Arm Bone Pain

The anatomy of arm bones is complex. The skeletal system of arms comes under the anatomy of the human hand which divides the arm into 2 parts, the upper arm and the lower arm. The upper arm is the portion between the shoulder and the elbow joint while the lower arm (forearm) extends from the elbow to the wrist. The entire arm is a skeletal network of three types of bones, namely the humerus, radius and the ulna. Apart from bones, a network of muscles, executing a large number of functions, is associated with movement and flexibility. 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.

Causes of Arm Bone Pain

Pain is associated with both upper and lower arm. Aching arms cause immense discomfort while performing activities requiring movement of hands. If the alignment of arm bones and muscles is disrupted, it results in pain and restriction of movement.

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 being displaced fracture, dislocation, comminuted fracture, open fracture, occult fracture, and 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.

Medical Conditions
Left arm bone pain is a common symptom of 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.

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.

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.