It is easy to recognize upper arm injuries that leave you with “Popeye’s biceps.” The upper arm has the humerus bone and four main muscles. These muscles help move the shoulder, elbow, and forearm. If anything goes wrong with them, you can experience intense upper arm pain.
What Does Arm Pain Feel Like?
Arm pain can come from muscles, tendons, cartilage, nerves, or bones. It might feel sharp or dull, and it can be constant or come and go. You might also feel other symptoms like swelling or numbness. Sometimes, the pain isn’t actually in your arm—it’s referred or radiated pain. This means the problem is somewhere else in your body, like your heart, but you feel the pain in your arm.
Upper Arm Pain Causes
Your arm has many parts, from your shoulder to your wrist, so there are many reasons why you might have arm pain. It could be something serious, or it could be from a sports injury or just using your arm too much. Following are some other possible reasons for arm pain.
- Physical Injuries
Fall accidents during sports, such as running or slipping, can make your arm hurt. Car accidents or overextending your elbow in activities like gymnastics or football can also cause injuries. - Broken Bones
If your arm hurts right after an injury, you might have broken a bone. Look for swelling, bruising, numbness, or weakness. See a doctor promptly to ensure proper healing. - Strain or Sprain
Injuries can damage muscles (strain) or ligaments (sprain), causing pain, swelling, bruising, weakness, or muscle spasms. These usually heal on their own, but severe symptoms require medical attention. - Rotator Cuff Injury
The rotator cuff in your shoulder can wear down or tear from repetitive overhead motions or aging. Symptoms include dull aches, weakness, or severe pain. Physical therapy can make it better. - Hyperextension of the Elbow
Overextending your elbow during activities like gymnastics or weightlifting can strain your elbow. It can tear tendons and ligaments, which causes painful swelling. - Dislocated Elbow or Shoulder
A fall or accident can dislocate these joints, causing pain. For example, if you swing your child by their hand, their elbow can dislocate. - Herniated Disk
If a disk in your neck ruptures, it can cause burning pain, numbness, weakness, or tingling in your arms.
Treatment Options for Upper Arm Pain
Treatment of arm pain depends on its cause. However, there are many ways to manage it. Your options include:
- Medications
Prescription pain medications or anti-inflammatory drugs can eliminate severe pain. You can also apply topical creams or ointments on the affected area. - Injections
You can reach out to a pain management specialist for steroid injections. They are great at reducing pain and inflammation in the arm muscles. - Physical Therapy
Your physical therapist can recommend various exercises to improve the range of motion and strengthen the arm muscles. Electrical stimulation or ultrasound therapy is also helpful in reducing pain and promote healing. - Surgery
In severe cases like ruptured tendons, your doctor can recommend surgery to reattach the tendon to the bone.
Bottom Line
There are many possible causes behind upper arm pain. If it is due to some chronic condition like arthritis, it won’t go away on its own. However, a pain management specialist can keep it away from disrupting your daily life.
Visit our board-certified anesthesiologist, Dr. Raza Jafri, at Genesis Pain Clinic. Our doctor has extensive experience in interventional pain management. Call us at (913) 871-9888 to book an appointment.