Arm Pain
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Physical therapy can help you to recover from arm pain
Physical therapy for arm pain is something that many professionals will need at some point in their lives. With so much time spent on computers, keyboards, and other technology it’s not uncommon for your arms to experience stiffness or soreness.
On this page we will discuss how physical therapy can alleviate these types of issues, so keep reading if this sounds like something you’re experiencing.
Anatomy and function of the Arm
The arm has the main bones, the humerus, radius, and ulna. The bones are joined by ligaments to form a hinge joint that allows for flexion and extension at the elbow. The forearm contains three carpal bones. And then eight small wrist bones make up what is called carpals or carpal bones in plural form.
The arm has several important functions. The arm is responsible for movement, such as picking up objects and movements above the head. The arm is also responsible for positioning the hand, which assists in daily life as well as in sports-related activities.
Anatomy and function of the Arm
The arm has the main bones, the humerus, radius, and ulna. The bones are joined by ligaments to form a hinge joint that allows for flexion and extension at the elbow. The forearm contains three carpal bones. And then eight small wrist bones make up what is called carpals or carpal bones in plural form.
The arm has several important functions. The arm is responsible for movement, such as picking up objects and movements above the head. The arm is also responsible for positioning the hand, which assists in daily life as well as in sports-related activities.
Anatomy and function of the shoulder
The shoulder is one of the largest joints in your body. It’s made up of many parts that work together to allow you to move your arm, raise your arm over your head, and rotate it around.
These movable structures are called articulations. The articulation on the top part of the arm is called the acromioclavicular joint or AC joint for short. This is where our clavicle (collarbone) attaches to our scapula (shoulder blade). The other articulation at the bottom part of our arm is called a glenohumeral joint or GH joint for short. This is where our upper arm bone meets with either side of our collarbone and runs through an opening in between two bones above our heart known as the intertubercular groove.
The rotator cuff muscles help to make up these important joints and allow for a wide range of motion. When one or more parts of this area become injured it can be difficult to move the arm without pain, making everyday tasks a struggle.
Injuries That Result in Arm Pain
Injuries that may result in arm pain are sprains or strains of muscles, tendons, or ligaments. Another cause of arm pain can be something like tennis elbow which results from overusing the tendons in your elbow. This is commonly caused by overuse of the muscles around the arm, making everyday tasks difficult to complete especially if you are involved in sports or any activity that requires repetitive use of your arm.
Arm injuries
Injury to the muscles of the arm can also cause pain and inflammation. These can come from repetitive movements with poor technique, poor posture, or form, as well as high-impact collisions.
- Pinched or damaged nerves in the arm
- Elbow and shoulder tendon sprains or tears
- Injuries of the soft tissue
- Elbow tendonitis
- Rotator cuff tears and injuries
- A torn tendon in the arm
- Ruptured bicep tendon
- Golfer’s elbow
- Tennis elbow
Some conditions
causing arm pain
Some conditions causing arm pain we frequently treat include:
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a painful condition that develops when the median nerve located in the arm becomes pressed, or compressed, as it travels through a narrow passageway at the wrist called the carpal tunnel.
Treatment
Activities such as yoga or swimming can help stretch out hand muscles and tendons that might otherwise become too tight. Severe cases will require surgery if none of the other treatments work, such as some endoscopy procedures.
Symptoms
- Numbness and tingling —primarily in the thumb and index, middle, and ring fingers
- Occasional shock-like sensations that radiate to the thumb and index, middle, and ring fingers
- Pain – that may travel up the forearm toward the shoulder
- Weakness and clumsiness in the hand—this may make it difficult to perform fine movements such as buttoning your clothes
- Dropping things—due to weakness, numbness, or a loss of proprioception (awareness of where your hand is in space)
- Pain in the palm of your hand; which may worsen at night, when you’re cold or you’ve been taking ibuprofen or anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Tingling in your thumb, index, middle and/or ring finger on one or both hands.
- Loss of sensation in your thumb when it touches something wet. This is because the median nerve travelling through your wrist to your fingertips supplies sensation for this area also.” Thus feeling any texture requires higher levels of sensitivity than usually needed if not experiencing CTS).
Cubital tunnel syndrome
Cubital tunnel syndrome is a pinched nerve at the elbow resulting from pressure on the nerve in its forearm tunnel.
Treatment
Symptoms
Common symptoms of cubital tunnel syndrome are pain, numbness and tingling from the elbow to the index finger.
Arm sprains
Arm sprains are injuries to the muscles, ligaments, or tendons in the arm.
Common causes for these injuries include sports injuries, falls, and strains. These types of injury usually impact elbow joints (hyperextension/excessive force), shoulders (rotary forces due to contusions), or sprain wrists (overuse).
Treatment
Symptoms
- Pain;
- Tenderness;
- Swelling;
- Bruising;
- Instability;
- Inability to move arm normally (for example gripping objects);
- Reduced strength (usually only present after complete healing).
Many people report numbness or tingling sensation which can be due to other injuries too themselves.
Physical Therapy Treatments
to Help With Arm Pain
There are a variety of conditions that can cause arm pain, but physical therapy treatments can help alleviate these painful symptoms.
Physical Therapy Exercises
Exercises prescribed by a physical therapist can be done at home and will focus on strengthening the muscles around the area. Strengthening muscles around the arm to help reduce pain and increase blood flow to promote healing. Since these exercises are done at home, they are able to be done as often as you need them to achieve increased blood flow and better results!
Physical therapy treatments are usually given over a course of several weeks with progress reports along the way. Some of these methods include:
- Stretches for your arm and shoulder muscles.
- Strengthening exercises but with less resistance or weight to build up strength gradually as the pain subsides.
- Stimulation treatments such as ultrasound, electrical stimulation, massage, etc to increase blood flow and speed up recovery time.
- Taping to help support the injured area while providing gentle, constant pressure to the area.
- Icing or heating treatments to help reduce swelling, pain, and support the injured area.
- Massaging the area around the injury at home with a tennis ball or foam roller can also work but make sure you ask your physical therapist first before attempting these methods at home.
When is arm pain an emergency?
Arm pain can be an emergency if it is caused by a heart attack. If the arm pain occurs with chest discomfort or other related symptoms (nausea, vomiting, elevated blood pressure, sweating, shortness of breath, crushing chest pain), then it should be treated as an emergency.
Treating Arm Pain is Complex
It’s important to know that there is no “one size fits all” treatment or exercise to help with arm pain. Rather, anyone experiencing pain in the arms should talk to their doctor about exercises they can do.
The type of exercise will depend on the duration of the injury, the severity of it, and how long is required for recovery. For example, different people that have shoulder injuries may be able to start with light aerobic exercises but there are also advanced rehabilitation programs that may be needed for those who want to return back into skilled work activities quickly after an injury.
If you are experiencing pain in your arm, it is important to identify the cause of that pain. That way, you can focus on treating the condition with a comprehensive physical therapy approach rather than just masking the symptoms with medication.
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Contact Impact Care Physical Therapy To Treat Your Arm Pain Today
The goal should be to manage your arm pain and recover from any injuries while also maintaining healthy habits for a long-term solution. One consideration might be to get help from an expert who specializes in this area – like our team at Impact Physical Therapy!
We have experience working with clients who suffer from all sorts of conditions affecting their arms so we know how best to work towards recovery goals. Contact us today if you want more information about our services!