Right arm pain is a common symptom stemming from causes ranging from simple muscle strain to serious medical events. Because the right arm is often the dominant limb, it is frequently subjected to repetitive actions and overuse, leading to localized problems. However, discomfort in the arm can also be referred pain, originating elsewhere in the body, such as the neck or chest. Understanding the source of the pain is the first step toward appropriate care and relief.
Pain Originating from Muscles and Joints
The most frequent causes of right arm pain involve the muscles, tendons, and joints that make up the shoulder, elbow, and wrist. These conditions often arise from mechanical stress, repetitive motion, or the natural process of wear and tear over time. The pain is usually aggravated by specific movements and can be precisely located by touch.
Overuse injuries, often grouped as tendonitis, involve inflammation or irritation of the tendons connecting muscle to bone. Lateral epicondylitis, or Tennis Elbow, causes pain and burning on the outer part of the elbow where forearm muscles attach. Biceps tendonitis typically involves discomfort in the front of the shoulder or at the elbow where the biceps tendon connects.
Muscle strains and ligament sprains can occur suddenly during heavy lifting or sports activities, involving a stretch or tear of the soft tissues. A rotator cuff strain in the shoulder can cause pain radiating down the upper right arm, often worsening when lifting the arm overhead. Immediate pain, swelling, and bruising suggest an acute injury requiring rest and immobilization.
Conditions affecting the joints, such as osteoarthritis, can lead to chronic right arm pain. This degenerative disease causes cartilage within the shoulder, elbow, or wrist joint to break down, leading to bone-on-bone friction. The resulting pain is typically a deep ache that intensifies with activity and may be accompanied by stiffness after periods of rest.
Bursitis involves the inflammation of a bursa, a small, fluid-filled sac that provides cushioning between bones, tendons, and muscles near a joint. When the subacromial bursa in the shoulder or the olecranon bursa at the elbow becomes inflamed, it produces localized tenderness and pain with movement. Bursitis often resolves with rest and non-surgical treatments.
Pain Resulting from Nerve Issues
Pain originating from the nerves often presents differently than muscle or joint pain, frequently involving tingling, numbness, or a burning sensation that travels along the nerve’s pathway. These symptoms occur when a nerve is compressed, entrapped, or irritated either at the spinal column or along its path through the arm.
A pinched nerve in the neck, known as cervical radiculopathy, is a common cause of pain that radiates into the right arm and hand. This happens when a nerve root exiting the cervical spine is compressed by a herniated disc or bone spur. The pain is often described as sharp or burning and can be accompanied by weakness or a pins-and-needles feeling in specific zones of the arm.
Peripheral nerve entrapment syndromes occur further down the arm where nerves pass through narrow anatomical tunnels. Carpal tunnel syndrome, the most common of these, involves the compression of the median nerve as it travels through the wrist. This typically causes numbness and tingling in the thumb, index, middle, and half of the ring finger, which may extend up the forearm.
Cubital tunnel syndrome affects the ulnar nerve at the elbow, often where it passes through the bony groove known as the “funny bone.” Symptoms include pain along the inner side of the elbow and a characteristic tingling or numbness in the little finger and the adjacent half of the ring finger. Symptoms often worsen when the elbow is bent for prolonged periods, such as while sleeping or holding a phone.
Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is a condition where nerves or blood vessels are compressed in the space between the collarbone and the first rib. Neurogenic TOS, the most frequent type, causes pain, weakness, and numbness in the arm and hand, particularly when raising the arm overhead. Less common vascular forms of TOS can compress the subclavian artery or vein, leading to pain accompanied by swelling or color changes.
Actionable Pain Due to Systemic and Vascular Causes
Some causes of right arm pain do not originate in the arm’s local structures but are signs of a systemic disease or a vascular issue in the torso. This referred pain occurs because the body’s internal organs share nerve pathways with certain areas of the skin and muscles.
Pain from the heart, such as from angina or a myocardial infarction (heart attack), is a serious cause of referred pain that can be felt in the right arm, although it is more commonly associated with the left arm or chest. The pain is usually felt as a deep ache, heaviness, or pressure, rather than a sharp, localized sensation. This cardiac-related discomfort is often accompanied by other symptoms like shortness of breath, sweating, or nausea.
Upper-extremity Deep Vein Thrombosis (UEDVT) involves a blood clot forming in the deep veins of the arm, such as the subclavian or axillary veins. This condition, sometimes called Paget-Schroetter syndrome, requires immediate attention. Symptoms include the sudden onset of pain, swelling, warmth, and a reddish or bluish discoloration of the arm.
Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) is a vascular condition where arteries become narrowed, restricting blood flow to the limbs. While PAD is most common in the legs, it can affect the right arm, causing pain, cramping, and heaviness when the arm is used, a symptom known as claudication. This discomfort typically subsides quickly with rest.
Systemic conditions like fibromyalgia can also manifest as chronic pain in the right arm. Fibromyalgia is characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, and arm pain is often described as a deep, throbbing ache or a burning sensation. This pain is caused by an abnormality in how the central nervous system processes pain signals, not by inflammation or injury.
Critical Signs Requiring Immediate Medical Attention
Right arm pain that occurs alongside certain symptoms warrants an immediate call to emergency services, as these may indicate a life-threatening event. These “red flag” signs demand urgent medical evaluation to prevent permanent damage or fatality.
Any sudden, crushing pain or pressure in the chest that radiates to the right arm, especially if accompanied by shortness of breath, dizziness, or a cold sweat, suggests a possible heart attack. If the pain is new, severe, and does not improve with rest, emergency care is necessary.
Sudden, profound weakness or numbness in the right arm is a potential sign of stroke. The F.A.S.T. acronym helps identify this emergency: check for Facial drooping, Arm weakness (difficulty raising both arms or one drifting downward), and Speech difficulty. Time is critical for effective stroke treatment, so emergency services should be contacted immediately if any of these signs are present.
Signs of a vascular emergency include severe, sudden swelling, pain, and a noticeable color change in the arm, which may indicate a Deep Vein Thrombosis. If this arm pain is coupled with sudden shortness of breath, chest pain that worsens with breathing, or a rapid heart rate, it could signal a pulmonary embolism (a clot that has traveled to the lungs).
Severe trauma, such as a fall or accident resulting in a visible deformity, an open wound, or the inability to move the arm, requires immediate medical attention. These symptoms suggest a possible fracture, dislocation, or severe soft tissue injury that needs urgent assessment and treatment.