Are you experiencing pain or discomfort in your arm or hand? Do you suspect you may have something serious going on in the area but are not sure what is going on? If you have ever felt pain in your arm, you know how awful it can be. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the key symptoms of when arm and hand pain are normal and when they are not.
For the most part, when people think of arm pain, they think of the shoulder (or the elbow). However, sometimes arm pain is felt in the hand or fingers. Unfortunately, these lower arm and hand pains often go misunderstood and undiagnosed.
Arm pain is not normal, and it should be investigated. Arm and hand pain has a multitude of causes, some of which are serious and debilitating. If you are experiencing arm or hand pain, you should be evaluated by a Manhattan pain management specialist so that the appropriate treatment can be prescribed.
Arm and Hand Pain Problems
Arm and hand pain is one of the most common afflictions people face, yet it's often dismissed as just a part of life. We've all experienced aches and pains in our hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders, or other body parts at one time or another.
While it may be tempting to write off these aches and pains as minor inconveniences that come with being active or aging, it is important to note that they can be signs of something more serious.
Arm and hand pain is often caused by repetitive stress injury, which results from the overuse of muscles and nerves in the affected area. The condition can be accompanied by numbness and tingling, which is why it's important to treat the symptoms as soon as they appear. If you're experiencing any of these symptoms, you should make an appointment with a pain specialist right away.
Tingling Sensation or Numbness
Tingling or numbness in the arm or hand can be a sign of a nerve problem, which can be due to many different reasons. For example, it may be caused by muscle spasms or a bone spur on the bone that the nerve runs through.
Nerves carry information from your brain to the rest of your body. A pinched nerve can cause pain, tingling, numbness, or weakness in any area that the nerve supplies. Nerve damage can occur with diabetes, but it also can happen after surgery or injury. The affected nerve may send the wrong signals to your brain, causing pain and numbness in your hands and feet.
It is important to seek out arm and hand pain treatment as soon as possible because prolonged inflammation can lead to permanent nerve damage or even disability if untreated.
Dull or Sharp Arm Pain
The most common reason for dull or sharp arm pain is muscle strain. Muscle strain is when a muscle has been overused or overexerted and gets sore. It could be from lifting something too heavy or from repetitive movements like typing on a computer keyboard all day long. Muscle strain can also happen when you don't warm up properly before exercising or when you push yourself too hard during exercise.
It usually begins gradually and increases gradually over time until it reaches its maximum level of intensity (when you can no longer do whatever caused it). The area may feel stiff afterward as well as tender to the touch.
Dull arm pain is usually caused by inflammation in the joints, tendons, and muscles. It may be caused by arthritis, tendonitis, or bursitis. The pain can range from mild to severe and usually gets worse with joint or muscle movement.
If you have any questions about your symptoms or need help determining what treatment options are best for you, don't hesitate to get in touch with our clinic to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists.
Swelling
If you have swelling in your hand or wrist, it means that the fluid-filled spaces inside your body are expanding. It could be a sign of arthritis or another condition that causes inflammation in the muscles, tendons, or ligaments around the joint.
Weakness and Loss of Mobility in Your Arms
If you feel weak but can still move your arms, this could be due to muscle atrophy or muscle strain. Muscle atrophy occurs when the muscles shrink due to lack of use or being deprived of oxygen and nutrients due to a lack of blood flow or nerve signals.
Muscle strain happens when an overuse injury — such as repetitively lifting heavy weights — damages the muscle fibers within the muscle itself. It can also occur if you're recovering from an injury and working out too soon without allowing time for healing first.
When this happens, it's important that you don't ignore it. Instead, it's important that you reach out for help so that the problem can be properly diagnosed and treated. If left untreated, arm weakness can result in serious consequences, including permanent loss of mobility.
Seek Professional Help
If the pain in your arm or hand persists and is not relieved by simple home treatment, it may be time to consider seeking professional medical care. There are a variety of medical conditions that can cause pain in the arm and hand. These include:
Arthritis - This condition causes inflammation in the joints and can result in pain, stiffness, and swelling. The most common types of arthritis include osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Tendinitis - Tendinitis is an inflammation of a tendon, which is the tissue that connects muscles to bones. It causes pain when used and makes movement difficult.
Bursitis - Bursitis is an inflammation of a fluid-filled sac called a bursa, which reduces friction between tendons and bones at points where they move over one another.
Fractures - A fracture occurs when a bone breaks due to trauma or stress on the bone. There are many types of fractures, including avulsion fractures, compression fractures, transverse fractures, and spiral fractures.
While a health professional can diagnose, treat, and provide pain management for the problem, taking an active role in your own healthcare can help you make better decisions about your treatment.
Takeaway
It can be easy to ignore these signs and carry on with your day. Many people view arm and hand pain as a normal part of life and do not seek treatment until the problem becomes unbearable.
However, ignoring the pain will not make it go away. This can lead to more serious complications down the road, so it is best to get professional medical attention as soon as possible if you suspect that something may be wrong.
If you experience chronic or intermittent arm or hand pain (even if you are otherwise healthy), please book an appointment with our Manhattan pain management specialist right away.
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