The arm contains 72 muscles, which accounts for its wide range of complex movements. Pain and injuries of the arm bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments are common in sports and the construction industry. When certain groups of muscles are used to apply force, such as in tennis or when hammering for instance, these muscles tend to become strained or torn by these forceful and repetitive movements.
Sudden falls are another common cause of pain and injury to the arm because a person tends to extend the arm automatically to break a fall; the arm then bears the full weight of the body, often resulting in a pulled or torn ligament or muscle, or a fracture or dislocation.
Fractured Forearm
A fall or direct blow to the arm may cause a fracture of one or both bones in the forearm. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, fractures of the arm often cause severe pain at the site of the injury that is compounded by any movement of the arm. In the upper or middle third of the forearm, a simple fracture can be treated with a cast and pain relievers. With an open fracture, a surgeon may have to manipulate the bones back into place and secure them with screws and a metal plate. The arm would then bed immobilized in a cast with the elbow held at a right angle to alleviate pain and allow the arm to heal.
Fracture of the Head of the Radius
A fracture of the head of the radius can also occur if a person stretches out his hand to break a fall, ultimately falling heavily on his hand. If an X-ray shows that the bone has broken into several pieces, surgical removal of the bone fragments is usually the course of action.
Fracture of the Olecranon
The tip of the elbow, called the olecranon, can become displaced and separate from the ulna in the forearm by a sudden blow causing severe pain in the arm. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the displacement will not heal without treatment because the triceps tendon pulls the olecranon away from the ulna. To treat this injury and alleviate the pain, a screw may be used to secure the displaced bone.
Nerve Damage
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, other causes of arm pain may include injuries to the neck or shoulder causing damage to one of the nerves that pass into the arm. Pain of this type is often the result of a disc problem in the neck that is exerting pressure on a nerve leading to the arm.
Tennis Elbow
Pain and inflammation where the tendons of the forearm muscles attach to the elbow causes a condition known as lateral epicondylitis, or tennis elbow. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, tennis elbow occurs from repeatedly bending the elbow or twisting the forearm while gripping tightly. This is not limited to tennis players. Plumbers, bricklayers, carpenters, construction workers and painters also suffer from tennis elbow. The problem also occurs when an individual uses her wrist instead of the whole arm to support arm movement. The result is overloading the muscles that extend the wrist, resulting in pain and inflammation to the upper and lower arm, wrist and elbow.
References
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Broken Arm
- U.S. National Library of Medicine, Medline Plus: Numbness and Tingling
- U.S. National Library of Medicine, Medline Plus: Fractures
- KidsHealth: The Facts About Broken Bones
