Achy Upper-Arm Awareness
Often, upper arm pain is caused by a fall or other traumatic injury to the arm or shoulder. But sometimes upper arm pain is a sign of other medical problems.
Some conditions associated with upper arm pain include:
- Heart attack: If you have severe upper arm pain along with pressure in your chest, don’t wait; seek medical help immediately.
- Broken bone: This almost goes without saying, but upper arm pain with a protruding bone is an emergency.
- Bursitis: Bursitis is not an acute injury—it’s an inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs that cushion pressure points near the joints. Bursitis comes from overuse, and bursitis in the upper arm or shoulder could result from playing a lot of basketball or raking the whole yard at once. Bursitis pain is usually a dull ache, rather than a sharp pain. Schedule a clinician visit, but not a trip to the emergency room.
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