If you have pain between your right shoulder and elbow, this is a concern
If your right arm hurts
If you want to know the causes of pain in the area between the shoulder and the right elbow
If you want to know what can be done to improve the pain in your right arm.
We recommend that you read on. In this article, we are going to say what is the cause of pain in the right arm. We will also say how doctors find out the cause of pain in your right arm. We will introduce the right elbow and shoulder.
what you will read next :
- Symptoms associated with right arm pain
- Causes of pain in the area between the shoulder and the right elbow
- What are the ways to diagnose the cause of pain between the shoulder and the right elbow?
- How is pain between the shoulder and the right elbow treated?
- When should we see a doctor?
- What are some ways to prevent right arm pain?
Symptoms associated with right arm pain
If you feel pain and discomfort in the area between your elbow and your right shoulder, you need to know that due to the underlying cause of this pain and discomfort, you may have other manifestations along with your arm pain. Some of these symptoms are:
- Inflation
- Hardness
- Redness of the skin surface
- Inflammation
- Warm
- Swelling of the axillary lymph nodes
Causes of pain in the area between the shoulder and the right elbow
If you want to know the possible causes of pain in your right arm, pay attention to the continuation of the article in this section. In the following, the causes of right arm pain are described in order and after each naming, we have provided a brief explanation about it and we have also examined the accompanying symptoms.
- The first cause of right arm pain:
- Narrowing of the nerve passage:
Narrowing of the nerve passage occurs when too much pressure is applied by the bone, muscle, tendon, or cartilage around the nerve pathway. In these cases, where there is pressure on the nerve, in addition to arm pain, you may experience the following symptoms and manifestations. These manifestations will be as follows:
- Tingling
- Insensibility of the arm area
- Weakness of arm muscles
- very severe and sharp pain.
If you suspect that you have symptoms of narrowing of the nerve endings, it is best to consult a doctor as soon as possible.
- The second cause of right arm pain:
- Inflammation of the tendons or tendinitis:
If Tendonitis develops in your shoulder, elbow, or wrist, it can cause pain or discomfort in the area between your elbow and your right shoulder.
The inflammation of tendon is tendonitis. If you have right arm pain, know that tendonitis is a relatively common cause of right arm pain. In cases where tendonitis causes pain in your right arm, you may experience other symptoms as follows, which may include:
- Regional sensitivity
- Severe regional pain
- Slight inflation
- The third cause of bone fractures:
If the bones around the shoulder joint or right elbow joint are broken, or if the trunk of the humerus fractures, severe pain may occur in the area between the shoulder and the right arm.
If a bone fracture is the cause of pain in your right arm, the symptoms and manifestations associated with pain will include:
- Inflation
- Bruising
- Inability to rotate the palm
- Visible deformities
If you experience the above manifestations, the best course of action is to see a doctor as soon as possible to prevent serious damage to the arteries and nerves in the area adjacent to the broken bone.
- The fourth cause of rupture of the rotating cap or rotator cuff:
Doctors believe that one of the most common causes of shoulder pain and discomfort in adults in adults is rotator cuff rupture. It is estimated that five to forty percent of the population suffers from rotator cuff rupture.
And most of these people do not have clinical symptoms. As the age of onset, the prevalence of rotator cuff rupture as a cause of shoulder pain and right arm pain increases.
Rotator cuff rupture can be caused by a sudden trauma to the shoulder. In these cases, the person suffers from shoulder pain for a long time by spreading to the area between the shoulder and the right elbow. Arm and shoulder dysfunction is often blamed for repeated pressure on the shoulder. It is said that people whose exercise and physical activity require frequent arm and arm lift over the head are more likely to be injured by shoulder rotator cuff injury. Sports such as weightlifting, boating, tennis and baseball are among these sports. When you have a rotator cuff tear in the right shoulder joint, the following symptoms may be present in addition to arm pain.
Symptoms include:
- Right shoulder pain
- Increase shoulder pain by raising the arm and so that it becomes difficult for the sufferer to perform some daily activities such as combing the head
- Sound the shoulder when moving
- Feeling weak in the hand when you want to raise your hand above your head
- Pain when you want to lower your hand from the top of your head.
Rotator cuff refers to the set of muscles that surround the shoulder joint and hold the head of the humerus firmly in place in the shallow shoulder cavity. Injuries can cause the tendons of these muscles to rupture and the shoulder joint to become unstable.
- The fifth cause of rheumatoid arthritis or rheumatoid arthritis:
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disorder. In rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system mistakenly attacks the cells of the host body, including the cells of the joint wall and cartilage, damaging them and causing inflammation in the joints.
So in a person with rheumatoid arthritis, there is joint inflammation. In these people, if there is inflammation of the elbow or shoulder joint, the following symptoms will be present along with pain.
- Feeling tired of the general
- Joint swelling
- Joint dryness in the morning
- The sixth cause of angina:
Doctors call chest pain, which originates in the heart, angina pectoris. In fact, angina is a chest pain that occurs due to insufficient oxygen reaching your heart muscle. In addition to chest pain, angina can cause pain that spreads to the right arm, right shoulder, neck and even abdomen. Angina can spread to the top of the navel. It will usually be a sign that there is an acute heart problem or accident.
In addition to chest pain that spreads to the right arm or shoulder, there may be other signs and symptoms associated with this pain. These symptoms are as follows:
- Shortness of breath
- nausea
- Excessive sweating
- Increase heart rate
- Uncoordinated heartbeat
- Lightheadedness
- Vertigo
- feeling weak
We emphasize that if you have pain in the right arm that is accompanied by one or more of the above symptoms, call the emergency room immediately or go to the nearest equipped medical center. There are different types of angina, but in short, the duration of angina that does not lead to a heart attack will be at least one minute to fifteen to twenty minutes.
- The seventh cause of heart attacks:
When oxygen supply to the heart muscle is interrupted due to blockage of the arteries supplying the heart muscle and oxygen supply is cut off. If oxygen supply is not resumed, parts of the heart muscle cells will die due to lack of oxygen. In fact, this is what we know as a heart attack.
In addition to chest pain, you may have the following symptoms when you have a heart attack:
- Pain in one or both arms
- Pain in one or both shoulders
- Shortness of breath
- Cold sweat
- Vertigo
- Lightheadedness
- A feeling of pressure, burning, or heaviness in the chest
Pain and discomfort in the mandibular nerve may continue to the abdomen and umbilicus, so if you have pain in the area between the right shoulder and elbow that is accompanied by one or more of the above symptoms, you should call the emergency room immediately.
What are the ways to diagnose the cause of pain between the shoulder and the right elbow?
If you see a doctor with right arm pain, your doctor must be able to correctly diagnose the cause of your arm pain in order to be able to treat your pain properly.
In the first step, it will check your history and the accompanying signs and symptoms, then it will ask you questions and perform physical examinations according to your condition and symptoms.
It is also possible to use the findings of paraclinical studies to make an accurate diagnosis. At the clinical examination, your doctor will ask you to raise your arms and raise them above your head.
You may be asked to perform simple movements to measure the range of motion of your shoulder and elbow joints and the range of motion of your right arm.
These examinations are definitely necessary and will help your doctor identify the cause of pain in the area between the shoulder and elbow. After the above examinations, the doctor may use paraclinical findings to investigate the possible cause of your right arm pain. He mentioned the following:
- blood test
- A x-ray image that can alert your doctor if you have a broken bone
- sonography
- CT Scan
- MRI
Of course, it should be noted that if the doctor suspects that the cause of your right arm pain is of cardiac origin, his first diagnostic aid will be the necessary examination to confirm or rule out a heart complication.
In these cases, blood tests can be performed to check the enzymes caused by damage to the heart muscle, ECG, echocardiography, CT angiography, etc.
How is pain between the shoulder and the right elbow treated?
In general, in order to provide a prescription for the treatment of right arm pain, we need to know the main cause of it. If there is a heart complication, emergency management is required:
- Prescribing painkillers
- Prescribing anti-inflammatory drugs
- Physiotherapy instructions
- In severe cases, surgery may be necessary if there is a ligament rupture, bone fracture, or joint dislocation that has not improved with non-surgical treatments.
If you have right arm pain due to non-cardiac problems, you can use the following supportive strategies at home to improve your right arm pain. These solutions are:
- Cold compress:
You can use ice. Allow at least 30 minutes between each ice pack and place the ice pack on the painful area for 15 minutes at a time. Avoid placing ice cubes directly on the skin
- OTC painkillers:
In cases of mild to moderate pain, use NSAIDs. Ibuprofen, naproxen and indomethacin are in this category. Make sure that the use of these drugs does not exceed the recommended amount and also these drugs should be taken with a full stomach
- Close the area with a pressure band:
If the affected area is closed with a pressure bandage or a standard plastic bandage, it can prevent the area from becoming swollen, prevent joint strain, and relieve pain in the right arm.
- Holding hands high:
It is suitable for reducing arm pain and swelling
We remind you that if the arm pain worsens with the mentioned solutions, you should stop home treatments and see a doctor.
When should we see a doctor?
If you have pain in the area between the elbow and the right shoulder, you should go to the emergency room immediately in the following cases
If your right arm pain is accompanied by one or more of the following symptoms:
- Chest pain
- Feeling of pressure, burning and heaviness in the chest
- Pain in the neck and lower jaw and upper abdomen up to the navel
- Lightheadedness
- Cold sweats
- Vertigo
- Shortness of breath
- Irregular heart rhythm
- increase of heart rate
- Feeling weak and tired
Also, if arm pain is caused by a broken bone, you should go to an equipped medical center as soon as possible.
What are some ways to prevent right arm pain?
To prevent injury and joint pain, observe the following:
Do the lifting correctly
Before you start exercising, prepare your body enough by doing stretching exercises.