There are various causes of left arm pain, injury being the most common. In this article, you will find the causes and treatment methods of pain in the left arm in men and women.
Pain in any part of the body is a symptom of some disorder or a sign that something is wrong with the muscles or organs in the related area. In minor cases, left arm pain causes include lifting a heavy object or sleeping with your arm under your head or body at night. The pain caused due to these minor reasons neither lasts long, nor requires any medical treatment. On the other hand, if you suffer from arm pain that lasts for a long time and is accompanied by other symptoms, you should consult the doctor, as the causes can be severe or even life-threatening.
Causes of Pain in Left Arm
The nature of pain helps in identifying the underlying cause of it. Left arm pain which originates in the shoulder and travels to the arm, chest, left jaw, etc. is a symptom of heart disease or heart attack. It is often accompanied with severe chest pain, profuse sweating, irregular heart rate, etc.
Ligament sprains or muscle strain caused due to injury is also one of the most common causes of arm pain in people. Carpal tunnel syndrome, which is caused due to compression of the wrist nerve, is yet, another significant cause of arm pain. Cervical herniated disc or slipped disc is a condition caused due to rupture of the fibrocartilage of the disc present in between two consecutive vertebrae. This is also one of the prominent causes of arm pain.
Similarly, other conditions like tennis elbow, bursitis, rotator cuff injury, Brachial plexus injury, etc. also cause left arm pain in women and men. Strain, sprain and tennis elbow injury are the conditions most usually found in sportsmen.
Meningitis, spinal stenosis, pulled muscles, etc. are other potential causes of pain in the left arm. Secondly, pain and numbness with tingling is caused due to lack of blood circulation in the arm. The term is also known as dead arm.
Treatment of Left Arm Pain
If you experience severe left arm pain, visit a cardiologist (heart specialist) immediately, in order to rule out the possibility of heart diseases or heart attack. Secondly, you should also look for emergency treatment if inflammation and swelling is seen on the arm due to an injury. Sometimes, sprain or bone fracture can make movement of arm difficult. Even in this case, it is recommended to look for immediate treatment. Consulting the doctor will help in proper diagnosis of the underlying causes.
If the arm pain is accompanied with any other symptoms like swelling, tingling, numbness, inflammation, pain in surrounding regions, or if you experience pain that comes and goes or the pain that lasts for a long time, you should consult the doctor immediately.
On the other hand, if the pain is caused due to minor reasons, you can use home remedies to get rid of the pain. Taking rest is the simplest and best treatment method for treating arm pain. Secondly, you can make use of ice packs, cold compresses or compression bandage, etc. to treat the swelling and pain. You can even consider taking over-the-counter or prescribed painkillers to get rid of the left arm pain. Keeping the arm in elevated position can also help in reducing the swelling or numbness in arm. Sometimes, panic attacks can also cause pain in left arm. In that case, it is essential to look for professional help to get rid of the panic attacks, anxiety and stress.
Lastly, it should be noted that this article is only meant for information purposes and should not be substituted for medical treatment. Quick and proper medical treatment is the only way to cure pain in the arm completely.
