Pain in the arm can have a local cause or be the sign of an external pathology. The precise location of the pain, its mode of appearance, its favorable or ameliorating circumstances are all factors to be taken into account to diagnose the cause. The point with our experts.
What does left arm pain mean?
As a reminder, the arm corresponds to the part that connects the shoulder to the elbow, the forearm being the lower part, located between the elbow and the wrist. “Left arm pain may be related to muscle pain, nerve pinching, bone damage or referred pain from the heart“, explains Dr. Pascal Chazerain, rheumatologist. Pain in the left arm can manifest itself in different ways.
► brief pain that manifests itself during a precise movement;
► sharp pain, following a trauma, possibly accompanied by swelling or deformity of the arm;
► pain which intensifies when using the arm.
“In these three cases, the pain evokes a musculotendinous cause or even bone or joint pain. A sensation of electric shocks, burning or tingling which does not increase with effort rather suggests neuralgia which may be of cervical origin. Radiating or throbbing pain, not caused by movement, but increased by physical effort, should suggest possible pain of cardiac origin“. LThe diagnosis will be above all clinical according to the mode of appearance of the pain, its intensity and the factors contributing to discomfort.
What does right arm pain mean?
Pain in the right arm may be at the shoulder, elbow or wrist, and sometimes occur after local trauma. “But it is also common to observe tendinitis, often in the shoulder, following a false movement, bodybuilding or even linked to repeated daily gestures.“. It is also possible to have pain in the right arm with a nervous, joint (shoulder), bone or even visceral cause. “Moreover, thewith cervical spine can also cause paresthesia such as tingling, burning or electric shocks in the fingers“.
What does elbow pain mean?
Elbow pain can appear spontaneously, following a trauma or after sport. “Without trauma, the patient may suffer from tendonitis, arthropathy (pathology of the joint) or a nerve compressione”, details the rheumatologist. If the pain is on the outer part of the elbow, without prior shock, it may be a epicondylitis. On the other hand, internal pain, which remains less frequent, may suggest a epitrochleitis or arthropathy. On the other hand, following a trauma, the patient may have a dislocation, a tendon rupture or a fracture.
Where is the pain in the arm in case of myocardial infarction?
Myocardial infarction pain is a rest pain that does not stop and occurs, in more than 30% of cases, without warning signs. “You have to think about it when you are at risk of a heart attack: a history of a heart attack in the family, smoking, hypertension, cholesterol and diabetes favor its occurrence., says Doctor Frédéric Marco, cardiologist. The pain is typically violent, intense, often distressing and can cause difficulty in breathing by compressing the rib cage. “It can start in the left arm and radiate into the rib cage or vice versa. Sometimes, the infarction is preceded by pain on exertion which disappears when the effort is stopped. Often, these pains of effort can worsen quickly. We must be wary of these pains of effort which become more and more frequent and for less and less important efforts, before becoming a first transient then permanent rest pain“.Probability context is important.”There is little chance of having a myocardial infarction when you are young and non-smoker and more when you are a 60-year-old smoker, hypertensive and diabetic, 10 years after menopause.
What does pain in both arms mean?
He is rare for pain to affect both arms. Pain in both arms can mean different things for example being a sign of herniated disc, spinal cord tumor or osteoarthritis in the spine. But a pain in the arm can also correspond to irradiation of lung or heart pain.
When and who to consult in case of arm pain?
If the pain persists for several days despite resting the arm, it is advisable to consult your doctor or a general practitioner. “He will take care of the treatment of pain and will consider the various diagnostic hypotheses, says the rheumatologist. If no improvement is seen after a few days, he will refer the patient to a specialist (rheumatologist, cardiologist) to carry out further examinations“If it’s a shoulder problem, an ultrasound will usually be done.”For the cervical, the MRI of the cervical spine is the recommended examination”.
What is the treatment for relieving arm pain?
Treatment depends on the cause. “If the pain is of peri-articular or articular origin (tendinitis, arthritis or osteoarthritis for example), the general practitioner will prescribe analgesics and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, details the specialist. And if he deems it necessary, the patient can carry out in addition cortisone infiltration and physiotherapy sessions“. If the pain is of neurological origin (cervicobrachial neuralgia, carpal tunnel syndrome), the doctor will then prescribe cortisone. “In case of failure we can also release the (median) nerve through surgerye“. Finally, “if it is of cardiac origin (most often coronary), it is a medical emergency requiring specialized care”.
Thank you to Dr Pascal Chazerain, head of the rheumatology department of the Diaconesses Croix Saint Simon hospital group in Paris and Dr Frédéric Marco, cardiologist at the Clinique de la Croix du Sud in Quint-Fonsegrives (31).