Definition
Arm pain can have many different causes. These may include wear and tear, overuse, injury, a pinched nerve, and certain health conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or fibromyalgia. Depending on the cause, arm pain can start suddenly or develop over time.
Arm pain may be related to problems with the muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments and nerves. It also may be related to problems with the joints of the shoulders, elbows and wrists. Often arm pain is caused by a problem in your neck or upper spine. Arm pain, especially pain that radiates into your left arm, can be a symptom of a heart attack.
Causes
Possible causes of arm pain include:
Angina (reduced blood flow to the heart)
Brachial plexus injury
Broken arm
Broken wrist
Bursitis (A condition in which small sacs that cushion the bones, tendons and muscles near joints become inflamed.)
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Cellulitis
Cervical disk herniation
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
De Quervain tenosynovitis
Fibromyalgia
Heart attack
Osteoarthritis (the most common type of arthritis)
Rheumatoid arthritis
Rotator cuff injury
Shingles
Shoulder impingement syndrome
Sprains (Stretching or tearing of a tissue band called a ligament, which connects two bones together in a joint.)
Tendinitis (A condition that happens when swelling called inflammation affects a tendon.)
Tennis elbow
Thoracic outlet syndrome
Ulnar nerve entrapment
