If you’ve experienced arm pain for more than 1-2 weeks without relief or your pain is becoming worse, it’s best to visit Spinal Diagnostics for an exam. Some symptoms to look for if you experience arm pain include:

• Numbness and tingling in your arm or hand
• Sharp, shooting pain in your arm
• Arm pain accompanied by neck or back pain
• Decreased grip strength
• Swelling of the arm or hand
• Changes in skin tone or texture
• Changes in nail or hair growth

If you experience any of these symptoms, they can be caused by a neurological condition stemming from your central nervous system — including your brain and spinal cord — or your peripheral nervous system — including the nerves that control your muscles and sensations like touch, temperature, and pressure.

Depending on the type of arm pain you’re experiencing, it could be due to a simple muscle strain or ligament strain. More complex causes of arm pain include:

• Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
• Spinal stenosis
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Herniated discs
• Pinched nerves
• Radiculopathy

These conditions often cause arm pain that is sharp and shooting or numbing and tingling. Arm pain caused by nerve issues can lead to cramping or spasms in the muscles of the arms along with decreased range of motion or poor coordination of your hands and fingers when typing, cooking, or performing fine motor tasks.

For chronic or complex cases of arm pain, the team at Spinal Diagnostics offers extensive treatments to relieve arm pain, including:

• Physical therapy
• Anti-inflammatory medications
• Corticosteroids
• Epidural steroid injections
• Facet joint injections
• Selective nerve root blocks
• Radiofrequency neuroablation
• DRG stimulation

The team can recommend one or more of these treatments for you in order to address all the aspects of your pain, including inflammation, swelling, and abnormal pain signaling in either your nerves or central nervous system — including your brain and spinal cord.

In most cases, surgery is not necessary to resolve arm pain. The team works with you to determine your exact diagnosis and options for treatment, often beginning with conservative therapies.

Based on your response to a trial of conservative care over 2-4 weeks, the team can recommend that you continue with conservative care or they can incorporate minimally invasive treatments like injections to relieve your pain.

To learn more about arm pain treatment call or go online today to book an appointment at Spinal Diagnostics.