Arm bone pain may affect the daily functioning of a person. Although, in most cases, it is a result of trauma, it may also point towards multiple health conditions.
The anatomy of arm bones is complex. Sometimes wear and tear of bones and muscles cause immense pain in the arms. Some other reasons associated with arm bone pain are deficiency of minerals and decay of bones.
Possible Causes Behind Arm Bone Pain
Bone Fracture
A fracture in any arm bone causes terrible pain. If you have injured your arm, make sure you get an X-ray done immediately. Sometimes the alignment of the bone gets disturbed or formation of an angle takes place due to the fracture. Bone fracture as described in the medical dictionary is of different types. The most common include:
- Displaced fracture
- Dislocation
- Comminuted fracture
- Open fracture
- Occult fracture
- Pathological fracture
Bone Cancer
Bone cancers are generally of two types, viz., malignant and benign. Bone cancers invading arms could be osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma and the Ewing sarcoma family of tumors. Chronic upper arm bone pain is one possible reason behind bone cancer. High dose of external radiation, metal implants or heredity factors can also cause bone cancer.
Tendinitis
When muscles and nerve endings get inflamed, it gives rise to a painful condition known as tendinitis. Inflammation is caused due to injury or exhaustive use of hands. Upper arm muscle pain is most frequently observed due to tendinitis.
Peripheral Neuropathy
The other reason behind upper arm pain is peripheral neuropathy. The central nervous system is connected to other organs of the body through the peripheral nervous system. Other symptoms of peripheral neuropathy are tingling, weakness and numbness in arm muscles.
Brachial Plexus Injury
The bundle of nerves connecting the neck to the shoulder is known as brachial plexus. These nerve endings transmit message to the shoulders, arms and hands. Damage of brachial plexus due to accidents is one of the prime cause of upper arm pain. Such a localized injury also causes forearm pain.
Paget's Disease
It's a condition wherein the levels of calcium increases beyond normal causing bone enlargement and bone pain. This mostly affects old people and the pain might be excruciating. Arm pain is felt occasionally at night when the nerves get compressed. Sometimes, joints become so painful that a person might get afflicted with osteoarthritis.
Muscle Pull
Extensive use of arms during body building exercises might cause muscle sprain or twitch. Forearm pain is one of the common symptoms of muscle pull. The nerves might overlap or an injury might be caused to the bones which gives rise to such a painful condition. It becomes very difficult to move the hand and considerable rest is required.
Other Conditions
Pain in the left arm bone could be a sign of a heart attack. Weak bones and deficiency of calcium causes arm pain. Osteoporosis gives rise to chronic pain in the bones. Rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and postherpetic neuralgia are other conditions that give rise to sharp pain in arms.
The structure of arm bones is very sophisticated which further enables us to perform numerous physical activities. Any injury causing pain in arm bones should not be neglected. You need to visit an orthopedic even if you haven't hurt yourself and is experiencing excruciating pain in the arms. At home you can take warm saline water compress to get relief from the pain. Get yourself diagnosed in order to receive the right treatment.
Disclaimer:
The information provided in this article is solely for educating the reader. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a medical expert.
