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All Posts Tagged: arm pain causes

HOW-TO-TREAT-AND-COPE-WITH-ARM-PAIN

HOW TO TREAT AND COPE WITH ARM PAIN?

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;

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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
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Left-arm-pain-why-an-emergency

Left-arm pain: why an emergency

Arm pain mostly results from injury or because of using the arm in some unusual way.  However, there is a different reason for such pain and that is anxiety and tension. the mild or even moderate pain in left arm is common especially in growing age and this type of arm pain treatments are also very basic such as proper rest, massage or pain medication, however there are severe and intense pain can be a symptom of a serious medical issues like heart disease, angina or of mild or stable angina or unstable angina. There are other causes for left arm pain as well which include Skeletomuscular injury, bursitis, and tendonitis.

Life-threatening cause of left arm pain

Heart attack and all kind of angina are the causes of left arm pain. A heart attack is a medical condition mostly due to lack of oxygen. The reason for the occurrence of the heart attack can be the damage to the heart muscles which affect the function of the heart and make it hard to inhale oxygen. The damage to the heart muscles can be explained as the narrowing of the coronary arteries of the heart. Increased plaque causes the arteries to narrow down. The flow of the blood can be affected when plaque losses and enters the artery wall. In these situations, nerves of the left arm as well as the nerves of the brain both send signals to the brain; however it gets hard for the brain to identify the proper cause of pain.  The brain gives signals about pain in the left arm. Angina cause pain in the left arm as well in the neck, back, and jaw. Before taking any pain-relieving medication as arm pain treatment, it is important to consult a doctor first so that he can identify whether the pain is life-threatening or not.

Left-arm pain and muscular injury

There are symptoms which help in identifying whether the pain in the left arm is pointing towards a heart attack or not. The muscular pain feels like stabbing on the arm; however, it disappears on its own. The muscular pain can be triggered with a little touch or any specific movement. Most patients only feel discomfort on their left arm which remains for an hour till a day. Bursitis is a type of arm pain which is not life-threatening. The discomfort or pain occurs due to an inflammation on the bursa. The tendonitis is also a muscular disease to cause left arm pain. In fact, this disease causes pain in both arms. There non-surgical arm pain treatments which have proved suitable even for pains which have not been treated properly for years.

Treatments for left arm pain

Seeking medical advice is important in case of arm pain or any other pain or medical condition for that matter. CT scans, MRIs, and X-rays are mostly the procedures which doctors recommend to evaluate the causes of the pain. In case of heart attacks or other heart disease, doctors recommend the case towards some cardiology specialist; however, orthopedics deals with muscular pain. To cure tone muscles of the arms, in the current era, the medical specialist uses regenerative medicines.

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Reasons to consider Stem Cell Therapy for Arm Pain

Types and causes of your arm pain

Rotator cuff injury

Rotator cuff injury can be

  • What causes a rotator cuff injury?
  • Rotator cuff injuries can range from mild to severe. They tend to fall into one of three categories.
  • Tendinitis is an injury caused by overuse of the rotator cuff. This causes it to become inflamed. Tennis players, who use an overhead serve and painters who have to reach upward to do their jobs commonly experience this injury.
  • Bursitis is another common rotator cuff injury. It’s caused by inflammation of the bursa. These are fluid-filled sacs that sit between the rotator cuff tendons and the underlying bone.
  • Rotator cuff strains or tears are caused by overuse or acute injury. The tendons that connect muscles to bones can overstretch (strain) or tear, partially or completely. The rotator cuff can also strain or tear after a fall, a car accident, or another sudden injury. These injuries typically cause intense and immediate pain.

What causes arthritis?

Cartilage is a firm but flexible connective tissue in your joints. It protects the joints by absorbing the pressure and shock created when you move and put stress on them. A reduction in the normal amount of this cartilage tissue cause some forms of arthritis.

Key points

  1. Numbness, tingling, and pain in your thumb and the first three fingers of your hand are common symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.
  2. The pain in your carpal tunnel is due to excess pressure in your wrist and on the median nerve.
  3. Carpal tunnel syndrome can be made worse if the wrist is overextended repeatedly.

What is tennis elbow?

Tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, is a painful inflammation of the elbow joint caused by repetitive stress (overuse). The pain is located on the outside (lateral side) of the elbow, but may radiate down the back of your forearm. You’ll likely feel the pain when you straighten or fully extend your arm.

What Is a Dislocation?

A dislocation occurs when a bone slips out of a joint. For example, the top of your arm bone fits into a joint at your shoulder. When it slips or pops out of that joint, you have a dislocated shoulder. You can dislocate almost any joint in your body, including your knee, hip, ankle, or shoulder.

Since a dislocation means your bone is no longer where it should be, you should treat it as an emergency and seek medical attention as soon as possible. An untreated dislocation could cause damage to your ligaments, nerves, or blood vessels.

However, when tissues are injured, the degenerative process exceeds this regenerative process, resulting in structures that become weaker, painful and less functional. While there are several types of stem cells, those that are best at promoting musculoskeletal healing (tendon, ligament, cartilage and bone) are found in bone marrow. These mesenchymal stem cells, or MSCs, are essential to successful patient outcomes

  • The human body keeps a supply of stem cells available to help repair injured and degenerated tissues at all times, making it fairly simple to retrieve them for therapeutic purposes.
  • As stem cells remain in reserve, in the marrow cavity of your bones, we have found the easiest place to harvest these stem cells is from the back of the hip area (iliac bone).
  • Procedure is done in the office, under ultrasound or x-ray precision and guidance.
  • Patients lay face down as the doctor thoroughly cleans the area before numbing the skin and bone.
  • A special needle is inserted into the bone to withdraw marrow blood, which contains the stem cells. Note: This procedure is not like a bone marrow biopsy nor is it at painful as one. This harvesting procedure is well tolerated by patients and not considered difficult as many patients claim it is not painful.
  • After bone marrow blood is drawn, it is taken to our onsite Regenexx laboratory and centrifuged to concentrate and purify the stem cells while other cells that are not needed are removed, leaving a concentrated sample of stem cells used to help heal your injury.
  • The entire process is done by hand to enable customized designing of the stem cell specimen for your particular injury.
  • A preparation of your concentrated platelets are also gathered at this time for injection into the injury site to release growth factors that “turn on” the stem cells that will later be injected.
  • These platelets are injected again 3-5 days later to
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Arm pain causes, symptoms and treatments

There can be several reasons that cause your arm pain, it might be injuries, nerve compressions trauma attacks or joint disorders, along with these reasons,there are several routinely activities including sports typing, lifting heavy objects and excessive workouts that cause your arm pain

Symptoms that are attached to arm pain

  • Burning
  • Ticklish
  • Feebleness
  • Stiffness
  • Inflammation
  • Limited range of motion

Causes

Possible causes of arm pain include:

  • Broken arm
  • Broken wrist/broken hand
  • Bursitis
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Cervical disk herniation in the neck
  • Dislocated elbow
  • Pinched nerve
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Rotator-cuff injury
  • Sprains and strains
  • Tendinitis
  • Tennis elbow

Treatment

Treatments may range from traditional home treatments to medications and surgery if required

People who suffer from nerve damage or pinched nerve in the area of the arm, wrist or elbow, they should  prevent continuous movements and take significant gaps

Applying an ice  pack on the swollen  arm or wrist can be a better remedy if the pain and inflammation is due to excessive workout and exertion

However the treatment of arm pain depends upon the cause behind in case of infections and joint inflammation can be treated with antibiotics and anti inflammatory drugs

Joint pain or bone damage can be treated by wearing a sling, resting the arm in the correct position and pain killers are advisable in extreme cases surgery is recommended

By following this approach you can relive your arm pain noticeably, and don’t forget the acronym RICE

Rest; you need to take a rest from your daily activities

Ice; treat the swollen areas with an ice pack at least thrice a day

Compression; use slings and compression bandages to reduce inflammation

Elevation; place the arm in an elevating position

If an immediate chest pain and arm stiffness is experienced this may lead to symptoms of heart attack and you need to immediately consult your doctor, and avoid driving to the hospital in such condition

See your doctor right away

If you feel chest pressure along with arm pain and discomfort in breathing, this pain can lead to angina.

Angina is a type of pain that occurs with lower blood flow towards your heart resulting in heart attack

Sudden injury or accident in which you feel a crack sound

If your arm has become immobilized

Weakness or numbness in your arm

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Top 4 Ways That Can Help Ease Your Arm Pain!

The most common problem by which the athletes have to suffer is none other than the arm pain, making their arms sore thus leading to their absence from the most amazing matches they were looking forward for. Moreover, if the condition is not treated effectively then it can lead to a season ending injury or later making up the minds of the victims for a major surgery.

Apart from being an athlete, a housewife, a businessman, or a typist can also face a severe arm pain leading them to a vulnerable condition with decreased range of motion.

Ways that can Ease arm Pain

R.I.C.E

These are the four simple points that will help in treating the arm pain your own self. These are elaborated as:

Rest

Try taking rest most of the time, just to relax your muscles. Quit your everyday tasks or decrease the number of the tasks you carry on in a day.

Ice

Apply ice on the affected area that is the arm for at least 20 minutes.

Compression

In order to minimize the inflammation, wrap your arm with an ACE bandage.

Elevation

Keep the painful area elevated, at least above the level of your heart with the help of a pillow.

Massage

With massage therapy, the blood flow will be increased that can help in treating the inflammation as well as the stiffness of the muscles thus lessening the arm pain.

Strengthening the Shoulder

There are two important movements related to the shoulder that if followed properly can lessen the stiffness of the arm thus reducing the arm pain. The two important movements are described as:

Internal External Rotation

Use the bands or the dumbbells in a way that they are looped under the feet and upper arm. After this, rotate your hands such that they are in the level with the elbows.

Cuban Press

Pinch your shoulders while holding bands at the sides. While doing this try to pull up your weight in a way that the arm is parallel to the ground.

Good Sleep & Nutrition

In acute arm pain or in any other pain the most important measure that is sleep and good nutrition is often ignored. Focus on taking at least eight hours of sleep and spend your day eating fresh and whole foods as these will speed up your recovery process.

If you or any of your loved one is suffering from chronic arm pain or any other body pain, get a professional advice from Dr. Zaki Anwar by placing an appointment at (815) 464-7212). He is an expert anesthesiologist and certified Pain Management Specialist who has been practicing pain relief techniques for the past several years with effective results.

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Stay Informed About Arm Pain & The Tips to Prevent It!!

There is a discomfort in the structures of the arm pain that leads to chronic arm pain. This uneasiness felt in the arm might be because of the everyday use, the work injuries or as a result of the sports injuries. There may be some underlying causes such as chronic pain caused by tendon, local muscles or any acute joint injury. But in order to clearly understand the cause an accurate diagnosis of the condition plays a vital role.

The Common Causes of Arm Pain

Below mentioned are the common causes of arm pain:

  • Elbow Pain
  • Wrist Pain
  • Shoulder Pain
  • Ligament Injury
  • Bursitis
  • Arthritis
  • Hand Pain
  • Muscle Pain
  • Tendonitis
  • Neck Pain

Explore The Best Ways To Treat It!!

When talking about athletes, we see that they are the people who have an extensive use of arms in their normal routine, whatever they play or in whatever game they are involved in. However, if the pain is not treated in a better manner then it can cause some serious issues or can lead to an uncontrollable pain.

Watch Out Your Diet!

The way your body functions, it solely depends on the type of diet a person takes. The type of diet you go through has a direct impact on the amount of pain you are experiencing. This is known as curing your arm pain with help of a balanced and required diet. For instance fruits like cherries and blueberries will help in comforting the sore muscles and assisting the body to recover it as quickly as possible.

Resting the Affected Area

Arm pain doesn’t only mean that it is simply pain in the arm that the person is facing. It might be because of some specific bones, muscles or tendons that might be leading to this pain. It is important to know the exact area. For say if it is the wrist then you must use a wrist brace for it that will keep the affected area in a resting position.

Tools for Soothing Pain

The devices that will help ease arm pain such as rollers, bands, or the objects that are designed for relaxing the pain in the arm should be used.

If you or any of your loved one is suffering from chronic arm pain or any other body pain, get a professional advice from Dr. Zaki Anwar by placing an appointment at (815) 464-7212). He is an expert anesthesiologist and certified Pain Management Specialist who has been practicing pain relief techniques for the past several years with effective results.

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