Pain in Left Arm - How To Deal With It?
91Pain In Left Arm - How To Deal With It?
A common assumption with pain on the left side of your body – specifically pain in left arm is that you are experiencing a heart attack (angina) or other heart related ailment. While this might actually be the case, there are actually many other issues that could be the actual cause of the pain.
Heart Issues
While there are many different causes of pain in the left arm, the possibility that the pain could be related to an issue with your heart can never be completely dismissed.
Generally if you are experiencing heart conditions such as angina, the pain in your left arm will also be accompanied by pain in your chest, or the pain itself radiating downwards from your shoulder to your arm. A heart attack can be felt as either dull or shooting pain so if you are experiencing any of these symptoms it is best if you contact your local medical professional immediately. Heart attacks are extremely serious and symptoms that mimic those mentioned are definitely of concern and should not be ignored at any cost.
Stress and Psychology
Pain on the left side of the body can also be caused by psychological issues and stress. While most people would not assume that their emotional state could be a contributing factor to their physical well being, this should definitely not be dismissed and belittled.
People experience stress for different reasons and the causes could be related to workplace issues or problems in your personal life. When the stress gets too high however, it is possible that you start to feel a physical reaction in addition to the emotional and mental strain that you are under. Generally pain in the left arm if due to chronic stress symptoms will be characterized by a dull and heavy pain.
In some respects for those that suffer extreme reactions to stress – panic attacks and the like – the pain is entirely logical as a panic attack has a correlating reaction on heart rates and blood pressure, both of which could cause symptoms similar to a heart attack.
Physical Activity and Overuse
The most common cause of pain in your left arm is actually due to your overusing it or using it in a way that your body is unfamiliar with.
It is quite common for those with a primarily sedentary lifestyle to overdue the physical activities on one or two days of the week and unless care is taken to warm up properly and stretch out all of your muscles in advance, injuring yourself is a very real possibility.
The easiest way to determine if this is the cause of the pain you are experiencing is to examine your activities over the past 24 to 48 hours and determine what is different and what has changed. In most instances this simple analysis will help you determine what the root cause of your pain is and in some cases, what activities to avoid in the future! Treating this pain is generally a matter of time and over the counter pain medication although if your pain continues for a significant period of time a consultation with a qualified medical professional is very definitely recommended.
Sleep, Posture and Bad Circulation
The symptoms that characterize pain due to sleeping incorrectly and those suffering with bad circulation are somewhat similar. In both cases it is possible that your arm feels “dead” or the converse that you have a pins and needles feeling in your arm and it feels tingly. The treatment in both scenarios is rather different however:
- Sleep and Posture Issues: Quite often sleeping on your arm in an awkward position or simply standing in one position for too long a period of time – straining one part of your body more than the other – can be the cause of pain. In most instances, simply changing the way in which you are standing or sleeping can make all the difference in addressing this issue. While the pain due this cause can be acute, it is generally short in terms of duration and medication is not required.
- Bad Circulation Issues: Generally treating issues with bad circulation is a bit more complicated requiring medication after positive analysis. As bad circulation is a condition that affects your whole body, while the feeling might be focused on your left arm, the issues are often larger.
While the symptoms in both cases are similar, the treatment as already mentioned is significantly different so if you experience symptoms similar to this try to determine which scenario applies to you – generally pain in the left arm related to sleep and posture will pass fairly quickly whereas if the problem is related to bad circulation it will be more chronic in nature. If the latter scenario applies to you, a visit to a qualified medical practitioner is very much recommended so that appropriate tests may be carried out.
Medication
While medication might be the solution if problems with circulation are the cause, in some instances the medication itself is the culprit and the reason for the pain. If you have recently introduced prescription drugs into your system for any other condition or reason it is worth checking what the expected side effects of that medication are as this could be the reason for the pain in your left arm. However if pain on the left side of your body is not among the list of expected side effects that does not necessarily mean that the medication is not at fault and it is worth speaking to your Doctor to explore whether or not alternative medicines or dosages are an option simply so that you can rule this out as the possible cause of the pain.
In summary, while pain in the left arm might be due to an associated heart condition, generally unless associated pain in the chest is also being experienced a heart attack is unlikely to be the ultimate culprit as there are many different causes and issues that could be the underlying reason for the pain. A qualified medical practitioner should always be consulted if there is ever any concern so that appropriate tests may be carried out.
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Do You Have Pain In Your Left Arm?
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I have apain on my left hand and chest it was useful to visit you side
Hi I have had a pain in my left arm. I feel it numb at times and feel like the veins swell in my arm. It feels like my arm is brused when I bend it. I am 30 yrs old not a smoker anymore I have.2 kids alsi I have high blood pressure and pcos. Please help me. Should I be scared??
I have had pain in my left arm from the shoulder to elbow since Aug. My Dr. suggested light weights to work it out, after a month of this not working & pain sometimes severe, especially at night, I went back to my Dr. He then gave me an injection of a combo pain reliever. It gave me some relief for 2 wks. then it seemed like I pulled a muscle or something in my arm and went back to the same sever pain. I don't want to keep getting injections, I want to find out the cause. I live a very healthy lifestyle and this happened after may be doing some heavy weightlifting, working out, and my work involves sometimes lifting people out of wheelchairs, which during the summer was very often. Currently, my arm use is just normal routine lifting of grocery bags and 18 lb. babies sometimes, nothing very heavy. If anyone out there has natural, healthy suggestions, please respons as soon as possible. Thanks!
I been having very bad sharp pain on my left arm few weeks back and I been going to the GP for consultation. However, it seems GP couldn't further diagnose my cause of pain. I have to be referred to nearby hospital for further checks. The pain mingles me badly during the night and it is so painful till I couldn't get to sleep! It's a nice article that you have published! Thanks!
Signed off @ www.seopro.sg
Yes, I would believe that many have suffered the same but keep in silence as many people have thought it's seems common to have aches and pains now and then due to our working lifestyle but they didn't realised this actually lead to more severe pain for the left arm due to long period of strain like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repetitive_strain_inj
i have pain coming from my left shoulder right down into my left arm i have high blood presure for 15 years taking tablets it has gone up in the last week im very tired
My pain starts at the elbow and travels up to my shoulder.the pain comes and goes night or day.
I hAVE DULL,HEAVY ARM PAIN THAT IS FOLLOWED BY RADIATING NEEDLE PAINS AT TIME,I FEEL IT STRESSES ME OUT JUST THINKING OF IT AND WONDER IF IT IS REALLY SOMETHING I SHOULD BE WORRIED ABOUT.
pain shoots from top of arm worse at joint. funny thing is about same time this started my ankle aches like crazy, I havent injured or fallen. that i can't sleep have felt a slight knob over my shin. could this be a clot. I am on Prexuim Plus and Adalat tablets for High blood pressure
I been feeling for months now my chest tight I been having chest pains n my left arm b hurting sumtimes to idk wat it is I suffer from anxiety so im hoping datz da case n its nothing worst ...i wanna live my normal life im only 21 n goin thru dis ..thy hav done stress test ,ekg n etc n nothing idk wat to do ?
I been feeling for months now my chest tight I been having chest pains n my left arm b hurting sumtimes to idk wat it is I suffer from anxiety so im hoping datz da case n its nothing worst ...i wanna live my normal life im only 21 n goin thru dis ..thy hav done stress test ,ekg n etc n nothing idk wat to do ?
I HAVE A PAIN IN MY LEFT SHOULDER, SOMETIME IT GOES TO MY
NECK. IT MOE FROM NECK TO LEFT SHOULDER. WHAT COULD THIS BE?
I have had numbness and pain in my left arm starting from the neck and going all the way down to my finger tips. I've had emg's and mri's all showing nothing. Still the pain and numbness remains. If my doctor wants me to do PT I'll just die. I've had PT before for other things and it does not help.
I have had severe lft arm pain since September 2011.It is anywhere in my arm and nothing I do relieves it except morthine liquid. I have had a MRI scan and nerve end tests which are all normal now I am going to have a CT scan on my chest.
I've been having pains in my left arm since December 2006, I've been on various medication and none of which have helped. I only ever had a blood test for it and since then it has escalated and the pain has spread everywhere, my life is having a massive effect because of this but I just don't know where to turn to any more the doctors are no help whatsoever.
A lot of people complaining about pain, but no "How to Deal With It". So, any ideas?
I also have a dull pain in my left arm, which comes and goes frequently. It feels like I slept on in wrong; a dull pain.
i have pain on my left arm starting from my wrist to shoulder.
i woke up this morning with pain in my left arm. i have high cholesterol i hope this is unrelated to my arm pain im going to see a doc this week. i also have been experiencing left leg pain as well. What dom you thinks going on?
I have pain in my left arm, mostly in the bicep area. It is like my arm is out of join. When I raise my arm even a little I have severe pain. I have some nasty sore spots in my back and neck. Perhaps a good masage will work them out.
Yes could do with a forum here. I've had a pain from my neck through the shoulder and down the back of my left arm for about a week. Funny thing is, it eases off when I eat something or burp. You can't get indigestion down the arm can you? I have acid reflux.
I had elbow pain and the Doc told me I had bursitis.... She gave me meds and they made me sick at my stomach so I quit taking them. I heard about Black Cherry juice then purchased some at the Health Food Store... within one week it was gone. I took 2 tablespoons twice a day.
It's only pure black cherry juice so it won't hurt you....
I sleep with legs bent often my knees and ankle joints are achy and swollen idk y. Got pains in my joints elsewhere too its a kinda Tingly feeling, i get it during a BM too
i have sholder pain in my left arm. hurts more at night when i sleep. need to find a solution to the problem .going to have surgery soon on my abdomin. dont want this to be a problem
I have the pain in left arm from last six months not getting any relief
iv had pain in my arm for about 5 months know.I have been to doctor and said its a stretched muscle it just doesnt seem to go away my hand starts to feel numb now wen my pain peaks please help
nice read 5 months ago
When I had a heart attack I experienced pain in my left arm. Gladly it's over!
Nice Read!