Arm muscle pain

Pain in the arm muscles appears at moments of severe fatigue from physical overexertion or as a consequence of the development of one of many diseases. Diseases can cover both the musculoskeletal system of one arm, have symmetrical damage to both arms, and become an echo of damage to another organ located somewhere deep in the body. In this case, we will talk about radiating pain, giving to the muscle formations of the upper limbs. Such pains occur with some cardiac pathologies, the development of a herniated disc, oncological damage to various organs, and many other diseases.

[ 1 ], [ 2 ]

Biceps and triceps

One of the large muscles of the arm and probably the most recognizable and popular, especially among those who purposefully work on increasing its volume, is the biceps or two-headed muscle of the shoulder. The two-headed muscle justifies its name by its structure. One of its ends has two branches, which are actually called heads, with which it is attached to the shoulder blade, and the other, single end, is attached to the forearm. The biceps comes into play when the arm is raised or bent.

The triceps is located on the back of the humerus and is called the triceps, because the three parts of this muscle, its three heads, are alternately attached to the scapula and humerus. Then all three heads pass into a single "belly" of the triceps, which ends with a tendon ending that is attached to the ulna. The triceps is responsible for extending the arm at the elbow.

The movements of the shoulder, flexion and abduction to the body, are provided by the coracobrachialis muscle, it originates from the eponymous (coracoid) process of the scapula and is attached with its other end to the middle of the humerus. It remains to mention the deltoid, supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis, large and small teres muscles - all of them are part of the shoulder muscle frame, keep the arm from dislocating in the shoulder joint.

Between the muscles are located the main blood vessels, veins and arteries, large nerve trunks, lymphatic channels and nodes. All this can be affected to varying degrees by pathogenic microflora, pustular infection, the impact of external factors, as a result of which injuries and bruises, stretches, pinching, blockage can develop. Ultimately, all these disorders will be characterized by pain in the arm muscles.

[ 3 ], [ 4 ], [ 5 ]

Anatomy

Pain in the arm muscles is a rather vague concept. Each pain syndrome has its own characteristics and, therefore, is caused by different reasons. In order to understand in detail all the possible reasons causing pain, it is necessary to name the main muscles that make up the muscular skeleton of the upper limbs.

Some muscles originate from the scapula and cervical vertebrae, are attached with one edge to the humerus, and others begin and end at the limits of the ulna and radius. Some are responsible for the abduction and adduction of the thumb, and others play the role of flexors and extensors of all fingers. The entire group of the muscle layer of the upper limb is divided into the shoulder, forearm and hand muscles. Any movement of the arm is accompanied by the simultaneous work of a dozen muscles, while others, in the same position of the hand, return to a state of rest.

The largest number of muscles responsible for the movement of the fingers and the hand itself are located in the forearm area and are represented mainly by long muscles. Their main function, with the participation of tendons, is flexion and extension.

By the way, it should be noted that the upper limbs are not only the shoulder, forearm and hand. The collarbone and scapula are the founders of the upper shoulder girdle. Due to the presence of a glenoid cavity in the scapula, the humerus with its head has the ability to securely attach to it. The shoulder itself, formed by the scapula, collarbone and humerus, can be pulled back, raised, lowered, pulled forward, thereby providing maximum range of motion of the upper limb.

[ 6 ], [ 7 ], [ 8 ], [ 9 ], [ 10 ]

Pain in the arm muscles as a symptom of serious diseases

The correct name for muscle pain is myalgia. It is detected by palpation of the painful area, and tends to develop spontaneously, during the onset of muscle movement. Myalgia is often a precursor to the appearance of other symptoms indicating the degree of damage to the muscle structure and the involvement of surrounding tissues, including bone or joint tissue, in the general painful process.

Here is an incomplete list of the most common diseases, the common symptom of which is pain in the arm muscles:

• myositis (cold and parasitic) and poliomyositis. Myositis is an inflammation of muscle tissue that occurs against the background of cold symptoms. Warmed-up muscles that have been exposed to low or cold temperatures for a long time can become inflamed, causing severe pain in the arm muscles. Parasitic myositis develops as a result of infection with helminths, such as toxoplasma, trichinella, which live in muscle fibers. The reproduction of parasites and their activity is accompanied by severe pain. The pain can be periodic or constantly aching or twitching, turning into a general unpleasant sensation throughout the arm. Polymyositis leads to a weakening of the muscle as a whole, to its hypertrophy;
• many infectious diseases, including influenza;
• various muscle injuries. In this case, swelling of the affected area, severe and sharp pain in the arm muscles, local increase in body temperature and possible partial or complete immobilization of the limb are observed;
• diffuse viral lesions of the muscular structure. It is possible to develop under the influence of the same flu virus. The pain in the arm muscles is pronounced, acute. An indicative symptom of diffuse myalgia is the presence of painful points in certain places, they are called "trigger points". When palpating trigger points, the pain in the arm muscles increases significantly. The general condition suffers, apathy and depression appear, the pain in the arm muscles is exhausting, leading to the development of insomnia;
• neuralgia is characterized by paroxysmal pains that are noted along the main affected nerve. The pain attack lasts from several seconds to ten minutes. Then the pain in the arm muscles passes without a trace and may not remind of itself for a long time;
• rheumatoid lesion, which affects not only the muscles of the shoulder girdle, but also the pelvic region. It develops mainly in old age;
• an unpleasant phenomenon that can be accompanied by pain of varying intensity - muscle cramps. The cause of cramps can be different, their identification is quite long-term and is carried out only taking into account laboratory and diagnostic measures. Removal of cramps is carried out by relaxation, placing the limb in a state of rest on a horizontal surface, massage movements to complete complete relaxation, then apply a wet towel soaked in cold water. Pleasant cold allows you to quickly relieve the manifestation of cramps in a relaxed muscle.

Even if one of the above-mentioned diagnoses is present, urgent measures must be taken to prevent the disease process from progressing to a larger area. Diagnostic and treatment procedures are carried out in accordance with the underlying disease, the symptom of which is pain in the arm muscles. Doctors such as a therapist, traumatologist, neurologist, and rheumatologist will help to establish the probable cause of the pain in the arm muscles.