Right Arm Pain From Shoulder To Hand

If You Have To Go To The Doctor

If you talk with your doctor about right shoulder and arm pain, they may recommend the following, depending on the severity of your condition.

• Immobilization: In some cases, limiting the movement of your shoulder or arm may help it heal. This is often achieved using a sling, brace, or cast. Your doctor will let you know when it can be removed.
• Corticosteroid injections: This is a type of medication that your doctor can inject into the affected area to help reduce inflammation.
• Prescription medications: Prescription pain medications may be given for severe pain. Oral corticosteroids can help ease inflammation. If you have RA, your doctor will likely prescribe a disease-modifying drug.
• Physical therapy: Your doctor may give you a list of exercises to do that can help you regain strength, flexibility, and range of motion. In some cases, they may recommend that you work with a physical therapist.
• Surgery: Surgery may be recommended when other treatments havent been effective or when damage is severe. The specific procedure thats used can depend on whats causing your condition.

Muscle Strains And Ligament Sprains

Muscle strains and ligament sprains are yet another cause of pain, and they can frequently happen in your thumb, finger and wrist, leading to pain throughout your whole hand. Sprains are usually the result of an injury, stretching or tearing ligaments within a joint. Chances are, youll be able to recognize it after a fall or accident, but youll want to check with a healthcare provider to make sure there arent any fractures.

Heart Attack Symptoms And Warning Signs

A heart attack happens when an artery that feeds oxygen-rich blood to the heart becomes obstructed. The heart muscle begins to die, and heart attack symptoms begin.

• Sudden shortness of breath.
• Sudden sweating or flu-like symptoms, including nausea, clamminess or cold sweats.
• Unusual fatigue, light-headedness, weakness or dizziness.
• Pain that radiates. Men and women often experience this pain differently, as explained below.
• Intermittent pain that lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back. This sensation can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing or fullness.
• Anxiety or a feeling of doom.
• If you have angina: Any change in the frequency, duration or intensity of symptoms, which do not respond to nitroglycerin.

Don’t Miss: Pain In My Neck And Shoulder

When Arm Pain Is An Emergency

Most of the time arm pain isnt a sign of a medical emergency. In many cases, you can treat arm pain with home remedies. However, you should get emergency medical in some cases.

You should call 911 immediately if you suspect that a heart attack, or another heart condition, is causing your arm pain.

Other symptoms of a heart attack include:

• chest pain or pressure

Treatments for arm pain will vary on the cause and the severity of your arm pain.

Treatments for arm pain can include the following:

• Pain medication. For some cases, pain in the arm may be severe enough that your doctor will prescribe pain medication.
• Anti-inflammatory medications. For pain due to inflammation, anti-inflammatory medications like corticosteroids can help reduce the underlying cause and the subsequent pain. Anti-inflammatory drugs are available as oral medications, injections, and intravenous medications.
• Physical therapy. You may need to treat some arm pain with physical therapy, particularly when you have a limited range of motion.
• Surgery. In severe cases of arm pain, surgery may be necessary. Examples include torn ligaments and broken bones.

In addition to the medications your doctor can prescribe for arm pain, you can use a variety of treatments at home.

Examples of home remedies for arm pain include:

Diy Care For Hand Wrist Or Elbow Pain

If your symptoms arent serious, start by reducing the pain. Dr. Seitz suggests the following steps:

• Apply ice to the painful area or heat .
• Take over-the-counter pain medication like ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
• Use a stretchy elastic bandage or another compression device to wrap the painful or swollen area.

If you can tie your pain to overexertion, or if you think it stems from repetitive motion , take a break from that activity. Give your body a rest.

Recommended Reading: Elbow Strap For Golfers Elbow

Home Remedies For Pain In Right Arm

Pain in right arm can be a pain in the neck, so its important to find out the possible causes and home remedies for it. If youre experiencing pain in your arm, here are some of the things you should check:

• Is the pain localized or does it spread to other parts of your body?
• Does the pain occur when you move your arm?
• Does the pain decrease with rest?
• Does the pain respond to over-the-counter painkillers or ibuprofen?
• Is there any swelling or redness around the arm?
• Does your arm pain come and go, or is it constant?
• Does the pain come and go with activities like lifting weights or playing sports?
• Does the pain worsen with certain weather conditions like heat or humidity?

If you answered yes to any of the questions, its time to consult a doctor. However, there are many home remedies for pain in right arm that you can try on your own. Some of the common ones include:

• Apply ice packs to the arm for 10-15 minutes at a time, twice a day.
• Take over-the-counter painkillers such as ibuprofen .
• Stretch and move the arm frequently.
• Drink plenty of water, avoid alcohol and caffeine, and rest if the pain is severe.

Visit The Irise Spine And Joint Institute Today For Arm Pain Treatment

Do you frequently use your arm for physical activity and find yourself suffering from pain? Do you have pain anyway despite not pushing your arm too hard? The only way to properly diagnose upper right arm pain from shoulder to hand is by consulting a trained specialist. Our orthopedic specialists at the Florida Spine and Joint Institute can help. Contact us today for more information about pain in the upper arm between the elbow and shoulder or to schedule an initial appointment.

Categories

You May Like: Gout In Wrist And Hand

Arthritis In Your Hand And Wrist

Arthritis is another possibility, as its common for types of arthritis to affect the fingers and hand. Two types of arthritis, in particular, are common culprits of this kind of joint pain: osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis is more common and caused by wear and tear on your joints, breaking down cartilage in your joints over time. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune condition in which an overactive immune system causes inflammation and, ultimately, cartilage degeneration in your joints.

How Shoulder Arthritis Is Diagnosed

The first sign of shoulder arthritis is pain in the general area, although the type of pain and the timing may vary. For instance, some people may feel a deep kind of pain in their shoulder joint, while others may feel a radiating pain around the side of their neck.

Limited range of movement is another symptom of worsening shoulder arthritis.

If youve had an outstanding injury in your shoulder area or have been feeling stiffness or an ache that isnt going away, the first step is to talk with your doctor. They will most likely check the affected area for muscle weakness, tenderness, range of movement, and a grating sensation inside the joint when it is moved.

The next step will most likely consist of shoulder X-rays so your doctor or specialist can take a look at your bones and see if any changes have occurred.

Lastly, your doctor may inject a local anesthetic into the joint where the pain seems to be radiating. If the pain is temporarily relieved, a diagnosis of arthritis is likely.

Shoulder arthritis is treatable. Talk with your doctor about the best treatment for your specific condition. Depending on your diagnosis, symptoms, and disease progression, your doctor may recommend:

If your doctor recommends surgery for shoulder arthritis, there are a number of surgical interventions available. Depending on your condition, these treatments include:

You May Like: Can You Get Gout In Your Elbow

Symptoms Can Be Different For Men And Women

Men and women experience heart attack symptoms in slightly different ways. The main difference is how pain radiates.

• For men: Pain will spread to the left shoulder, down the left arm or up to the chin.
• For women: Pain can be much more subtle. It may travel to the left or right arm, up to the chin, shoulder blades and upper back or to abdomen . Women are also more likely to experience these accompanying symptoms: shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting and back or jaw pain. Read an in-depth overview of heart attack symptoms for women here.

Some heart attacks are sudden and intense, but most start slowly with mild pain and discomfort. Surviving a heart attack depends upon how well you recognize and react to these symptoms. Remember that “time is muscle.” The sooner you receive medical care, the sooner heart muscle can be saved.

Did Pain Come After A Fall Or Out Of The Blue

In some cases, the reason for your pain is obvious maybe youve worked in the garden for several hours or had a bad fall. In others, pain seems to come out of the blue.

You may develop pain from infection, inflammation or an underlying metabolic issue like gout or diabetes-related neuropathy, Dr. Seitz says. Also, the pain may be unrelated to your arm for example, a pinched nerve in the neck can cause pain anywhere throughout the arm.

Your activity level and the wear and tear on your body can also factor in, especially with joint pain or various forms of tendinitis. If youre highly active, you can typically expect some pain in your joints as you get older.

Mileage plays a role, notes Dr. Seitz. However, you shouldnt expect pain just because youre aging it may never develop.

Read Also: Twisted Knee Ice Or Heat

Expert Relief For All Your Extremities

Is extremity pain, including rotator cuff injuries, affecting your quality of life or the life of someone you care about? If you or a loved one is experiencing pain, numbness, or other problems with the function of hands or upper extremity, please contact us.

Fort Worth Hand Center provides unparalleled care to every individual. Request an appointment from the best orthopedic surgeons in Fort Worth, Texas. Fort Worth Hand Center is Fort Worths first and most experienced multiple orthopedic surgeon practice. We have been serving the North Texas area for over 45 years. To learn more or to schedule, call 817-877-3277, or complete the form below.

Why Do I Have Right Arm Pain Causes Treatment & More

Have you ever had pain in your right arm? If so, youre not alone. Millions of people experience right arm pain every year.

Our arms are made up of muscles, joints, and tendons, all of which can be susceptible to injury or pain.

There are many potential causes of right arm pain, including overuse injuries, accidents, and underlying medical conditions.

Treatment for right arm pain will vary depending on the cause. In some cases, rest and home remedies may be all thats needed to ease your pain. In other cases, you may need medical treatment.

In this blog post, well explore the causes of right arm pain and discuss some treatment options.

Well also share some tips for preventing right arm pain from happening in the first place.

So if youre experiencing right arm pain, read on! Youll find the information you need to start feeling better.

Read Also: Formal Dresses Below The Knee

Causes And Symptoms Of Right Shoulder And Arm Pain

If you have ever suffered with shoulder pain, you know it can range from simply annoying to severe, and it sometimes moves down your arm towards the elbow. Your shoulder joint is complicated, and pain can emanate from multiple problem areas. Lets discover 7 causes and symptoms of right shoulder and arm painbut there are many more.

What We Might Do Next

One way to treat unexplained pains like these is with a local anaesthetic injection in the shoulder. If the arm pain disappears temporarily , its a good indication that the shoulder is indeed the culprit. We can then focus our treatment there and get to the root of your pain. On the other hand if the injection works for a little while and seems to be improving the arm pain, we could look to continue progress with some targeted physiotherapy.

Sometimes the best course of action is to monitor and manage the discomfort over the medium term, either with physical therapy or perhaps with a steroid injection every six to 12 months. But of course its also possible that the problem is beyond the reach of either physio or injections. When that happens, we can look at surgery options to stop the pain for good.

Have you been ignoring a long-running pain in your arm or shoulder? Dont feel as though you should put up with it forever! Book in to see your GP, or make an appointment with us direct. Well be very happy to help you find out whats happening, and how we can help you get back to normal.

Read Also: Physical Therapy For Tennis Elbow At Home

Causes Of Shoulder Impingement

When you lift your arm, the rotator cuff tendon passes through a narrow space at the top of your shoulder, known as the subacromial space.

Shoulder impingement happens when the tendon rubs or catches on the bone at the top of this space, called the acromion.

This can be caused by:

• the tendon becoming swollen, thickened or torn this can be due to an injury, overuse of the shoulder or “wear and tear” with age
• the fluid-filled sac found between the tendon and acromion becoming irritated and inflamed this can also be caused by an injury or overuse of the shoulder
• the acromion being curved or hooked, rather than flat this tends to be something you’re born with
• bony growths on the acromion these can develop as you get older

Page last reviewed: 29 April 2020 Next review due: 29 April 2023

Things You Can Do If You Have Shoulder Impingement

• Avoid things that make the pain worse avoid activities that involve repeatedly lifting your arm above your head for a few days or weeks. Ask a GP or physiotherapist when you can restart these activities.
• Do not stop moving your arm completely try to carry on with your normal daily activities as much as possible so your shoulder does not become weak or stiff. It’s usually best to avoid using a sling.
• Gently hold an ice pack wrapped in a towel on your shoulder for 15 to 20 minutes a few times a day.
• Take painkillers anti-inflammatory painkillers or paracetamol may help. A GP can prescribe stronger painkillers if needed.

Don’t Miss: Pain In Base Of Thumb And Wrist

What Is Right Arm Pain

Right arm pain is any pain or discomfort that occurs in the right arm. It can range from mild to severe, and it can occur suddenly or gradually.

Right arm pain can affect any part of the arm, from the shoulder to the fingertips. It can also radiate from other parts of the body, such as the neck or back.

Its possible that shoulder pain can radiate down into your arm.

Conversely, a condition affecting your upper arm may be felt around your shoulder.

Problems with the rotator cuff are the most common cause of this type of pain.

Many of these issues are also the cause of left shoulder pain. However, some causes of left shoulder pain may also be related to organs that cause referred radiating pain.

Symptoms Of Right Arm Pain

Right arm pain can manifest itself in a number of ways. You could have a short or stabbing pain, and the pain may be confined to a specific area or more widespread. It may come on or get worse during a specific movement, get worse at night-time or ease off with rest, or be the result of an injury, and your arm may also become swollen or misshapen. The pain may also be accompanied by a burning or electric shock sensation, or pins and needles.

You May Like: Elbow Dysplasia Dog Surgery Cost

What Are Common Rotator Cuff Symptoms

First things first: what is a rotator cuff? Your shoulder is made up of three bones: the humerus , the scapula , and the clavicle . Your shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint. What keeps it neatly tucked away in your shoulder socket is a group of muscles and tendons known as the rotator cuff.

We dont think about our rotator cuff when everything is working as it should. But any inflammation or partial or full tear can make performing daily activities very painful.

Symptoms of a rotator cuff injury may include:

• Pain or tenderness when reaching overhead
• Pain or tenderness when the arm is at rest
• Pain that radiates down the arm
• Arm and hand weakness

A rotator cuff injury can be because of a specific injury. For example, falling on an outstretched arm, a sudden jerking motion, or lifting something too heavy. As a result, rotator cuff problems are common among athletes and people whose jobs involve working with their hands and repetitive arm movements. A few of those occupations include construction, painting, carpentry, and decorating.

In addition, it is important to remember that our tendons naturally wear down as we age, especially in our dominant arm. According to the National Institutes of Health, rates of rotator cuff tears are as high as 80% in patients over 80.

While specific activities or accidents can lead to a sudden rotator cuff injury, more often than not, patients experiencing problems cant point to a specific reason other than normal wear and tear of the body.