more information on this topic under: Pain in the back of the upper arm
Pain in the outer upper arm
Pain localized on the outer upper arm can have a variety of causes.
Read more about this at: Pain in the outer upper arm
Pain in the upper arm and shoulder
Often pain occurs not only on the upper arm, but also on the shoulder. This is mainly due to the fact that many structures of the shoulder "leak" into the upper arm and often radiate pain and can therefore affect several areas at the same time.
In this case, it should be clarified whether the cause is in the upper arm or in the shoulder, as the respective therapy can be very different. In contrast to the upper arm, the shoulder is an extremely complicated joint, which is a challenge even for doctors. The shoulder is encompassed by a wide variety of muscles, ligaments, and tendons that enable the joint to move widely.
The probability that pain develops in the shoulder joint and radiates into the upper arm is therefore much more likely than the other way around. However, especially with traumatic injuries, there is always the possibility that both the upper arm and the shoulder are injured.
Read more on this topic at: Pain in shoulder and arm
While upper arm pain is usually muscle, muscle tendon or bone pain, the joint space, cartilage or a bursa is also often affected on the shoulder.
Read more about this under: Shoulder pain
Pain emanating from tendons
Tendons are the connection between muscles and bones that the muscles attach to. The muscle passes directly into the tendon, which in turn is very firmly fused with the bone and periosteum. Therefore, muscle and tendon pain often occur in combination. When the muscle is stretched, the tendon is automatically stretched with it.
Similar to the musculature, excessive stretching of tendons can lead to strains or tears. However, these are significantly more uncomfortable for tendons, as tendons heal more poorly and pain is therefore prolonged. In adults, however, tendons are more stable than muscles and are therefore less affected.
More often, tendon pain is caused by inflammation of the tendon or the tendon sheath. The tendon sheath encloses the tendon, protects it and reduces its friction. Inflammation of these structures is usually caused by overstimulation or chronic diseases and manifests itself in long-lasting pain, which can severely restrict movement. Tendon or tendon sheath inflammation can be diagnosed by calcifications in the X-ray and should be therapeutically immobilized. This is usually made possible by a corresponding rail.
Nocturnal pain in the upper arm
If pain occurs only or mainly during rest, for example when sitting for a long time or while sleeping, these are also referred to as "rest pain". There are many different causes of pain at rest, ranging from circulatory disorders to rare organic diseases.
Because of the wide range of diagnoses, a doctor should definitely be consulted if the pain persists or occurs frequently. The easiest explanation for pain that occurs at night is poor positioning of the body, or “lying incorrectly”. This can lead to blood vessels becoming trapped, which leads to numbness and tingling, or to tension in the muscles.
In addition to these common causes, chronic diseases such as polyneuropathies, Raynaud's disease or fibromyalgia can also come into question.
causes
Diseases that lead to pain in the upper arm can originate from different structures. In general, upper arm pain can be caused by the impairment of one or more muscles, the connective tissue structures surrounding the muscle, the nerves, the blood vessels and the bone itself. In most of the affected patients, these impairments are purely functional. Organic diseases rarely cause pain in the upper arm.
Dream
Often pain in the upper arm is caused by external violence that leads to bruises, bruises or broken bones. In these cases, the affected patients can usually remember the causal trauma. In the case of trauma-related pain in the upper arm, other symptoms, such as wounds, swellings or bruises, can typically be observed.
Muscle and nerve damage
In addition, impairment of the muscles and nerves is one of the most common causes of upper arm pain. The diseases that are relevant in this context can often be traced back to repeated incorrect loads, postural errors or trauma. Above all, incorrect or excessive stress leads to a significant hardening of the stressed muscles.
In addition, muscle tone (Degree of tension) increase permanently. As a result, the tense muscles begin to push away the surrounding connective tissue, blood vessels and nerve tracts. As a result, those affected usually feel severe pain in the upper arm. Typically, the symptoms mainly occur directly above the affected muscles.
Furthermore, additional complaints can arise in the supply area of the impaired nerve fibers and blood vessels.
In addition, regular strength training represents a significant risk factor for the development of pain in the upper arm. The possible diseases can range from uncomplicated muscle strains to muscle fiber or muscle tears. In addition to the pain, those affected experience bleeding into the tissue and a significant reduction in the range of motion. In most cases, excessive strength training causes bicep injuries. However, the impairment of the triceps can also be the cause of pain in the upper arm.
Widespread pain in the upper arm suggests that a nerve could be pinched. In most cases, such nerve compression affects the axillary great nerve (Axillary nerve). Typically, the pain from nerve compression is mainly associated with certain movements.
Organic diseases
Furthermore, pain in the upper arm can also be caused by organic diseases. A classic example of such a disease is the heart attack (Technical term: myocardial infarction). In addition to the pain in the left upper arm, the affected patients usually feel chest pain, they are cold sweaty and are scared to death. With this constellation of symptoms, an emergency doctor should be alerted urgently.
Read more on the subject at: Pain in the left upper arm
diagnosis
The diagnosis of pain in the upper arm is made in several steps. At the beginning there is a detailed Doctor-patient conversation (anamnese) carried out. During this conversation, the patient concerned is asked to describe the symptoms he has perceived as precisely as possible. In this context, the exact localization, possible radiation of pain and the intensity of the complaints play a decisive role. In addition, possibly existing accompanying symptoms can provide a decisive indication of the underlying disease.
The doctor-patient conversation is followed by one orientational physical examination. The attending physician usually starts the Skin surface the upper arm for possible injuries, swellings and bruises. Then he tries certain pressure points Provoke pain. Finally, functional studies of the Range of motion of the Shoulder joints (always in a mutual comparison) Information about the most likely existing diseases.
If the findings are unclear, various imaging procedures help to secure the diagnosis. Especially the production radiological recordings plays a vital role in diagnosing upper arm pain. In case of doubt, you can also use computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging recordings are made.
therapy
The treatment of pain in the upper arm depends primarily on the underlying disease.
Conventional medicine
If functional causes, for example muscle complaints or nerve compression, are responsible for the development of pain in the upper arm, therapy is carried out with the help of a combination of medical massage and physiotherapy.
In addition, a complementary acupuncture treatment can usually lead to relief of the pain in the upper arm within a short time.
In addition, the relief of acute symptoms can be achieved by taking painkillers orally (Analgesics) respectively. Medicines that contain one of the active ingredients ibuprofen or paracetamol are particularly suitable for treating pain in the upper arm.
Affected patients should note, however, that taking pain relievers does not treat the cause of the pain in the upper arm. For this reason, it is recommended, although the symptoms usually subside quickly, to take care of the upper arm for the time being and not to subject it to high loads.
Fractures (Broken bones) of the upper arm, on the other hand, must be completely immobilized or fixed. In most cases, the fracture that is causing pain in the upper arm will heal easily this way. In some cases, however, the upper arm fracture is so complicated that surgical correction is necessary.
Blood vessel disorders (for example thrombophlebitis), which are accompanied by pain in the upper arm, can be treated by administering anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory drugs. However, depending on the severity of the disease underlying the pain in the upper arm, surgical intervention may also be necessary here. The surgical treatment of vascular diseases in the area of the upper arm primarily includes the removal of blood clots and / or individual vascular sections.
Ulcers (Tumors) that cause pain in the upper arm must also be surgically removed. So-called lipomas are among the most common tumors in the upper arm area.
Homeopathy and naturopathy
In some cases, the underlying diseases that lead to pain in the upper arm can already be treated with homeopathic treatments and / or natural healing methods. Manual treatment measures in particular offer particularly promising approaches in the treatment of pain in the upper arm. In this context, osteopathy, Rolfing and chiropractic play a decisive role. If tense muscles or muscle groups are responsible for the development of pain in the upper arm, the affected muscles can be loosened, blockages removed and pinched nerves relieved of pressure.
The choice of the most suitable therapy method for pain in the upper arm should not only be based on one symptom. In addition to pain in the upper arm, other complaints such as back, loin or hip pain should influence the choice of treatment method.
In addition, various homeopathic preparations are used in naturopathy to treat function-related pain in the upper arm. All of the drugs typically used are said to have a positive influence on the muscles and the connective tissue surrounding the muscles. Especially arnica, bryonia and calendula are among the classic homeopathics for the treatment of functionally-related pain in the upper arm. These medicines are preferably used in patients who have pulled muscles or have torn muscle fibers.
In addition, so-called "Schüssler salts“Help to treat the diseases typical for the occurrence of pain in the upper arm. Since one can generally assume that pronounced disorders of the acid-base balance or a possible over-acidification of the organism is involved in the development of muscle-related pain in the upper arm, compensating for this imbalance can also help to alleviate the symptoms.
Duration
Pain in the upper arm can last very differently depending on the cause. Mostly it is muscle pain due to overstimulation, stretching, or sore muscles. Muscle pain usually disappears after a few days, but can last much longer if the muscles have tears.
Injuries that affect the muscle tendon, such as a Inflammation of the tendon sheath or a tear in the tendon often hurts for several weeks and regenerate very slowly. Therefore, if symptoms persist or worsen, everyone should be examined by a doctor.
If there is a suspicion of a broken bone, an X-ray should always be carried out to rule out the suspicion. Several months pass until a so-called “fracture” is completely healed, but after a few weeks such a fracture is stable enough to be loaded again.
Depending on the cause, the duration of the pain can often be accelerated by conservative therapies. For example, warmth and movement usually help with muscle pain, whereas inflammations, bruises and fractures should be cooled and protected.
