Left arm pain in women can arise from problems affecting the bones, muscles, tendons, joints, nerves, ligaments, blood vessels, or skin.
It may also be a symptom of a serious health problem that requires urgent medical attention, such as a heart attack.
Common problems that can cause this type of pain include: torn rotator cuff muscle, tendinitis in the shoulder or elbow, fractures, bursitis, sprains or strains, and other problems that we will discuss later in the following paragraphs.
Causes of Left Arm Pain in Women
Left Arm Pain in Women can be caused by many reasons, including injuries, health conditions, or overuse. Here are the most prominent of these reasons:
- Strain and sprain: This occurs as a result of overuse, exercise, or accidents, where the muscles, ligaments, or bones are damaged.
- Rotator cuff tear: This is a tear that occurs in the tendons and muscles of the shoulder.
- Fractures: Fractures in the left arm can cause pain anywhere from the shoulder to the fingers.
- Angina pectoris: Or coronary heart disease, which causes pain in the left arm with other symptoms.
- Herniated disc: Where the spinal disc ruptures or slips out of place
- Rheumatoid arthritis: This can cause pain.
Other common causes of left arm pain in women:
- Tendonitis.
- Lupus.
- Pinched nerve.
- Bursitis.
- Thoracic outlet syndrome.
- Peripheral neuropathy.
- Hemiplegic migraine.
- Sjögren syndrome. (Li, n.d.)
When Arm Pain May Signal a Heart Issue
If left arm pain is accompanied by a combination of other symptoms such as chest pain, chest pressure, discomfort, shortness of breath, nausea, sweating, and jaw pain, this may indicate a heart attack that requires urgent medical attention.
This can be described as follows:
- The pain extends down the left arm and may occur in both arms.
- Chest pain with pressure, squeezing, shortness of breath, cold sweat, and jaw pain.
These symptoms usually appear suddenly and require emergency medical services.
Other Potential Explanations for Arm Pain
Other causes of left arm pain in women include:
- Pressure on nerves due to neck problems such as cervical radiculopathy.
- Arthritis including rheumatoid arthritis.
- Rotator cuff tears.
- Bursitis.
- Herniated disc in the neck.
- Ganglion cysts.
- Fibromyalgia.
- Angina, which presents as chest pain that can radiate to the arm.
- Heart attack.
- Stress fractures.
- Psychological factors such as anxiety. (OrthoInfoAmerican Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, n.d.)
Read Also: Right-Side Chest Pain When Breathing
There are some points to consider when feeling pain in the left arm, including:
- The specific location of the pain on the left arm, For example, wrist pain can be associated with carpal tunnel syndrome, while shoulder pain can indicate a rotator cuff problem.
- The symptoms associated with left arm pain can also help in understanding the causes of the problem, such as numbness or tingling accompanying the arm pain, which indicates nerve compression or other more complex problems.
- How the pain starts is also important in diagnosis, and while sudden, sharp pain indicates an acute injury, slow pain can indicate a chronic problem such as arthritis.
Seek medical help in the following cases:
- If the arm pain is severe and accompanied by shortness of breath, chest pain, and weakness.
- If it is accompanied by swelling, redness, or deformity.
- If the pain is persistent and does not improve with home treatments.
- If you suspect a fracture or dislocation.
References
- Li, J. (n.d.). University of virginia school of medicine. Retrieved from Neck & Arm Pain
- OrthoInfoAmerican Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. (n.d.). Retrieved from Shoulder Pain and Common Shoulder Problems
