Arm pain is most often caused by an injury to the skin, bones, muscles, or joints in the arm. Arm injuries can happen from playing sports repetitive overuse, trauma, performing manual labor duties, and improper exercise technique. Arm pain could be a very mild experience or an extremely painful one. Arm pain can become life-threatening as it can be associated with symptoms of a heart attack.
Treatments for arm pain
The arm pain treatment options will depend heavily on the condition at the root cause your arm pain along with your symptoms and personal goals. After diagnosing the cause, your physician can help you determine the best arm pain treatment of your arm pain.
Treatments for arm pain may include;
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Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is a broad term that encompasses a wide range of treatment methods for various conditions, injuries, and illnesses. Many conditions that lead to arm pain are often resulting of poor mechanics of the shoulder and upper extremity. Physical therapy can help to alleviate these problems and improves your posture.
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Anti-inflammatory medication
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications are effective arm pain treatment at reducing inflammation and decreasing pain. These medications can have some side effects and should be taken under the direction of your doctor.
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Cortisone injections
Cortisone is a powerful anti-inflammatory medication. Cortisone injection is delivered directly to the site of a problem. The benefit of this arm pain treatment is delivering a significant anti-inflammatory medication directly to the site of problem, although there are possible side effects of a cortisone injection.
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Surgery
Surgery is generally performed when the simpler treatments fail to provide pain relief. However, surgery is also required to repair rotator cuff tears, remove the inflammation from around the shoulder, repair fractures of the arm, as well as to treat other conditions that are a possible root cause of arm pain.
Self-care of arm pain
In addition to the medications or other arm pain treatment which doctor can prescribe for arm pain, you can use a variety of treatments at home.
- Rest; Take a break from your normal activities because sometimes all the body needs is rest. Rest the area in pain, and avoid movement and strenuous exercise.
- Ice; Icing can often help to reduce inflammation and swelling. Use an ice pack for 20 minutes at a time on the painful area.
- Compression; Wrapping the area where you’re experiencing pain with a brace or an elastic bandage can help reduce swelling, prevent you from extending a joint too far, and encourage healing. Buy an elastic bandage and brace for your arm pain.
- Elevation; Keep your arm elevated to reduce swelling and pain. If any of these home remedies make your pain worse, stop the home treatment immediately and consult your doctor.
Preventing arm pain
Many cases of arm pain occur due to a preventable injury or condition. You can do the following things to prevent injury and arm pain:
- stretch regularly, particularly before exercising
- make sure that the exercises you’re performing to prevent injury are in correct
- wear protective equipment while playing sports
- stay in shape
- lift objects carefully