Arm Pain After Sneezing

She sneezed; I said, "God bless"; she held her arm tight; as though it were hurting badly. She sneezed again, still holding her arm as if in pain. I was trying to figure out the logic behind this sequence of actions. It had started with her sneeze and had possibly ended with an aching arm. What was that? I began wondering... I asked her whether she experiences arm pain after sneezing, to which she replied with a sneezy "yes". And I decided to read up about this strange phenomenon of pain in arms while sneezing. Here is what I found.

Arm Pain and Sneezing
Yes, sneezing and arm pain can be related. There are people who experience severe pain in their arms while or after sneezing. Some complain of pain and numbness in the elbow, while others experience a shooting pain in their shoulders along with their lower arm. In some cases, the pain in arms while sneezing vanishes within seconds, while in certain cases, it lasts for a couple of minutes after sneezing and the pain shifts from the hands to the fingers. There are cases wherein people experience pain accompanied by a tingling sensation in one or both arms and the chest. In case of chest and arm pain after sneezing, people link it with heart disease. There is shooting pain that initiates at the base of the neck and radiates from the shoulder right up to the fingers. A racking pain of this sort might seem to be associated with an underlying cardiovascular disease. But, it's often not the case. Pain in arms while sneezing is common and often related to problems of the back, not the heart.

Causes
According to experts, arm pain after sneezing can be the result of a compressed or pinched nerve. Also, a sudden movement of the neck while sneezing may lead to pain in the arm. A dislocated vertebra or other spinal problems may also be the reasons behind arm pain after sneezing. For example, cervical radiculopathy, or a pinched nerve in the cervical spine can lead to pain in the arms while sneezing. Also, sneezing results in building up of pressure on the herniated disc, which affects the nerves that run down the arms, giving them a tingling feeling and pain.

Weakness of the spine, compression of a spinal nerve, or neck and back injuries are some of the other causes of arm pain after sneezing. Rather, the weakness in the bones of the neck and back, manifests itself during involuntary reflexes like sneezing. It won't be wrong to say that symptoms of neck and back problems become more evident during actions like sneezing or coughing.

Another cause could be strain in the muscles resulting from increased tension in the upper body while sneezing. The act of sneezing involves quite a bit of muscle activity, leading to building of tension in the muscles of the upper body. As the muscles try to contract in response to this tensing, they are strained. And this leads to pain in the shoulders and arms. One might experience pain in the arms while sneezing, especially when he/she is trying to stop the sneeze.

Treatment
The treatment depends on the factor causing it. Hence, inspection and right diagnosis of the reason is the first step towards treating it. Visit your doctor to know what's causing the pain. He might ask you questions like where the pain starts, to which points on the arms it radiates and how long it lasts. He may advise you to go for an X-ray of the spinal cord in order to detect a neck or back problem, if any. In case of severe pain, you may require to undergo an MRI scan.

If a pinched nerve is the cause for arm pain while sneezing, pain management drugs or injections with the consultation of your doctor can help. You can go for physical therapy, acupuncture or other chiropractic treatments.

In case of inflammation of the spinal cord or back injuries, anti-inflammatory medications and ice or heat therapy can be of help. Strained muscles need rest and the injured need to be healed. Light stretching exercises and muscle strengthening workouts can be of help in this case. Remember, exercises have to be supplemented with adequate rest. As already discussed, pain in the arms while sneezing can actually be the result of certain spinal problems. So treating them in the first place, is a sure way of getting rid of arm pain after sneezing.

So, the next time you see someone experiencing pain in the arms while sneezing, don't just bless him and walk away. Share with him what you just read.