Upper Arm Muscle Pain
A Helpful Guide to Upper Arm Muscle Pain
Upper arm muscle pain is a condition that affects many Americans every year. This condition may even affect you. The human body is a complicated biological machine that can endure tremendous amounts of stress and strain – but only to a point. Your muscles are built to carry a lot of weight and exert a lot of force, yet they are at the same time at risk for being ripped or torn, or otherwise distended. The bone may even break if too much force is applied. This article will talk about the symptoms, causes, and treatment for this condition and inform you of this injury.
The upper arm is an important part of your body because your arms bear a lot of weight during the course of a day. This work is primarily accomplished by two muscles: the biceps and the triceps. The biceps is usually the smallest of the two and is located on top. It is responsible for rotating the arm and for flexing your elbow. The triceps is located beneath the biceps and is also responsible for flexing the elbow, and also supporting the biceps. Together these two muscles provide a lot of the mobility in the human arm; because of this, they are vulnerable to pain.
Symptoms of upper arm muscle pain are varied from person to person, depending on the severity of the injury. All cases, however, have a few common symptoms. The first is, obviously, pain. This can range from a dull ache to a sharp, burning sensation, and usually lasts for more than two days. The second symptom is the arm being swollen. Bruises may also become noticeable. The third symptom is if you cannot flex or otherwise move your arm, and it hurts when you attempt to do so. The big overall symptom of this condition is if the pain in your arm persists and gets worse if you try to work out, exercise, or lift anything.
There are many different causes of upper arm muscle pain. By far, the main cause is exercise, specifically throwing sports or weightlifting. Certain exercises, like an isolated dumbbell curl, can put a lot of stress on the biceps and can strain or tear the muscle. Also, playing baseball can result in a similar injury. Most injuries to this part of the body happen because people do not warm up properly before engaging in physical activity. Other causes happen in the workplace, particularly if you lift heavy objects or do other kinds of intensive physical labor. Also, if you fall on your arm, twist it the wrong way, or hit it on something, you can also damage the muscle – or even break the bone itself, which will cause upper arm muscle pain as well.
Treatment for upper arm muscle pain is relatively straightforward, and really depends on how severe the injury is. For less severe injuries, it may help just to keep pressure and strain off of the arm for a few days. Going easy on the arm can allow the body to heal and repair the torn muscle that is causing the pain. Applying ice packs for no more than five minutes at a time will also help with the pain, as will over-the-counter pain relievers. For more severe cases that either result in a large amount of pain or do not diminish or go away with rest, you may have to see a doctor. Surgery is a possibility if the muscle is excessively torn, because the muscles will need to be reattached. At any rate, seeing a doctor if it is anything more than a simple discomfort is recommended. If you have these symptoms and want to know more about this painful condition, then consult a physician for more assistance.