FAQs on Arm Pain:

What are the Common Causes of Arm Pain?

The most common sources of arm pain involve muscle sprains, strains, and tears, for which you may feel immediate discomfort. These other underlying condition may also cause or worsen arm pain:

• Brachial Injury. The brachial plexus is a network of nerves stretching from the spine all the way the hand. Pain develops if these nerves are injured or damaged.
• Broken Bones. This common injury is often a result of an accident, falls, or athletic competition.
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. This is a painful condition resulting from the compression of the important carpal nerve in the wrist.
• Intersection Syndrome. This is a painful condition of the forearm and wrist. It affects people who do repeated wrist actions.
• Tendonitis. An inflammation or irritation of the tendons, which are thick, fibrous cords that attach bone to muscle and allow you to move your limbs.
• Bursitis. A condition that results from an inflammation of the bursa, the fluid-filled sacs that counter joint friction and help tendons and bone move smoothly.
• Nerve Damage. A herniated disc causes pain to radiate into the arms.

Is Arm Pain a Sign of Heart Problem?

Most arm pain is an inconvenience rather than an emergency. However, you should take quick action if your arm pain is accompanied by a feeling of discomfort pressure, or squeezing in the chest. Left arm pain is a symptom of a heart attack (in men more so than women). You may also experience arm pain without a chest pain; this may seem strange as the arm muscle is not being damaged. Because the nerves stemming from the heart and the arm send the same signal to the brain cells, the brain can become confused about the source of the pain. This phenomenon is called referred pain. 

When to Seek Our Help if you have pain in your arms?

If you are feeling a sharp pain on your left arm, accompanied by breathing difficulty, call 9-1-1. In other cases, you can seek our help for the following situations:

• If you feel pain in your arm during or following exercise or exertion, and this pain goes away when you rest.
• If you experience sudden severe pain caused by an injury, especially if you heard a cracking or snapping sound at the time
• If your arm pain continues for a week or so and doesn’t seem to be getting any better.
• If you notice unusual swelling. 

We have advanced ultrasound-guided needle injections that address localized soft tissue and joint restrictions in the arm to ensure the surrounding muscle is firing appropriately.

For more information on arm pain and how we can help you alleviate it, call us at (717) 652-5550 or book an appointment online.