Upper arm pain

The upper arm is the body part between the elbow and the shoulder. With pain in this region, people often think of problems with the biceps or triceps muscles. But this is not always the case. Pain felt in the upper arm can also come from the shoulder, elbow, or even the neck.

Anatomy of the upper arm

The upper arm consists of one (één) bone and two large muscle groups. The biceps and triceps muscle groups attach to the bone we call the humerus. The biceps are also known as the muscles we flex to show our muscles. 

As the name suggests, these muscle groups consist of two (bi-) or three (tri-) separate muscles. In addition, several important nerves and blood vessels run through the upper arm to provide control, sensation, and nourishment to the entire arm.

Pain symptoms

For upper arm pain that did not arise acutely, it is often necessary to determine where the cause of the pain lies. Shoulder pain is often felt in the upper arm. The long tendon of the biceps even passes through the shoulder capsule and is attached to the shoulder. This can explain why the pain is felt in the upper arm.

In addition, upper arm pain can also be referred from the neck, especially when nerves that run to the arm are involved. If there is irritation or entrapment of a nerve in the neck, this can cause symptoms in the upper arm.

With acute injuries of the upper arm, think of a bone fracture or a muscle tear of the biceps or triceps. A fracture mainly occurs due to an accident or fall. If the acute moment involves quickly catching a heavy load, we think more of a tendon or muscle tear.

Muscles and tendons can also become overused. Muscle soreness is a common complaint in athletes. Upper arm muscle soreness is seen, for example, in fitness training where specific exercises for the biceps and triceps sometimes lead to overuse.

Symptoms
Pain symptoms that are often observed include: 

• Band-like sensation around the upper arm. Pain that is not easy to localize or that moves. 
• Tight feeling.
• Tingling.
• Loss of strength. 

When there is tingling or loss of strength, this may indicate a problem with the nerves and/or blood vessels.

Check your upper arm symptoms

It is important to identify the cause of upper arm pain and take the right action. As an orientation (oriëntatie), you can take the online physical therapy check, in which your upper arm pain is compared with a large number of known complaints and injuries within physical therapy.

For an accurate examination, you can visit a qualified physical therapist near you. The physical therapist can examine where the pain is coming from and treat it with physical therapy techniques and targeted exercises.

Conditions

The conditions below relate to the upper arm. In the article on the shoulder you will find an overview of shoulder conditions and injuries that may also cause pain in the upper arm.