Why does my arm hurt and not rise up?

Kinds

Discomfort in the hands may vary, since there are different types of pain:

• Burning. There is discomfort and burning, often a feeling of “goose bumps”.
• Aching. Periodically intensify and weaken, maybe 20-30 minutes.
• Spicy. With them, mobility decreases, muscle weakness and discomfort appear.
• Shots. They appear suddenly and last 2-3 minutes. This kind of pain is also called “cutting”.

Whatever the type of pain, it causes a lot of inconvenience. Therefore, it is important to consult a specialist in a timely manner in order not only to eliminate unpleasant symptoms, but also to prevent negative consequences.

What is the sciatic nerve and why does it hurt?

The sciatic nerve is the largest structure of the peripheral nervous system. In addition to the fact that it is very long and runs through the entire leg, it also has a fairly large diameter - about 1 cm. It is formed by nerve fibers of the sacral nerve plexus and has motor, sensory and autonomic fibers. Therefore, this nerve is responsible for the innervation of muscles, blood vessels, and skin of the legs.

Damage to the sciatic nerve is one of the common types of neuropathy. Most often, people aged 25–60 years suffer from this, and not only isolated damage to the sciatic nerve may occur, but also complications from pathologies of the sacral plexus, diseases of the spine, etc. It can become inflamed under the influence of various factors, including local processes and diseases spine, pelvic organs, etc. The inflammatory process itself can cause pinching of the sciatic nerve and the development of corresponding neurological symptoms.

Nerves are sensitive to any changes in which there is a disturbance in the blood supply and compression of soft tissues; they are easily damaged by injury and tend to be destroyed by toxins, infectious agents, etc. Therefore, pain and inflammation can be a consequence of both local and systemic diseases.

When the sciatic nerve becomes inflamed or pinched, its membranes are gradually destroyed, which is called demyelination. This leads to severe pain and deterioration of nerve conduction, which provokes the occurrence of impaired mobility and sensitivity. Additionally, adverse vascular changes may occur. Most often, unilateral neuritis is diagnosed, leading to a serious decrease in the patient’s quality of life due to severe pain that limits his ability to work and can lead to disability.

Damage to the sciatic nerve is characterized by acute, unbearable or nagging, aching pain in the buttocks or trochanter of the hip joint, the back of the thigh, the popliteal fossa, the inner or outer side of the calf muscle. It is often one-sided, but in some cases pain can be felt in both legs at once.

Causes

Pain in the hands appears due to:

• bone fracture;
• ligament damage;
• injuries;
• strong physical activity;
• prolonged stay in an uncomfortable position;
• diseases of the musculoskeletal system;
• damage to nerve trunks;
• diseases of the heart, blood vessels;
• tendon inflammation;
• hand joint diseases.

With arthritis, pain appears in the early morning. Even during rest, the discomfort does not go away. There may also be swelling, hyperemia, and fever. With osteoarthritis, the cartilage of the joints becomes thin over time and leads to pain during physical activity, crunching, and difficulty moving.

If the cause is bursitis, then the pain manifests itself in the elbows, where swelling appears. The temperature also rises and the skin becomes red. Rheumatoid arthritis causes pain in small joints and morning stiffness.

The symptom will indicate the cause

It doesn’t happen that your hand swells for no reason and hurts. There is always an explanation. And the doctor will definitely find that the person has suffered an injury or a degenerative joint disease has manifested itself.

One of the most common today is carpal tunnel syndrome. It affects people who have been making similar movements with their hands for many years. The nerve becomes swollen and pinched, causing tingling and numbness. Treatment is carried out by immobilization of the joint, pain relief, physiotherapeutic procedures, and massages. The doctor may recommend simple exercises: make circular movements with your wrist, squeeze a ball. In difficult cases, surgery is performed to release the pinched nerve.

Severe pain in the arm may indicate arthritis, diabetes, or Raynaud's syndrome. In any case, it is necessary to give the limb a rest, massage it, and apply a cold compress.

If the shoulder goes numb and the pain goes down to the elbow, most likely the person has capsulitis. It is almost impossible to move a limb, and it is also impossible to do anything.

With myositis, in addition to pain, weakness is felt and chills occur.

Neuralgia threatens hand disability. The pain goes along the nerve - up to the elbow from the shoulder, comes in periods, is characterized as dagger-sharp.

Inflammation of the tendon - tendinitis - causes pain in the same area.

Aching pain in the arm is characteristic of sprains, and tugging pain is characteristic of ligament ruptures.

To get rid of discomfort, doctors advise taking non-steroidal drugs. But it is better not to prescribe them yourself, since they are harmful to the stomach. Even those who have everything in order with their gastrointestinal tract can drink them for no more than ten days. Therefore, it is better to contact a specialist who will create the correct treatment regimen for a particular person.

When people complain that their arm joints hurt, the reasons may be:

• arthrosis;
• arthritis;
• gout.

Osteoarthritis is a type of arthritis that leads to joint deformation. It develops slowly and gradually destroys periarticular and bone tissue. The joint moves poorly, hurts, and reacts to the weather.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disease and affects the entire body. The person feels unwell and his temperature rises. First, small joints suffer, they swell, gradually become deformed, hurt all the time, and gradually lose functionality.

Gout is caused by the accumulation of uric acid salts. It affects the hands infrequently, but gives completely unbearable pain and destroys the joints.

Joint ailments are one of the most common reasons for visiting clinics. At the same time, it’s not just the hand that hurts, but there is a real threat of becoming disabled due to the fact that the joints become immobile and the person cannot perform the simplest actions.

Unfortunately, medicine has not yet learned how to cure people from systemic diseases, which include a significant number of joint pathologies. However, a significant number of products have been developed to help patients suffering from arthritis, arthrosis, inflammation of connective and cartilage tissue.

Which doctor treats you?

If you have unexplained pain in your arm, you should consult a neurologist. Who will do the treatment depends on the cause of the illness. You can immediately contact a traumatologist.

Pain in the arm, regardless of the nature of the pain syndrome (burning, sharp, aching or cutting), requires careful examination and close supervision of a specialist.

IMPORTANT! A person should not ignore this symptom or self-medicate, because the cause of pain in the arm can be associated with both muscle pathology and an inflammatory process that urgently needs to be stopped.

Make an appointment with a neurologist or traumatologist at the Kuntsevo Medical and Rehabilitation Center to determine the causes of the unpleasant symptom and eliminate it.

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Causes of pain in the shoulder joint

When determining the reasons why the arm does not rise up, it is important to differentiate diseases of the internal organs.
The most dangerous of them is myocardial infarction. Pain when raising your arm up in this condition is accompanied by other symptoms: weakness, arrhythmia, nausea, shortness of breath, fear. The patient requires immediate hospitalization. It can also be difficult to raise your hand in case of other therapeutic diseases - cholecystitis, cholelithiasis, pleurisy, etc. They are also characterized by other symptoms not related to the musculoskeletal system - nausea, vomiting, cough. Among the causes of muscle pain when raising the hand Diseases and injuries that directly concern the shoulder joint can be distinguished. Injuries include fractures, bruises, dislocations, damage to ligaments and joints. They usually do not cause difficulties in diagnosis.

The most common reason that the arm cannot be raised up is diseases of the joint tissues:

1. Arthritis is an inflammatory process that occurs for various reasons. The main ones are infections (viral, gonorrheal, borreliosis arthritis) and autoimmune reactions (rheumatoid arthritis). Arthritis is characterized by night pain, redness, swelling, and increased temperature in the joint area.
2. Arthrosis is the gradual destruction of joint cartilage due to injury or age-related changes. Pain due to arthrosis intensifies after physical activity and subsides after rest.
3. Bursitis, in which excess synovial fluid accumulates in the joint capsule due to the inflammatory process. In addition to acute pain with bursitis, there is severe swelling and increased temperature of the shoulder or the whole body.
4. Capsulitis (“frozen shoulder”), in which, as a result of chronic inflammation, the joint capsule loses its elasticity and limits movement. It is characterized by an undulating course with night pain and progressive limitation of mobility of the shoulder joint.
5. Humeral periatritis, which has a degenerative-inflammatory nature. The inflammatory process involves ligaments, muscles, and tendons of the shoulder joint. Patients experience severe pain, the arm does not rise well, and it is impossible to move it behind the back.
6. Tendinitis, characterized by inflammation of the tendons. Pain can occur both with movement and at rest. It is difficult for the patient to raise his arms forward, to the sides or back, depending on the location of the pathological process.
7. Osteochondrosis. When the cervical spine is damaged, the nerve endings are pinched; this process can spread to the upper limbs. In addition to the fact that the arm hurts and does not rise up, numbness and “lumbago” may be observed.
8. Calcification or calcification of the ligaments, in which calcium salts accumulate in the tendons. The disease develops gradually with increasing pain and stiffness. In the initial stages, mild pain may be felt, the patient has difficulty raising his arms, and as the process progresses, sharp pain and stiffness appear, which can even cause sleep disturbances.
9. Damage to the brachial nerve (neuritis) and nerve plexus (brachial plexitis). These neurological diseases are caused by metabolic disorders and inflammatory processes in nerve fibers. In addition to pain when raising the arm up in the forearm, patients experience weakness in the muscles, numbness of the arm, and decreased sensitivity of the skin.
10. Tumors in the shoulder joint are a rare pathology that leads to tissue compression, discomfort and pain due to pressure on nerve fibers.

As you can see, there are many reasons why your arms hurt when you lift them up. Effective treatment can be prescribed and pathology can be eliminated only after an accurate diagnosis has been made. Some conditions that cause pain when raising the arm up in the shoulder and forearm are deadly, so this symptom should not be ignored or self-medicated.

Treatment methods

In our center you can undergo diagnostics - MRI, ultrasound. Research is performed after determining the location and nature of the pain. If necessary, additional blood tests are required to determine whether there are infectious and inflammatory diseases in the body.

The treatment method depends on the disease or injury that caused the pain. At the clinic, specialists prescribe the following treatment methods:

• Physiotherapy;
• Manual therapy;
• Reflexology;
• Physiotherapy;

It is up to the doctor to decide which procedures will be performed. Sometimes, when you have pain in your arms, you need to carry out several measures in combination. Experienced neurologists use effective therapy methods. Patients can perform diagnostics, undergo diagnostics and treatment without leaving the clinic.

How does pain manifest when raising your arm?

The pain syndrome that occurs with periarthritis of the shoulder joint (a whole complex of diseases that differ in their causes and clinical manifestations, but have a common relation to the periarticular apparatus of the shoulder) completely depends on the underlying pathology that provokes it. Therefore, pain when raising the arm in terms of strength and nature of manifestation can be:

• strong (which may indicate a shoulder injury, pinched nerve endings or inflammation of muscle tendons);
• acute (which may indicate damage to the shoulder joint due to sudden overload, for example, when lifting heavy objects);
• sharp (which may indicate a sudden load on the shoulder joint or an infection present in the articular nerve endings);
• burning (which may indicate the presence of an inflammatory process in the joint, as, for example, with osteochondrosis);
• aching (which may indicate serious internal disorders, such as angina pectoris and other heart pathologies);
• permanent (which may indicate a shoulder injury resulting in damage to the humerus);
• dull (which may indicate tendonitis);
• pulsating (which may indicate post-traumatic muscle strain of the shoulder muscles);
• long-term (which may indicate critical damage to the humerus due to dislocation).

Rehabilitation and lifestyle restoration

After treatment, patients need to recover. This is achieved using:

• maintaining moderate physical activity;
• balanced nutrition;
• compliance with the work and rest regime;
• taking vitamin and mineral complexes;
• maintaining correct posture;
• protection against hypothermia of joints and stress;
• correction of deformed joints;
• disinfection of wounds, scratches and abrasions;
• refusal of monotonous and monotonous work;
• timely treatment of infectious diseases;
• limiting alcohol consumption.

Lifestyle with pain in the hands

A healthy lifestyle is necessary, which consists of the absence of bad habits. To do this, it is important to give up alcohol and cigarettes. It is necessary to monitor your diet. The menu should not include fried, salty, spicy foods. You should drink more clean water and avoid coffee.

Moderate exercise is necessary. Moreover, you can choose running, exercise or swimming. Yoga is also suitable. Only with the right lifestyle can you maintain your health at a normal level. By contacting us, patients will be able to successfully undergo treatment and rehabilitation in one place.