What is arm pain?

Arm pain is any type of pain that occurs in the arm. It can be sharp pain, shooting pain, or throbbing pain. Arm pain can be moderate to severe in intensity.

What causes arm pain?

There are a variety of things that can cause arm pain to occur. Most of the time arm pain is the result of an injury. It’s possible to injure your arm without even knowing it happened, which often explains “mystery” arm pain. Some more serious things that could be causing arm pain are carpal tunnel syndrome, bursitis, and tendonitis. If the pain is in the left arm and there are other symptoms such as light headedness, shortness of breath, sweating or nausea it is possible a heart attack is occurring, in which case immediate medical attention will be needed.

Should I see a doctor for arm pain?

Most of the time arm pain from a minor accident will go away on it’s own without treatment, but if the pain does persist you may need medical attention. If you haven’t had an accident and are experiencing arm pain with no other symptoms, don’t worry unless it doesn’t go away after a few days or seems to get worse and worse. A doctor should definitely be seen right away if you are having arm pain and are also having heart attack symptoms. Sometimes it’s best to trust your instincts. If your instincts are telling you that you need to see a doctor for your arm pain, even if it’s not severe, you should go. Something could be wrong that requires treatment from a doctor.

How is arm pain treated?

Arm injuries can be initially treated at home with ice packs and compression bandages. Sometimes elevation of the arm will also help to reduce swelling and pain. Over the counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen, aspirin, or acetaminophen are also very useful in treating arm pain. A doctor will treat more serious types of arm injuries with prescription medication. If a sprain or broken bone has occurred, a doctor will prescribe pain medication and set the injury. A cast may be necessary if a bone is broken to keep the injury from worsening.

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