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Poor pain causes and therapy
contents
- Pain in the arm: definition and symptoms
- Causes of arm pain in the upper arm
- Arm pain on the left can be a warning sign of a heart attack
- Pain in the forearm
- Diagnosis of aching arms
- Treatment for arm pain
- Naturopathy with pain in the arm
Pain relievers in the arm can cause various diseases and injuries of the bones, joints, muscles and tendons such as sore muscles, bruises, fractures, rheumatism or osteoporosis. Basically, pain in the arm should always be clarified by a doctor, as they may also indicate a creeping joint wear (osteoarthritis) or even a heart attack. The treatment depends on the cause and can therefore be very different. In sports injuries or congestion-related pain ("tennis elbow"), e.g. Often, an ointment bandage can help, but bottleneck syndrome and complicated fractures require surgery in most cases.
Arm pain and the multiple causes. Picture: SENTELLO - fotolia Pain in the arm: definition and symptoms
Arm pain usually refers to all the pain that occurs in the upper limb. The arm consists of the humerus, the ulna, the radius and the elbow joint, as well as numerous muscles, ligaments, tendons, nerves and blood vessels. The ulna and the spokes are hinged to the elbow and wrist. The humerus is connected to the forearm via the elbow joint and to the shoulder girdle or trunk via the shoulder joint.
The pain in the arms can be both sudden (acute) and chronic, and can be perceived as pulling, biting, dull, oppressive, or stabbing, for example. Depending on the cause, an inflammatory swelling or overheating at the affected area as well as a limited mobility, emotional disorders (tingling, ants running, etc.) or paralysis symptoms are possible.
Causes of arm pain in the upper arm
Upper arm pain occurs in the area between the shoulder joint and elbow, but radiating shoulder or elbow pain can be perceived as such. Often the symptoms associated with neck pain and tension, even a stiff neck may be accompanied by pulling pain in the upper arm.
Cause are often injuries due to external trauma (trauma injuries) such. Bruises, bruises, torn muscle fibers, strains or fractures resulting from an accident, fall or hard impact. In most cases, the pain is perceived as stinging, burning or boring, in addition to a clearly recognizable, reddish swelling in the affected area and a hematoma ("bruise"), which depending on the severity of the injury to large parts of the upper arm can spread.
Pain and movement restrictions in the upper arm can be caused by impairments of the muscles, surrounding connective tissue structures, blood vessels and nerves. These are often congestion-related and arise as a result of years of continuous, always the same movements, which in combination with unfavorable strength and posture requirements damage the tissue. Especially people who work for hours on the PC every day, are often affected by the so-called "mouse arm" (medical: Repetitive Strain Injury, short: RSI), also harbors, for example. working on the assembly line is an increased risk. In addition to the pain, the tissue damage often leads to restricted mobility, loss of strength in the affected arm, numbness as well as discomfort or a repeated falling asleep of the hands.
Excessive strength in martial arts may result in muscle-related pain, as well as prolonged immobilization of the arm (e.g., in plaster) causing discomfort in the upper arm. If the pain radiates over a large area, a nerve may be pinched. This is a compression (compression) of the nerve fibers, which often occurs only in certain movements, causing affected persons, e.g. only have pain in the arm lift. In more rare cases, however, a permanent compression may be present, as a result of which the affected person permanently feels pain even when at rest.
The pain in the upper part of the arm can also be caused by a benign tumor of the cells of the fatty tissue (medical "lipoma"). Lipomas lie in most cases directly under the skin and are therefore visible from the outside as a small Knubbel or palpable. Rarely can a benign soft tissue tumor also be deeper and e.g. grow in the musculature, whereby it often remains undetected at first. Nevertheless, lipomas remain harmless in general, only in very rare cases develops from these a malignant tumor.
Other possible causes include e.g. rheumatic diseases, osteoarthritis or tendonitis (tendovaginitis). Also, osteoporosis, bursitis, skin diseases (such as psoriasis), circulatory disorders, a blood clot or the so-called "carpal tunnel syndrome" may be the trigger for the symptoms.
Arm pain on the left can be a warning sign of a heart attack
In addition to the functional causes, organic diseases can also be responsible. Especially in the elderly should be thought of sudden onset of severe pain in the (left) arm always to a heart attack. For not every infarct is the patient extremely bad, sometimes even occur only minor complaints. However, alarm signals are always severe chest pain lasting for more than five minutes, which can radiate into the left arm or both arms, neck, jaw, shoulder or upper abdomen, as well as a massive tightness in the chest, shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting. In addition, there are a number of other important warning signs such. Facial paleness, cold sweat, dizziness, weakness and inner restlessness. Since a heart attack is an absolute medical emergency, suspicion should not hesitate, but always call the emergency doctor immediately.
Pain in the forearm
If the pain in the forearm, many different causes such as bone and joint complaints, muscular problems, nerve irritation or circulatory disorders come into question. Often there is an overload of the musculature, tendons and ligaments, which usually results from poor posture (for example, when doing housework, when sleeping), faulty sports techniques or ergonomically unfavorable workplaces. Even professions such as hairdressers or bakers are associated with an increased risk of overload-related arm pain, as the wrists and forearms are repeatedly exposed to uniform, mechanical stress. A common consequence is painful inflammation of the tendons (tendinitis) or the tendon sheaths (tendovaginitis), as well as the overload-related irritations and changes in the forearm and elbow can cause a so-called "tennis elbow", "mouse arm" or more rarely a "golfer's elbow" develop.
Another possible cause is a nerve compression or a pinched nerve. This may affect, among other things, the nervus ulnaris, one of the most important nerves of the arm, e.g. allows the flexion of fingers and wrists. The ulnar nerve runs on the inside of the elbow through the so-called "cubital tunnel" (lat. Cubitus = elbow), a narrow channel which lies between a bone groove (ulnar sulcus), a collateral ligament and a dense tendon plate (aponeurosis). If there is an additional constriction in this narrow tunnel, the nerve is irritated and there are significant complaints such. Arm pain, functional impairment and sensory disturbances of the hand. This so-called "cubital tunnel syndrome" is usually caused by direct damage such as A fracture causes, but are also possible inter alia, chronic pressure damage (eg., By permanent support of the elbow), bony changes or local growths of the nerve tissue.
Severe pains in the forearm also occur with bruises or fractures, often resulting from an accident or fall. A forearm fracture, where in most cases the radius (radius) breaks, is e.g. often a fall on the outstretched hand ahead. Because at this moment a large part of the body weight acts on the forearm bones, which, however, can not withstand the load and finally break. This is particularly often the case with children, but the reduced bone stability in the case of falls also causes the spoke to break more quickly in older people. An osteoporosis (bone loss), which brings together weak bones and an increased tendency to fall, additionally increases the risk of fractures and associated pain. Also, arrhythmia and circulatory disorders in the brain may favor falls and bone fractures, as dizziness, drowsiness or even unconsciousness is more common in these cases.
Also rheumatic diseases, (contaminated) wounds or injuries in the area of the hands, neck and shoulders, a herniated disc in the neck or a carpal tunnel syndrome come as a cause into consideration. Similarly, in the context of infections such as e.g. a common cold or flu often causes body aches. Also conceivable is the so-called "cervical spondylosis". This is an arthrosis of the vertebral joints on the cervical spine, which often causes a stiff neck and pain in the area at the beginning. These can, depending on the severity and localization of the signs of wear, radiate into the back of the head, shoulders, face, arms and hands. Patients often feel slight numbness or a tingling sensation in their arms, as well as dizziness, balance disorders and weakness.
Diagnosis of aching arms
Patients with pain in the arm should be very attentive and, above all, always consult a doctor as a precautionary measure in the case of sudden, pronounced, prolonged or recurring symptoms. Harmless pain in the arm, as often happens, for example. After carrying heavy loads or unfamiliar movements (when renovating, crafting, etc.) arise, however, disappear in most cases by itself once you have treated the arm a little protection.
The physician often already receives important information on the cause of the arm pain via a detailed medical history (previous illnesses, physical exertion, etc.) and the clarification of the symptoms by palpation of the affected areas. Questions like "Where exactly does it hurt?", "How does the pain feel? Burning, boring or rather pulling? "And" In what situations does he appear? "Help the physician to get a full picture and should therefore be answered as precisely as possible by the patient. For support or in case of doubt, imaging techniques such as X-rays, ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging are used.
Diagnosis and therapy for pain in the arm. Picture: contrast workshop - fotolia Treatment for arm pain
The treatment depends on the particular cause and can accordingly comprise very different measures from case to case. Functional ailments such as muscle aches, tension or nerve compression can often be alleviated by medical massages in conjunction with physiotherapy exercises, in part, the acupuncture can provide another valuable supplement. In addition, to treat the acute symptoms, anti-inflammatory analgesics, e.g. Ibuprofen or Diclofenac are used.
If the pain is due to a fracture, the arm is e.g. Normally, in the case of unshielded, isolated elbow or spokes shaft ruptures or forearm fractures in children, it should first be immobilized using a plaster splint, followed by a closed plaster cast. On the other hand, open, slow-healing or displaced fractures usually require surgery to re-direct the bones and provide long-term stabilization of the arm.
In the case of tendonitis, it is above all important to immobilize and protect the affected area, for which the use of bandages or support bandages is advisable. In case of simultaneous swelling and redness, cooling pads are a good help, and if necessary painkillers and anti-inflammatory creams or tablets can alleviate the symptoms.
For bottleneck syndromes, e.g. The carpal tunnel syndrome, the discomfort at the beginning of the disease can often be alleviated with special wrist splints or anti-inflammatory cortisone. In the advanced stage as well as with lasting complaints however usually a surgical intervention takes place, with which the damaged structures are relieved.
If the doctor has diagnosed a so-called "tennis or mouse arm" or golfer's elbow, in addition to analgesics, it is also normally first non-surgical to take measures such as. Ointment dressings, cold and heat treatments, stretching exercises, massages or electromechanical stimulation used. Aid can also provide a special bandage, but operations are only needed in very rare cases. Those who suffer from arm pain as a result of constant overloading, poor posture, etc., should also bear in mind that for a long-term improvement, the change in the triggering circumstances must be made. This means e.g. a corresponding transformation of the workplace from an ergonomic point of view (correct adjustment of screen height, palm rest, special mouse, etc.) as well as a general avoidance of unfavorable, monotonous postures and movements.
Naturopathy with pain in the arm
Pain relief also offers a range of natural remedies and alternative treatments. Has proven itself, for example, herbal medicine, because Arnica or combination preparations of essential oils such as bergamot or lavender oil can help alleviate severe pain. If the pain is due to an overloaded, tense musculature, various homeopathic remedies have been proven, which contribute to the relaxation of the muscles. If the symptoms get worse, for example through exercise, Bryonia can help. On the other hand, Rhus Toxicodendron is particularly well-suited for muscle pain, especially at night or at rest.
Kicking in the context of a cold or similar In addition to a general feeling of sickness and exhaustion and body aches, the use of Eupatorium perfoliatum may be useful. If the cause of arm pain is a previous injury (such as bruising, straining, beating), naturopathy often recommends Arnica and Hamamelis, which are used externally as ointments and internally as globules. If the muscle pains are felt in the whole arm and worsen with movement, the "Knollige Rahnfuß" (Ranunculus bulbosus) has proven itself. On the other hand, if physical activity helps and the symptoms become more pronounced, rhododendrone may be the drug of choice.
Schüssler salts as a supportive therapy. Image: Gerhard Seybert - fotolia In addition, Schüssler salts can be an effective support for pain in the arms. Here, among other things, the salt No. 1 (Calcium Fluoratum) comes into question, which is responsible for the elasticity of the tissue and can accordingly solve tensions and tension. If there are numbness or abnormal sensations (tingling, running of ants, furry, etc.) in the arms parallel to the pain, the salt no. 2 (Calcium Phosphoricum) may be indicated to relieve the nerves, tendons and muscle strands.
Salt pain # 3 (Ferrum Phosphoricum) can help with arm pain as a result of acute injuries such as bruising, bruising or sprain, and if broken, Schüssler's salt No. 2 (Calcium Phosphoricum) will naturally help bones to grow together. If the arm is injured as a result of inflammation, Ferrum Phosphoricum has also been proven in the initial stages, but potassium chloratum (acute stage) and potassium sulfuricum (healing process) are more suitable in the further stages..
If the pain in the arm is due to tension, massages or the so-called "Progressive Muscle Relaxation" can also help. In addition, acupuncture is often used to relieve the pain and inflammation in the case of overload diseases such as the tennis elbow or golfer's elbow. However, a prerequisite for sustained treatment success here is that, in parallel, the pain-causing conditions be changed by e.g. For the time being skipped the tennis game or the PC workstation is redesigned according to ergonomic criteria. (No)