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Upper arm pain - upper arm pain
contents
- definition
- symptoms
- Causes of upper arm pain
- Pain from fractures and bruises
- Muscular causes of upper arm pain
- Cause pinched nerve
- Organic causes of upper arm pain
- diagnosis
- Treatment for upper arm pain
- Naturopathy for upper arm pain
definition
Upper arm pain refers to all painful complaints in the area between shoulder joint and elbow. Elbow pain and pain in the shoulder joint are therefore usually not directly attributable to the upper arm discomfort, but may well radiate into the upper arm.
Pain in the upper arm can occur in varying degrees and in severe cases even small movements can be agony. (Image: pathdoc / fotolia.com) symptoms
The upper arm complaints are usually perceived as pulling pain along individual muscles, fascia or nerves during certain movements. Many sufferers feel this in overhead movements such. putting on a pullover or blow-drying your hair. Unilateral stress, such as carrying a bag, may also be associated with pulling upper arm pain.
Sometimes the symptoms show up during the night. Mostly, sleeping in a lateral position is the trigger for the pain, which not infrequently wakes the patient out of sleep. Lack of sleep and chronic fatigue can be the result.
Often, the painful withdrawal from the tendon of the supraspinatus tendon on the humeral bone or the approach of the biceps brachii muscle on the scapula extends from here to the upper arm area. In addition to the pulling, rather flat pain can also occur piercing, punctually localized pain in the upper arm. These are more common on the back of the upper arm, for example in the area of the triceps (triceps brachii muscle).
If there are impairments of the nerves or nerve tracts, not only individual muscles but whole muscle groups in the supply area of the nerves may be affected by the complaints. In such cases, sensory disturbances often occur as concomitant symptoms. These include, among other things, tingling in the limbs or repeated falling asleep of the hands.
Upper arm jokes are often associated with further discomfort in the shoulder, neck and neck area. These include, inter alia, scapular pain and neck tension, as well as a stiff neck or stiff neck can be accompanied by pulling pain into the upper arm.
Causes of upper arm pain
Basically pain sensations in the upper arm can be caused by impairments of the muscles, the surrounding connective tissue structures, the nerves, the blood vessels and the bone substance. Most of them go back to functional causes, but in rare cases they can also have an organic cause.
Pain in the upper arm, swelling and redness can be caused by traumatic injuries such as a bruise or a fracture. (Image: bertys30 / fotolia.com) Pain from fractures and bruises
If the upper arm pain is based on injuries caused by external trauma (trauma injuries), such as bruising, bruising or fractures, those affected by the cause of the symptoms (accident, fall or similar) are generally aware and seek medical advice. This determines whether there is actually a fracture of the upper arm and what further measures are to be taken.
Accompanying the trauma injuries usually shows a significant swelling or bruise (hematoma), which can extend to the shoulder joint and elbow.
Muscular causes of upper arm pain
Impairment of the muscles and nerves, which can lead to arm pain in the upper extremity, are often due to repeated stress. Examples are an unfavorable posture when working on the PC or certain activities of assembly line production. Due to the wrong load, individual muscles or muscle groups begin to harden painfully. The muscle tone is permanently increased and the tense muscles press on the surrounding connective tissue structures, blood vessels and nerve tracts.
In addition to the symptoms that are felt directly in the area of the affected muscles, pain in the supply area of possibly pinched nerves and blood vessels can also occur.
Strength training or bodybuilding is also a potential trigger for muscular pain in the upper arm. In addition, a torn muscle fiber in the biceps, which may be associated with bleeding into the tissue, pain in the upper arm, and restricted mobility, may occasionally appear under stress.
A torn muscle can theoretically also affect the triceps and cause the symptoms in this way. However, this is rare and usually only in extreme load or overload.
If the muscles in the upper arm are e.g. Overloaded by strength training, this can cause severe pain. (Image: artstudio_pro / fotolia.com) Cause pinched nerve
For large-area upper arm pain may be a nerve trapped. This so-called "nerve compression" more frequently affects certain nerves of the brachial plexus (nerve plexus in the shoulder area), such as the axial nerve (axillary nerve).
All painful impairments of the brachial plexus are summarized in the medical community under the generic term "brachialgia". The compression of the nerves often occurs only in certain movements, so that sufferers, for example, suffer from pain when lifting arms. Likewise, a permanent nerve compression may be present at rest, in which the affected feel persistent symptoms in the upper arm.
Organic causes of upper arm pain
In connection with the possible causes of the complaints, organic diseases should also be considered. Here is in the first place to call a heart attack. If concomitant to the upper arm pain further symptoms such as severe chest pain or heart pain, tightness in the chest, shortness of breath, abdominal pain (especially in the upper abdomen), nausea and vomiting on, immediately an emergency doctor should be consulted.
Occasionally, so-called lipomas (benign tumors of the cells of the fatty tissue) are the cause of the complaints. These are not uncommonly visible externally as a bump on the skin, but can also lie deeper and initially remain unrecognizable. Depending on the location of the lipoma different complaints are possible.
Other possible causes include impairments to the blood vessels. These include, for example, thrombosis or inflammation of the superficial arm veins (thrombophlebitis). The affected veins appear to be painful pressure sensitive, reddened and hardened in a thrombophlebitis.
diagnosis
Based on the description of the symptoms are usually already first indications of the cause of the complaints. A physical examination with palpation of the arm, shoulder and neck area can provide further important clues.
In case of doubt, an examination by means of imaging techniques is required to ensure the diagnosis. For example, thrombophlebitis can be clearly detected by ultrasound (sonography). Fractures are visible on x-rays and tumors can be detected by magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography. If a heart attack is suspected, an electrocardiogram (ECG) is usually performed to confirm the diagnosis.
If muscular problems are the cause of the discomfort, physiotherapy can often bring about a quick relief. (Picture: Picture-Factory / fotolia.com) Treatment for upper arm pain
If functional causes such as muscular discomfort or nerve compression are present, a combination of medical massages, physiotherapy and possibly supplementary acupuncture usually relieves the symptoms within a relatively short time. Pain relievers may be used concomitantly to relieve patients of the acute pain.
If the humerus is broken, it requires first a complete immobilization or fixation. Normally, the bone fracture heals by itself over time. Complicated fractures may require surgery to re-direct the bone.
If thrombophlebitis is the trigger, it is usually treated with anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory drugs. Sometimes it also requires a surgical procedure. This can remove existing blood clots or whole sections of the affected vein. Tumors such as lipomas are also usually surgically eliminated.
Naturopathy for upper arm pain
With the manual therapies, such as osteopathy, chiropractic and Rolfing, naturopathy offers extremely promising treatment approaches for functional-related upper arm pain. Tense muscles are loosened, blockages released, pinched nerves released from pressure.
This also includes complaints that are initially not obvious in connection with the upper arm pain, but still provide evidence of an unfavorable stress distribution in the organism. These include, for example, back pain, groin pain or hip pain.
In addition, alternative medicine uses functional homeopathic remedies for various homeopathic remedies that should have a positive effect on the muscles. For example, Arnica, Bryonia and Calendula are used to treat muscle strain and torn muscle fibers.
Naturopathy offers salts to support the treatment of muscular pain in the upper arm Schüssler. (Image: Gerhard Seybert / fotolia.com) The so-called Schüssler salts are mainly used for muscular pain in the upper arm. Salt 7 (Magnesium Phosphoricum) is usually recommended here, as it relaxes the muscles and thus relieves the pain.
If it is suspected that there is a connection between the muscle aches and the acid-base balance or a possible hyperacidity, the naturopathic therapy tries to compensate. Above all, a healthy, varied diet plays an important role. Finished products and acid suppliers such as sugar, white flour, dairy products and meat should be avoided as much as possible and instead basic foods (fruits, vegetables, herbs etc.) should be consumed instead.
While manual methods can be considered as a substitute for conventional treatment, homeopathic remedies, Schuessler salts and balancing the acid-base balance should only be considered as adjunctive therapies. (fp, nr, last updated on 23.12.2016)
