symptoms

Pain in the arm lift - causes, symptoms and treatment

Pain in the arm lift - causes, symptoms and treatment / symptoms

Pain in abduction of the arm

Restrictions and pain in arm lifting are a common complaint that plagues many people early in the morning after getting up. They feel a stabbing pain as soon as they brush off their arms when they brush their teeth or get dressed. The abduction (spread) of the upper arm causes painful discomfort throughout the rest of the day as well.


contents

  • Pain in abduction of the arm
  • A short overview
  • symptoms
  • Wrong breathing
  • posture
  • Pinched nerve
  • Unilateral muscle building
  • Dislocated shoulder joint
  • Shoulder joint osteoarthritis, arthritis, impingement syndrome
  • Neuralgic shoulder amyotrophy
  • Anatomy of the shoulder joint
  • diagnosis
  • treatment
  • Naturopathic treatment approaches

A short overview

Here is a brief overview of the symptoms, the possible causes and treatment options for the pain that arises when lifting the arm:

  • symptoms: Movement pain when lifting arms, decrease in pain when lowering the arm, radiating pain from the shoulder joint into the upper arm, shoulder blade pain, shoulder puncture, restricted mobility.
  • Possible causes: Improper breathing, poor posture, crooked back, pinched nerve, unilateral muscle, dislocated joint, arthrosis, arthritis, neuralgic shoulder amyotrophy, impingement syndrome.
  • diagnosis: Manual examinations, movement tests, imaging techniques such as X-rays, ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
  • therapy: Massage, physiotherapy, analgesics, exercise, stretching and muscle building exercises, in some cases surgery.
  • Naturopathic treatment: Osteopathy, Rolfing, Chiropractic, Acupuncture, Homeopathy, Schüßler salts.
Pain when lifting the arm is often due to impairments in the shoulder area. (Image: master1305 / fotolia.com)

symptoms

Those affected suffer from a spontaneous movement pain when lifting the arm, which in most cases radiates from the shoulder joint to the upper arm. As a rule, the pain goes back with the lowering of the arm, but depending on the causes, they may also last for a longer time. The pain is often associated with increasing restrictions on movement, which sometimes in the further course lead to the affected people can not lift their arms over the head, which brings significant restrictions in everyday life.

Wrong breathing

People who no longer exhale properly due to stress or long-term tobacco use, for example, show a persistent contraction of the pectoralis minor muscle, which also pulls the shoulder joint forward and impairs its ability to move. This so-called ventralization of the shoulder should be mentioned as a possible trigger for pain when lifting the arm. Also, the vessels under the small pectoral muscle may be pinched by its permanent contraction, which can lead to an increase in the symptoms. The forward-pulled shoulders are generally harder to lift and mobility is increasingly limited. Stress relief and smoking give way to relief.

posture

Shoulders that are sunken forward are increasingly being used in connection with modern office work or computer work. For example, many people in PC work tend to approach the monitor with their heads after a certain period of time, as their eyesight diminishes during the day or their eyes tire. The shoulders also involuntarily fall forward. This malposition leads in the long term to shortening of the musculature and corresponding mobility restrictions, which sometimes also cause pain when lifting the arm.

An ergonomically designed office workplace can help prevent postural damage. (Image: heilpraxis.de/Original: Volodymyr / fotolia.com)

Pinched nerve

Due to the ventralization of the shoulder, the external rotators, which have to hold the tension at the back of the back, are subjected to an increased load, which may cause a compression of the nerves running here. This can also lead to pain in abduction of the arm. As a rule, the pain is caused by a compression of the radial nerve or the axillary nerve. If a nerve is trapped here, the pain usually manifests as alleged scapula pain, which extend to the back of the upper arm.

Unilateral muscle building

A malposition of the shoulder with corresponding painful discomfort when lifting arms, can also go back to excessive strength training or bodybuilding. Because many strength athletes tend to train their chest muscles particularly strong while their opponents are neglected. Thus, the disproportionately strong pectoral muscles pull the shoulder forward and cause corresponding pain in abduction of the arm.

Dislocated shoulder joint

The pain during arm lifting can also be caused by acute injuries and illnesses. For example, a dislocated shoulder joint (shoulder luxation) is accompanied by considerable shoulder pain during movement of the arm. If the axillary vessels or nerves are damaged by the dislocated joint, the following concomitant symptoms can be observed:

  • Circulatory disorders of the arm,
  • motor impairments,
  • Discomfort like a tingling sensation in the limbs or arms,
  • increased falling asleep of the hands.
The radiograph shows a dislocated shoulder joint. (Image: rcfotostock / fotolia.com)

Shoulder joint osteoarthritis, arthritis, impingement syndrome

The shoulder joint can also be damaged by arthritis (joint wear), which may be associated with considerable pain during movement. Sufferers feel similar pain in an arthritis in the shoulder joint. Furthermore, the so-called impingement syndrome of the shoulder should be mentioned as a possible cause of the complaints. This describes an entrapment of tissue by the articulating bones during certain movements. If this occurs in the shoulder area, the supraspinatus tendon is usually pinched when lifting the arm, which leads to considerable pain.

Neuralgic shoulder amyotrophy

In rare cases, the so-called neuralgic shoulder amyotrophy is associated with the pain of lifting the arm. This neurological disorder is generally characterized by sudden onset of massive shoulder and upper arm pain. However, the complaints are usually not directly related to the raising of the arm, but movements of the arm are made much more difficult or even impossible by the disease. The complaints can last for several months or even years.

Anatomy of the shoulder joint

The shoulder joint is the most flexible ball joint in the human body. The joint is formed from the socket of the scapula and the humerus. In essence, the stabilization of this highly flexible joint by the surrounding muscles, the so-called rotator cuffs, while the bone construction here leaves a lot of room for maneuver. The rotator cuffs are in turn formed from the infraspinatus muscle, the supraspinatus muscle, the subscapularis muscle and the teres minor muscle. In the anterior shoulder area on the so-called Rabenschnabelertsatz (Coracoid) also sets the small pectoral muscle (Pectoralis minor muscle) on. Its contraction causes the shoulders to be pulled forward. He also helps with inhalation.

An anatomical overview of the muscles associated with the shoulder. (Image: bilderzwerg / fotolia.com)

diagnosis

When determining the causes of the pain when lifting the arm, manual examinations and movement tests usually provide relatively clear indications for the diagnosis. In case of doubt, however, imaging techniques such as X-rays, ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are required to confirm the diagnosis.

treatment

Conventional treatment is usually based on a combination of medical massage and physiotherapy. Accompanying pain relieving medication may be used. With the help of movement, stretching and muscle-building exercises, which can be carried out independently by the patient at home, a recurrence of the symptoms should be permanently avoided.

Therapy of a dislocated shoulder joint

If the shoulder joint is dislocated, the attempt is made as soon as possible to bring this back to the correct position without surgery by mechanical means. This was followed by immobilization or temporary fixation of the shoulder joint. If a closed reduction is not successful, surgery may be required.

Treatment of a shoulder joint arthrosis

Also, a shoulder joint arthrosis may require a surgical procedure in which the shoulder joint is restored. The operation will include stabilization of the existing bone structure (for example, by means of a metal coating), removal of the damaged portion of the humeral head and use of an artificial joint ball, or complete stabilization or renewal of the humeral head and shoulder socket, as needed.

Physiotherapeutic treatments with manual therapy and physiotherapy are often used in arm lifting pain. (Image: contrastwerkstatt / fotolia.com)

Naturopathic treatment approaches

Naturopathy offers with the manual procedures of osteopathy, Rolfing and chiropractic relatively promising treatment approaches against pain in abduction of the arm. As a rule, other physical complaints, such as neck tension, pain in the upper arm or back pain, are taken into account as part of the diagnosis and treatment. Occasionally the acupuncture is used to treat the symptoms. In addition, homeopathic remedies and Schuessler salts for acute pain can be used. (fp, vb updated June 25, 2018)