Non-emergency causes of left arm pain are typically related to muscles, joints, or nerves.
- Muscle sprains or strains from activities can also lead to left arm pain. Bursitis causes arm pain due to joint swelling. Diagnosis may include imaging, if needed. Treatment involves pain relief and cold compresses.
- Hemiplegia, often caused by brain injury (e.g., stroke), may lead to arm pain, requiring medical assessment.
- Pinched nerves, like cervical radiculopathy, cause left arm pain, often with numbness.
- Thoracic outlet syndrome involves nerve compression and needs proper diagnosis.
- Tendinitis-triggered inflammation can result in severe pain, managed with heat and OTC drugs like Ibuprofen.
- Treatment for left arm pain depends on the cause and underlying reason. Recognizing the causes and seeking timely medical attention can help manage left-arm pain. Consult a healthcare provider for proper evaluation.
Learn how to tell the difference, key symptoms, and when to see a doctor in this blog.
Causes of pain in the left arm
Are you feeling stiffness, numbness, or muscle pain in your left arm? Let’s look into the causes of this pain and stiffness. Pain in your left or right arm may or may not be just the pain of the arm, but can also indicate other medical conditions. Here are 8 causes of pain in your left arm and what measures you should take to avoid and treat them.
Cardiovascular/heart-related issues causing left arm pain
Heart problems, including a heart attack or angina pectoris (pain you feel during or before a heart attack), may occur when you feel a sudden pain in your left arm originating from your chest to the back of your spine. This clearly indicates that pain in your left arm can also indicate an underlying heart problem.
Important Note: If you are a diabetic patient and feel a consistent, even less intense, pricking pain in your left arm, it’s crucial to get a quick consultation rather than wait for it to get intense because diabetes often masks the pain you feel before a heart attack. You might suffer in quiet, and it gets intensified without you even feeling the pain.
Injury causing left arm pain: Muscle sprain or muscle strain
Sprain and strain are both related terms for injury; the only difference is that a sprain is an injury to the ligaments, while a strain is an injury to the muscles and tendons. Common triggers for arm injuries include:
- Repetitive overuse: Excessive exercise or lifting heavy weights without proper form.
- Sudden trauma: Acute jolts, jerks, or falls that overextend the elbow or shoulder.
- Underlying weakness: While rare as a direct cause, calcium deficiencies or porous bones (osteoporosis) can make the surrounding soft tissue more susceptible to injury during physical activity.
If your pain is localized, tender to the touch, or worsens only when you move the arm, it is likely a musculoskeletal issue (muscle sprain or strain) rather than a cardiac event.
Bursitis can cause pain in the left arm
Bursitis is a medical condition characterized by the formation of swelling in the Bursa (singular), which is a fluid-filled sac around the joints of the body. It is also termed painful swelling, where the area around the joint “bursa” becomes swollen and inflamed, giving an overall painful and stiff feeling when moving.
Some common causes of Bursitis include:
- Repetitive and frequent movements
- Putting pressure on specific areas like joints for longer periods.
- Gardening, carpeting, and painting while staying in the same position.
- Playing any musical instrument without changing position.
The best treatment for bursitis is to first diagnose it using diagnostic procedures prescribed by your healthcare provider, including X-rays, imaging tests, and blood tests, to confirm that it is bursitis and not another medical condition. Over-the-counter medications like pain relievers: NSAIDs (Ibuprofen- ADVIL) and acetaminophen to quickly relieve the pain. Cold compresses can also help reduce inflammation and bursitis.
A herniated disc is causing pain in the left arm
A slipped or ruptured disc (herniated disc) in the neck (cervical spine) often compresses nerves, leading to radiating pain, numbness, or weakness in the shoulder, arm, and hand. Discs are cushions that sit between the vertebrae and joints, allowing them to move quickly and smoothly. Discs degenerate with age and increase the risk of a disc slip during sudden strain.
It’s important to get yourself checked by a healthcare provider if you have pain in your left arm that emerges from the spine right after lifting something. Your healthcare provider will more likely ask you to get the imaging tests along with some prescription medications to treat the spinal and left arm pain.
Treatment options will vary based on your provider’s diagnosis, such as:
- A supplemental diet may help reduce the risk.
- You might get a prescription for physical therapy sessions until you get better.
- You can take over-the-counter medications like Tylenol and Advil for temporary pain relief.
A pinched nerve can cause left arm pain
Nerves are pinched due to external pressure from the bones, muscles, or surrounding tissue. It can be motor or sensory nerves that send pain signals on pinching. It is one of the most common causes of pain in the left arm. Cervical radiculopathy (pinched nerve in the neck/cervical region) can also cause pain or cramps in the left arm in both males and females as you age. Pain in the left arm will accompany numbness, tingling, and weakness.
It can only be diagnosed by the healthcare provider after careful observation. Over-the-counter pain relief medications may not always be sufficient for pinched nerve pain, and you will need the prescription medication accordingly.
Thoracic outlet syndrome causes left arm pain
Thoracic outlet syndrome is the compression or irritation of the nerves, blood vessels, or both, which can also cause left arm pain if the nerves leading to the arm or from the arm are affected in any way. Causes of TOS can vary from genetic bone abnormalities, positioning, muscle imbalances, and repetitive strain injuries. It needs a proper diagnosis from the healthcare provider for the prescribed treatment regimen.
Hemiplegia causing left arm pain
While hemiplegia involves paralysis, it is often accompanied by significant pain. This is usually neuropathic pain, caused by the brain sending faulty signals after a stroke or injury, often resulting in a persistent burning or “pins and needles” sensation. Additionally, because the muscles can no longer support the joints properly, many patients experience secondary pain from shoulder subluxation (partial dislocation) or intense muscle stiffness known as spasticity.
Your healthcare provider will order diagnostic tests, including CT, MRI, and neurological evaluations, to support the proper prescription of a treatment regimen.
Tendinitis causes left arm pain
Tendinitis is a condition involving inflammation and irritation of a tendon. It can affect your left arm, causing extreme pain and discomfort until it is treated. The pain may be sharp or dull and is often exacerbated by movement of the affected joint.
What is the best treatment for arm pain?
The exact treatment depends on the underlying reason for your left arm pain. Only a licensed physician can determine the best treatment for you. However, some options that can help you manage pain are as follows:
- Over-the-counter medications like Ibuprofen and Tylenol can be taken for pain relief.
- Heat therapy can help reduce pain via heating pads.
- Ice pads can reduce the pain in the area.
- Physical therapy, as prescribed, should be continued, which can help manage pain.
- Other treatment options, like muscle relaxants, can only be prescribed after the proper imaging and evaluation.
What is the best medicine for left arm pain?
You can get an over-the-counter pain reliever like NSAIDS for the left arm pain, such as Ibuprofen (Advil), acetaminophen (Tylenol), and naproxen, as per recommended adult doses. However, this may only provide temporary pain relief. Medications like muscle relaxants will only be prescribed after the proper diagnosis and evaluation.
When to consult a doctor
Left arm pain can be a symptom of a heart attack or cervical radiculopathy, among other reasons. Recognizing whether the left arm pain is heart-related or due to cervical radiculopathy can help you seek the right treatment. Both these conditions require proper medical care. A timely diagnosis will rule out serious conditions and determine the care needed to alleviate pain in your left arm and improve overall well-being.
Seek emergency medical care if you experience the following symptoms with left arm pain:
- Chest pain
- Nausea
- Sweating
- Shortness of breath
- Persistent, sharp pain
This blog is meant for educational purposes only. An online doctor cannot diagnose or treat medical conditions that require in-person care.
FAQs about pain in the left arm
Usually, it’s tricky to identify whether the pain is related to a heart problem or not. It may feel like it originates in the chest and moves into the left arm. It will feel like the pain is radiating from the chest to the left arm and chin. It’s important to get urgent medical care to address the condition.
Weird sensations along with the pain may indicate muscle strain, a sprain, or a pinched nerve in the arm. It will get worse with time, even with the slight movement. It’s good to get a medical consultation for proper diagnosis and treatment.
If the pain is consistent and moves back and forth from your neck, cervical spine, shoulder, and left arm, it may be concerning and indicate an underlying condition. It’s good to get the medical consultation and treatment.
All parts of the arms, originating from the chest, move back and forth from the shoulder to the left arm, fingers, and backward to the chin. Get a medical consultation as soon as possible for a timely diagnosis and treatment.
Healing time for upper arm pain depends entirely on the tissue involved:
- Muscle Strains: Mild pulls typically heal in 1 to 2 weeks with rest and ice. Severe tears may take 6 weeks or longer.
- Tendinitis & Bursitis: Since tendons have poor blood supply, inflammation usually takes 2 to 6 weeks to resolve with proper physical therapy.
- Pinched Nerves: Nerve tissue heals slowly. Relief from cervical radiculopathy usually begins within 4 to 8 weeks, though full recovery can take months.
- Bone Fractures: A broken humerus or shoulder typically requires 6 to 12 weeks for the bone to knit back together.
Note: If the pain is cardiac-related (angina), it will not heal on its own and requires immediate medical treatment to prevent permanent heart damage. Healing depends on the cause of the pain. If it’s related to a heart problem, it will take time until it’s medically treated. If it’s a pinched nerve, it will take 2 to 3 weeks of physiotherapy sessions to get better; similarly, with every underlying cause, the treatment span changes.
Nerve-related pain is typically characterized by sharp, electric shock sensations accompanied by numbness, tingling (“pins and needles”), or muscle weakness. Unlike muscle pain, it often radiates from the neck or spine and is triggered by specific postures rather than direct pressure.
